Adjusting remaining duration of task does not auto-adjust linked t

[carpfodder]

Scenario:

* Two tasks linked together
* Both tasks have duration of one day
* Summary shows 2 days total duration
* Both tasks have %50 completion
* Adjust first task remaining duration to add one more day
* RESULT:
- first task duration now 2 days (GOOD)
- second task neither moved out nor split to account for longer first task
duration (NOT GOOD)
- Summary still shows 2 days (NOT GOOD)
* DESIRED RESULT
- second task start date is pushed out or second task is split - full
calendar
start/finish represents the entire (newly adjusted) time required for
both
tasks in series
- Summary shows 3 days

Is there a way to have MS Project automatically re-adjust task start/end
dates for all linked tasks when the remaining duration of one changes?

A workaround is...

1. clear the links
2. copy the schedule
3. clear the percent complete,
4. relink
5. paste back the old percent complete column from the copy

This is very time consuming, however.

Thanks.

 

[Jim Aksel]

Tools/Options/Schedule (tab)
Check the box for "Split In Progress Tasks"
Remember, "reality" always rules in MS Project. The fact that you have
claimed 50% on a task will create an [Actual Start] date which will not move.

I assume the relationship is FS between the two tasks.
If this is the case, then 50% complete on both seems strange, normally one
would be 100% before the other starts.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project

 

[carpfodder]

It's already checked - no help - task does not split. Summary still says 2
days, even though both tasks together now take 3 days.

Yes, task 2 is FS to task 1.

Perhaps the problem is that I'm not using this in a standard way. All I
really want to do is to scope out both tasks and discover how long it will
take one person to do them both. The quickest way to do this is to link
them.

In truth, though, they are being worked on in parallel - hence the 50% on
both. This works fine until I have to adjust one of the durations, at which
point I run into the problem I'm having.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Tools/Options/Schedule (tab)
Check the box for "Split In Progress Tasks"
Remember, "reality" always rules in MS Project. The fact that you have
claimed 50% on a task will create an [Actual Start] date which will not move.

I assume the relationship is FS between the two tasks.
If this is the case, then 50% complete on both seems strange, normally one
would be 100% before the other starts.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project

Scenario:

* Two tasks linked together
* Both tasks have duration of one day
* Summary shows 2 days total duration
* Both tasks have %50 completion
* Adjust first task remaining duration to add one more day
* RESULT:
- first task duration now 2 days (GOOD)
- second task neither moved out nor split to account for longer first task
duration (NOT GOOD)
- Summary still shows 2 days (NOT GOOD)
* DESIRED RESULT
- second task start date is pushed out or second task is split - full
calendar
start/finish represents the entire (newly adjusted) time required for
both
tasks in series
- Summary shows 3 days

Is there a way to have MS Project automatically re-adjust task start/end
dates for all linked tasks when the remaining duration of one changes?

A workaround is...

1. clear the links
2. copy the schedule
3. clear the percent complete,
4. relink
5. paste back the old percent complete column from the copy

This is very time consuming, however.

Thanks.

 

[carpfodder]

UPDATE: Misspoke - the tasks _aren't_ actually being worked on in parallel.
They are being worked on serially by a single developer, but he is switching
back and forth between them.

Note that the actual project is _much_ more complicated, of course - this is
a simplified example for explaining the issue.

It's already checked - no help - task does not split. Summary still says 2
days, even though both tasks together now take 3 days.

Yes, task 2 is FS to task 1.

Perhaps the problem is that I'm not using this in a standard way. All I
really want to do is to scope out both tasks and discover how long it will
take one person to do them both. The quickest way to do this is to link
them.

In truth, though, they are being worked on in parallel - hence the 50% on
both. This works fine until I have to adjust one of the durations, at which
point I run into the problem I'm having.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Tools/Options/Schedule (tab)
Check the box for "Split In Progress Tasks"
Remember, "reality" always rules in MS Project. The fact that you have
claimed 50% on a task will create an [Actual Start] date which will not move.

I assume the relationship is FS between the two tasks.
If this is the case, then 50% complete on both seems strange, normally one
would be 100% before the other starts.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project

Scenario:

* Two tasks linked together
* Both tasks have duration of one day
* Summary shows 2 days total duration
* Both tasks have %50 completion
* Adjust first task remaining duration to add one more day
* RESULT:
- first task duration now 2 days (GOOD)
- second task neither moved out nor split to account for longer first task
duration (NOT GOOD)
- Summary still shows 2 days (NOT GOOD)
* DESIRED RESULT
- second task start date is pushed out or second task is split - full
calendar
start/finish represents the entire (newly adjusted) time required for
both
tasks in series
- Summary shows 3 days

Is there a way to have MS Project automatically re-adjust task start/end
dates for all linked tasks when the remaining duration of one changes?

A workaround is...

1. clear the links
2. copy the schedule
3. clear the percent complete,
4. relink
5. paste back the old percent complete column from the copy

This is very time consuming, however.

Thanks.

 

[Jim Aksel]

If he's working on them at the same time they need to be SS and adjust the
duration to reflect his assigned units% (50% assigment units on each task).

