How to Create a Schedule Network Diagram in Excel

A Schedule Network Diagram is a key part in your project Schedule planning, especially when trying to figure out the critical path and the “float” or wiggle room in your project.

Below is a nice way to create a dynamic Schedule Network Diagram in Excel that updates when you update the numbers but is also able to be moved around your worksheet.

Step 1

Click in the top left corner of your sheet to select all cells.  Then right click on the top row (for columns) and select column width. Set Column width to 3.

Right click on the left section and select “Row width”. Set that to 19. Now we have nice squares to work with.

Step 2

Use the border tool to create “Nine Square” boxes, then “Merge and center” the middle three boxes. That will be our description, while the others will be our early finish, duration, late finish, etc. Do this two across and as many as you like down (as many schedule boxes you will need).

Step 3

Next let’s freeze some cells, so we can always see our section with the boxes in it. Select column “I”, row “A”, and go to “View > Freeze Panes”. This will always show our activity boxes.

Step 4

Now we can select the first activity box. Select it and copy it (using Ctrl+C or right click > copy).

Next, Paste it into our worksheet area, but do it like this: Right click > “Other Paste Options” > Linked Picture.

Now, everything we change in our activity box will reflect on our worksheet schedule boxes. You can copy as many boxes as you like. If you double click on a picture box, it will take you to the activity box on the left to fill out.  Very handy!

Step 5

You can also link the boxes together with arrows. Go to “Insert > Shapes” and select an arrow of your choosing.

Change the colours to suit, and you now have your Schedule Network Diagram, created from scratch in Excel, and able to be dynamically updated!

Well done!

– David McLachlan