2 task interaction

[jp]

Hi,

I will be creating a project plan that has 2 tasks ie. Task5 & Task6.
These 2 tasks will be interacting with each other for at least 1 to 2 weeks.
That's because Task5 will try to complete all its work. However it is until
Task 6 reviews and finds more work that Task5 needs to complete.

How would I set these 2 tasks in ms-project 2003?
Thanks.
-jP

 

[John]

Hi,

I will be creating a project plan that has 2 tasks ie. Task5 & Task6.
These 2 tasks will be interacting with each other for at least 1 to 2 weeks.
That's because Task5 will try to complete all its work. However it is until
Task 6 reviews and finds more work that Task5 needs to complete.

How would I set these 2 tasks in ms-project 2003?
Thanks.
-jP

jp,
My first impression is that maybe you are trying to cut the plan into to
fine a detail. Are you sure you really want (or need) to show the back
and forth passes between multiple tasks that span a total of 1 to 2
weeks? You might find that it is easier to set up and ultimately easier
to manage if you simply show a 1 to 2 week effort for both tasks and not
attempt to show the detail level of interaction.

However if you really need to show the gory detail then you best bet is
to break the whole effort in multiple pieces that are linked
finish-to-start until the whole process is completed. For example, the
first task starts, does its thing and is then handed to a review task.
The review task does it thing and then hands off to another new task.
After that task completes it is handed back to another review task and
so on.

The bottom line is, it sounds like you have more than 2 tasks so dial
back the detail or set up multiple tasks.

John
Project MVP

 

[jp]

Hi John,

You are correct. These are fine details that could be simplified through
the process you described. However, I thought maybe there was a way
in MS Project where something like that could be done.

-jp

 

[Rob Schneider]

JP,

I get the impression from your reply that you still are dubious that
Project can do something? What is it your are expecting? What's lurking
behind the "however, I thought maybe" since as John says, "yes, it
does". The issue is *how* and *why* you want to model the project in
some level of detail to be determined by you. People are still in
charge despite using Project.

--rms

 

[Steve House]

Think of predecessor and successor as meaning "controller" and "controlled"
as far as task timing. What you are saying is that Task 5 cannot be
declared to be at an end until Task 6 has reviewed it and signed off that
nothing more needs to be done. So the end of Task 6 determines the earliest
possible completion of Task 5. The controlling factor is the completion of
Task 6. The controlled factor is the earliest finish date of Task 5. So
you have Task 6 as the *predecessor* to Task 5 with a finish-to-finish
relationship.

 

[Robert]

Brilliant! This worked for me, once I got the link the right way round! Only
started using Project this week, and this tip is top of my list by far!!

Cheers Steve/JP

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Robert,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

If you are that new, may I suggest you attend at least a 2-day introductory
course on Project. Project is not intuitive and to get up and running
quickly requires a good course. Meanwhile, you might like to have a look at
my free series for beginners on Microsoft Project in the TechTrax ezine,
particularly #, at this site: http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the articles before leaving the site,
Thanks.)

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP