What is a PERT chart?How to use it in project management

Staying on top of every part of a project is always a challenge, but an effective project management strategy can help prevent important tasks and milestones from falling through the cracks. One of the best ways to achieve this is through visualization, specifically using PERT charts to arrange and organize different aspects of the project.

Like Gantt charts, they are a key tool in project management, but they have their own look and feel and typically do not have specific dates applied like Gantt charts. PERT diagrams can also be called network diagrams because they use free-form nodes that represent tasks and their corresponding dependencies.

Originally implemented by the U.S. Navy in the 1950s, PERT charts have become key to project workflows across industries.Almost all Project management software It is now possible to create digital PERT charts for sharing among team members.

What are the necessary components of a PERT chart?

One of the benefits of using PERT diagrams is that they are simple for the most basic projects. Only three components are required in a PERT chart.

• Numbered node: Each task should be listed on the diagram as its own individually numbered node. Nodes are all connected to represent how they help move the project forward.
• Directional arrows (dependencies): The arrows in a PERT chart show how individual tasks or milestones relate to each other and what needs to be done before the team can move on to the next task.
• Diverging arrows: Any arrow that originates from a single node but moves to a different node is considered a diverging arrow. These tasks can be completed simultaneously rather than sequentially.

How to use a PERT chart

PERT charts are best suited for simple projects, as the number of single tasks and dependencies that come with more complex projects can clutter the chart.

The three best reasons to use a PERT chart are when you need to:

• Evaluate resources. Because each task has its own circular or rectangular node, it’s easier to see where resources are missing. Some nodes may not need anything extra, while other nodes may have gaps.Assessment enables the project team to Prepare for a rainy day and arrange to collect what they need.
• estimated time. You can view individual task duration and total project duration on a PERT chart. This helps project managers accurately predict the overall timeline for project completion.
• Determine critical path. The critical path is the longest possible sequence of tasks and dependencies that must occur for a project to reach its final result. If these tasks are not completed, the entire project schedule will change. PERT charts show the critical path and alternatives to the same end point, allowing project managers to identify tasks that need to be removed or de-prioritized to complete faster.

How to make a PERT chart

No matter what your project is, there are five steps you need to take in your process timeline to ensure Project successfully completed.

Determine tasks

Once the project is approved, the project manager breaks down the individual tasks that need to be completed.At this point, the manager should assign the task to relevant team members to determine if it is sufficient resources available.

Define the difference

Milestones that depend on completion of other projects should be linked using dependency arrows in the PERT chart. This is called a logical relationship. Combining them in this way can help project managers track tasks and their deadlines more efficiently.

For more complex projects, identifying task dependencies before the project start date can save a lot of time. If you don’t do this, there’s a greater chance that the project will be delayed, which could take time away from other projects or even cause the project to go over budget.

While PERT charts are not as detailed as a full work breakdown structure, they can still provide useful insights into what needs to be accomplished at each stage.

Connect nodes

A visualization of a PERT diagram occurs when nodes and dependencies are created and connected to each other with arrows. Arrows indicate the order in which tasks need to be completed. The dotted line represents the task that needs to be completed before moving to the next milestone, but the resources to perform this task are lacking.

Estimated time frame

Using the critical path method, project managers study their PERT charts to determine how long each milestone will take. The main goal when developing a project schedule is to find the longest path that takes the most time. This determines the minimum overall project duration based on three concepts.

• optimistic times is the estimated minimum time required to complete the task.
• pessimistic period is the maximum time the task should take.
• most likely time is the project manager’s best estimate based on optimistic and pessimistic time horizons.

Once all tasks have their own schedules, managers can determine best- and worst-case project durations.

Manage progress

As teams work through PERT charts, managers instantly update the chart to eliminate dependencies and handle any issues that arise along the way. Project life cycle. Once all tasks have been checked, the project should be complete and the diagram can be archived for reference.

Top Project Management Software

Effective project management software can make the overall project completion more efficient. Teams can use these tools to view task assignments, project timelines, and communicate with other members of the team about all aspects of the project.

