Project Management Dictionary of Terms

This glossary covers all common project management terminology.
A - Acceptance Criteria to Authority | B - Backward Pass to Business Process Manager (BPM) | C - Change to Customer | D - Decision Tree Analysis to Duration | E - Early Finish Date to Event | F - Failure Mode and Effect Analysis to Functional Organisation | G - Gantt Chart to guidelines | H - Hammock task to Hyperlink | I - i-j notation to ITIL | J - Job Description to Just-In-Time | K - Kaizen to Knowledge | L - Labor, Equipment, Material to Logical Relationship | M - Manage Project Team to Monte Carlo Analysis | N - Near-Critical Activity to Node | O - Operations to Output | P - Parametic to Projectized Organization | Q - Qualitative Risk Analysis to Quantitative Risk Analysis | R - Records Management to Root Cause Analysis | S - Saved Search to System | T - Target Completion Date to Triple Constraint | U - Uncontrollable Risks to User Group | V - Validation to Voice of the Customer | W to Z - War Room to Zero Float

N - Near-Critical Activity to Node

Near-Critical Activity

A schedule activity that has low total float. The concept of near critical is equally applicable to a schedule activity or schedule network path. The limit below which total float is considered near critical is subject to expert judgment and varies from project to project.

Network Diagram

A schematic display of the sequential and logical relationships of the activities that comprise the project. One popular drawing convention is called precedence diagramming. A view of project data in which the project logic is depicted graphically. Frequently called a flowchart, PERT chart, or logic diagram.

What is a Project Network Diagram? (with example)

Network Logic

The collection of schedule activity dependencies that makes up a project schedule network diagram.

Network Loop

A schedule network path that passes the same node twice. Network loops cannot be analyzed using traditional schedule network analysis techniques such as the critical path method.

Network Open End

A schedule activity without any predecessor activities or successor activities creating an unintended break in a schedule network path. Network open ends are usually caused by missing logical relationships.

Network Path

Any continuous series of schedule activities connected with logical relationships in a project schedule network diagram.

Networking

Developing relationships with persons who may be able to assist in the achievement of objectives and responsibilities.

Node

One of the defining points of a schedule network; a junction point joined to some or all of the other dependency lines. See precedence diagramming method.
 

Methodology specific dictionaries / glossaries