The following guidelines may reduce complications arising from the
multiple nature of dependency logic:
- Outgoing dependency lines can be drawn on the activity box, either from left top or bottom, or from the right edge of the activity box. For repetitive works projects, the middle of bottom side may be used to link up repetitive activities vertically.
- Activities heading to an activity box, depending upon logic, are mostly linked with the left edge of the activity box. In rare cases, the right edge or top side of the box is used to represent the start-to-finish and finish-to-finish logic.
- Crossing and/or reversing of dependency lines should be minimized by suitably positioning the activities.
- Arrowheads should be drawn wherever necessary to clarify the direction of flow.
It may be noted that in case of logic constraints:
a. There can be more than one different types
of relationships between any two given activities.
b. The relationship time can be positive or
negative to show overlapping or separation, respectively, of activities. For
example a succeeding activity completion constraint imposed on the completion
of preceding activity, can have a negative delay effect.
c. Too many relationship can complicate a
network. It can also in conservative estimates as there is a tendency to use
extensive overlapping while attempting to meet a predetermined objective.
d. Unless absolutely essential, it is a
general practice to restrict the precedence relationships to a minimum. It can
be done by restructuring logic in such a way that the succeeding activity starts
only after the preceding activity (ies) has been completed, even if this
amounts to a further splitting of related activities.