From the information provided, I do not have a solution to your date
problem... that is, I cannot duplicate it here.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project

UPDATE: Misspoke - the tasks _aren't_ actually being worked on in parallel.
They are being worked on serially by a single developer, but he is switching
back and forth between them.

Note that the actual project is _much_ more complicated, of course - this is
a simplified example for explaining the issue.

It's already checked - no help - task does not split. Summary still says 2
days, even though both tasks together now take 3 days.

Yes, task 2 is FS to task 1.

Perhaps the problem is that I'm not using this in a standard way. All I
really want to do is to scope out both tasks and discover how long it will
take one person to do them both. The quickest way to do this is to link
them.

In truth, though, they are being worked on in parallel - hence the 50% on
both. This works fine until I have to adjust one of the durations, at which
point I run into the problem I'm having.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Tools/Options/Schedule (tab)
Check the box for "Split In Progress Tasks"
Remember, "reality" always rules in MS Project. The fact that you have
claimed 50% on a task will create an [Actual Start] date which will not move.

I assume the relationship is FS between the two tasks.
If this is the case, then 50% complete on both seems strange, normally one
would be 100% before the other starts.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project



:

Scenario:

* Two tasks linked together
* Both tasks have duration of one day
* Summary shows 2 days total duration
* Both tasks have %50 completion
* Adjust first task remaining duration to add one more day
* RESULT:
- first task duration now 2 days (GOOD)
- second task neither moved out nor split to account for longer first task
duration (NOT GOOD)
- Summary still shows 2 days (NOT GOOD)
* DESIRED RESULT
- second task start date is pushed out or second task is split - full
calendar
start/finish represents the entire (newly adjusted) time required for
both
tasks in series
- Summary shows 3 days

Is there a way to have MS Project automatically re-adjust task start/end
dates for all linked tasks when the remaining duration of one changes?

A workaround is...

1. clear the links
2. copy the schedule
3. clear the percent complete,
4. relink
5. paste back the old percent complete column from the copy

This is very time consuming, however.

Thanks.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Just tried this on Project 2003, SP2 and behold THE SECOND TASK DOES SPLIT.
I don't know what settings you can have to make it NOT split... Fixed
duration maybe?

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project MVP
http://users.online.be/prom-ade

It's already checked - no help - task does not split. Summary still says
2
days, even though both tasks together now take 3 days.

Yes, task 2 is FS to task 1.

Perhaps the problem is that I'm not using this in a standard way. All I
really want to do is to scope out both tasks and discover how long it will
take one person to do them both. The quickest way to do this is to link
them.

In truth, though, they are being worked on in parallel - hence the 50% on
both. This works fine until I have to adjust one of the durations, at
which
point I run into the problem I'm having.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Tools/Options/Schedule (tab)
Check the box for "Split In Progress Tasks"
Remember, "reality" always rules in MS Project. The fact that you have
claimed 50% on a task will create an [Actual Start] date which will not
move.

I assume the relationship is FS between the two tasks.
If this is the case, then 50% complete on both seems strange, normally
one
would be 100% before the other starts.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project

Scenario:

* Two tasks linked together
* Both tasks have duration of one day
* Summary shows 2 days total duration
* Both tasks have %50 completion
* Adjust first task remaining duration to add one more day
* RESULT:
- first task duration now 2 days (GOOD)
- second task neither moved out nor split to account for longer
first task
duration (NOT GOOD)
- Summary still shows 2 days (NOT GOOD)
* DESIRED RESULT
- second task start date is pushed out or second task is split -
full
calendar
start/finish represents the entire (newly adjusted) time required
for
both
tasks in series
- Summary shows 3 days

Is there a way to have MS Project automatically re-adjust task
start/end
dates for all linked tasks when the remaining duration of one changes?

A workaround is...

1. clear the links
2. copy the schedule
3. clear the percent complete,
4. relink
5. paste back the old percent complete column from the copy

This is very time consuming, however.

Thanks.

 

[carpfodder]

I've just set up the test (I was extrapolating the test from my large project
file) and see that you're correct - the second task does split. However,
notice that even w/ the split the tasks, post-adjustment, overlap & the
summary still indicates two days total.

Task Name Act. Dur Rem. Dur
--------------------------------------------------------
summary 0.83 1.67
t1 0.5 1.5
t2 0.5 0.5

RESULT: t2 has been split w/ the remaining work pushed out beyond the end of
t1.
PROBLEM: t1 now has remaining work that overlaps with t2

DESIRED RESULT(s):
(A) t1 is split instead of t2, with all remaining work pushed out beyond the
end of t2 (no overlap).
(B) t2 is pushed out beyond the end of t1, even though it is partially
complete.

It looks like MS Project locks a start date once there's a value in the %
complete, so (A) might be the only solution.

I'll try working w/ types other than FS to see if anything works.

Thanks very much, btw, for all the help w/ this. Please let me know if you
come up w/ any other ideas.

 

[carpfodder]

He's actually 100% assigned to both tasks - no one else is working on them.
It's just that as he moves forward, he knocks time off both as the tasks are
closely related.

