Additional Summary Task

[Brian Lukanic]

Is there any way to create a second summary task for a selection of tasks?
Let me explain what I want to do by using a metaphor:

Let's take 4 main summary tasks: Pie, Cake, Donut, Bread. Each of these are
summary tasks that repeat the same three tasks: Determine Ingredients, Mix
Ingredients, Bake Ingredients.

The normal project schedule would show summary tasks for Pie, Cake, Donut
and Bread. That's fine. But: What if I also wanted separate summary tasks
further down in the task list called "All Ingredients Determined," "All
Ingredients Mixed," and "All Baking Done." If you can see what I am getting
at here, I essnetially want to do a sort and create a second summary task.

I know I could do some creative things with Groups in Project, but what I
really want is to be able to roll up durations AND % complete of all subtasks
in my "second" summary tasks. I want to do more than just track when the
"determine ingredients" milestone is complete across the entire project, I
want to know summary details as it's in progress.

Any ideas?

 

[Jim Aksel]

In the Gantt view, add a column, say Text1. In that column add text:
Ingredients, or Mix, or Bake. So "Bake" would be in the Text1 cell
immediately to the left of Bake Ingredients and it would appear for each
Baking task. etc.

Project/Group By/Customize Group By...
Select Text1 from the Filed Name drop down. Make sure the "Show Summary
Tasks" is deselected. Click OK.
You now have three summary tasks. Include the %Complete Column as needed,
it weights appriately at the new summary tasks.

If all the real task names are truly identical (except for the top level
summaries Bread, Pie, Cake..) then there is no need for the Text1 field, you
can do it on the Task Name directly.
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Jim
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about Microsoft Project

 

[Steve House]

How about rearranging your process logic a bit and have three summary tasks,
"Determine Ingredients" "Mix Ingredients" and "Bake Ingredients" each with
subtasks for each product and a milestone for "Process (Determine, Mix,
Bake) Complete", and follow the set with 4 milestones, "Pies Done" "Cakes
Done" "Donuts Done" and "Bread Done?" Tasks within a subtask don't
necessarily have to link to each other and links can cross between summariy
tasks, so each product would have its own chain of task links starting with
its subtask under Determine, proceeding through Mix and Bake and terminating
at the respective product's milestone. Meanwhile, each of your subtasks in
each summary task also links to the summary's "ProcessX Complete" milestone.