To be included in the project management software category, a platform must:

• Establish project plan and work breakdown structure (WBS) based on scope
• Define, manage and allocate resources based on demand and availability
• Develop project budgets and compare with actual costs and expenses
• Support multiple project management methods such as waterfall and agile
• Provides project templates that can be modified or combined to create new projects
• Manage interdependencies between tasks and their impact on deadlines
• Automatically generate critical paths and update them when the project changes
• Allows users to batch update tasks without changing interdependencies
• Includes multiple project views, such as calendar view or customer view
• Monitor project progress, resource utilization, and user productivity

*The following are the top five leading project management software solutions from G2’s 2024 Winter Grid Report. Some comments may be edited for clarity.

1. Smart watch

smart meter Help teams manage projects, automate processes, and gain greater understanding of projects and project portfolios. Organizations of all sizes and across industries regularly use Smartsheet to manage portfolios at scale – all on a single platform that can be accessed from anywhere and on any device.

What users like most:

“Alerts set in Smartsheet help prevent delayed work. It’s great for team collaboration and presenting data in an attractive format. One of the best features is that we can easily attach multiple files.”

– smart meter reviewArjun S.

What users don’t like:

“When multiple people enter information in the share sheet, the data flow will be incorrect and the data will need to be manually saved at each step. “

– smart meter reviewJaslyn G.

2. Monday.com

monday.com Provides enterprises with an intuitive platform with custom dashboards, automation and integration capabilities for any type of project management. Teams using monday.com are empowered to build their ideal workflow.

What users like most:

“I like how customizable the platform is. We can divide our staff into different teams to ensure the right information is shown to the right people – this keeps things clean and allows us to categorize content that applies to different teams . These panels are also super customizable based on the type of information you want to display.”

– Monday commentsEmily B.

What users don’t like:

“Their automation is also extremely limited, and you end up needing to create a lot of workarounds to do something that seems pretty standard.”

– Monday commentsCharlie L.

3. Posture

and AsanaThanks to integrated automation and workspaces within the platform, teams can handle anything big or small. It helps teams coordinate cross-functional work from daily tasks to strategic planning.

What users like most:

“Asana has a variety of features that are useful and easy to use. I love that they are always adding new features and tools. It’s a great platform for collaborating with colleagues and clients. Asana also integrates with the applications you use every day and implements processes It’s simple. Asana can be used in many different ways, and you can customize the view to fit the type of project you’re working on.”

– Asana reviewDustin A.

What users don’t like:

“The user interface can be a little overwhelming for new users, and the price is on the high side if you’re on a paid plan.”

– Asana reviewGavitt M.

4. Click

click button is an all-in-one productivity platform that allows teams to plan, organize, and collaborate using integrated features within the tool. It works well with Google Docs, Chat, and Goals to ensure teams can achieve all milestones.

What users like most:

“As a manager, it gives me an overview of all the projects my team is working on. Even better, I can get specific details on the project, who the owner is, what the current status/updates are, and the due date. Team It’s easy to collaborate with each other, and in the comments section, members can tag each other.”

– Click to commentJohn Epoch P.

What users don’t like:

“ClickUp prioritizes the release of new features and user experience 3.0 over stability and loading speed. Although they claim that there will be a new technical innovation in 2024, sometimes the loading time is very bad, and sometimes even the page needs to be refreshed.”

– Click to commentHunter N.

5. Concept

concept is a connected workspace where teams can create files, take notes, share tasks, and organize tasks. It also provides AI-driven tools to manage any project from start to finish.

What users like most:

“It allows me to organize my work, manage projects, and even create comprehensive personal dashboards. I find the interface intuitive and versatile. Notion has become my go-to for almost all productivity needs.”

– concept reviewMegan W.

What users don’t like:

“Sometimes it’s hard to set up in the beginning. When I first encountered Notion, I found the platform overwhelming.”

– concept reviewJordan B.

PERT is the way to go!

If you’ve never explored PERT charts before, they may feel a little difficult at first. But once you find a way to make them work for you and your team, you’ll find that you can complete projects more efficiently and with more transparency.

If PERT charts don’t meet your needs, learn more Gantt chart and how to use them.