I'll try working w/ types other than FS.

 

[carpfodder]

Yeah, SS doesn't work - the goal is to see by looking at the summary the
total amount of time it will take a single developer to accomplish all tasks.
SS simply shows the tasks in parallel (w/ a summary indicating that two 1
day tasks will take 1 day to complete).

Ultimately, all I'm looking for is the following:

I have 'n' tasks assigned to a developer. I'd like to see...

1) how long it should take him to complete them all
2) how much work has already been completed

....and I'd like to be able do this with any subsequent duration adjustments
properly reflected.

I've got an enormous project I'm tracking (+2500 tasks w/ many levels of
subtasks) and I'm finding I can't make any duration changes w/out a
prohibitive amount of effort for each change. As you can imagine, this size
project does have changes and they've all got to be reflected for the tool to
be useful.

It's possible that it just can't be done, though. That's important to know
as well.

Again - thanks very much for the help. I'm hopeful we'll find a solution.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

I'm totally lost here.
Once you tell Project something has ACTUALLY HAPPENED, you don't wa nt
project to change it do you?
Do you wait for the software not believing you that it happened that way?
If what you enter as actual data doesn't suit you, that means you shouldn't
have entered it that way...

Greetings,

 

[carpfodder]

No, that's fine - I assume you're talking about (B) below. Having it stay as
is should be fine. Perhaps (A) - where the undone work moves?

As said in another post, I'm simply looking for some specific behavior which
project may or may not support. It's a pretty complicated product, so I'm
hoping there may be a setting which could help (for example, one which
allowed summary tasks to reflect total duration of subtasks in addition to
calendar duration would work).

From another post, here's what I'm looking for...

I have 'n' tasks assigned to a developer. I'd like to see...

1) how long it should take him to complete them all
2) how much work has already been completed

....and I'd like to be able do this with any subsequent duration adjustments
properly reflected.

Again, not sure if project can provide this.

Thanks.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

That's pretty straightformward in Project, just that you have to use another
task property "Work".
Assign the resource to the task.
Show the columns Work, Actual Work, Remaining Work.
That does all you wanrt!

 

[Steve House]

If you show any progress on Task 2 its start date is locked in granite and
nothing will change it. "% Complete" entries represent actual historical
fact as far as Project is concerned and the only way any progress can occur
is for a resource to do some physical action. The action, of course,
happened at some definite date and time and unless you manually have
provided information to the contrary by entering an Actual Start date
Project will assume it took place exactly as the schedule originally called
for. If the predecessor task is now changed to show it's taking longer,
that doesn't rewrite the history of what has already taken place on the
successor task, link or no. The only time the successor's start date would
change in response to a revision of the predecessor's duration is if its
progress is still 0%.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

UPDATE: Misspoke - the tasks _aren't_ actually being worked on in
parallel.
They are being worked on serially by a single developer, but he is
switching
back and forth between them.

Note that the actual project is _much_ more complicated, of course - this
is
a simplified example for explaining the issue.

It's already checked - no help - task does not split. Summary still says
2
days, even though both tasks together now take 3 days.

Yes, task 2 is FS to task 1.

Perhaps the problem is that I'm not using this in a standard way. All I
really want to do is to scope out both tasks and discover how long it
will
take one person to do them both. The quickest way to do this is to link
them.

In truth, though, they are being worked on in parallel - hence the 50% on
both. This works fine until I have to adjust one of the durations, at
which
point I run into the problem I'm having.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Tools/Options/Schedule (tab)
Check the box for "Split In Progress Tasks"
Remember, "reality" always rules in MS Project. The fact that you have
claimed 50% on a task will create an [Actual Start] date which will not
move.

I assume the relationship is FS between the two tasks.
If this is the case, then 50% complete on both seems strange, normally
one
would be 100% before the other starts.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project



:

Scenario:

* Two tasks linked together
* Both tasks have duration of one day
* Summary shows 2 days total duration
* Both tasks have %50 completion
* Adjust first task remaining duration to add one more day
* RESULT:
- first task duration now 2 days (GOOD)
- second task neither moved out nor split to account for longer
first task
duration (NOT GOOD)
- Summary still shows 2 days (NOT GOOD)
* DESIRED RESULT
- second task start date is pushed out or second task is split -
full
calendar
start/finish represents the entire (newly adjusted) time
required for
both
tasks in series
- Summary shows 3 days

Is there a way to have MS Project automatically re-adjust task
start/end
dates for all linked tasks when the remaining duration of one
changes?

A workaround is...

1. clear the links
2. copy the schedule
3. clear the percent complete,
4. relink
5. paste back the old percent complete column from the copy

This is very time consuming, however.

Thanks.

 

[Steve House]

Remember the duration of a summary task is not the arithmetic sum of the
durations of the subtasks. Rather, it is the time between when the earliest
starting subtask begins and the latest finishing subtask ends. It's only an
accident when it equals the sum of the subtask durations.

 

[carpfodder]

Yup - looks like that does it. Thanks very much for your patience.