Best method for entering task type

[jp]

Hi,

My question is the following:

I have a project whose tasks have been estimated in hours by the technical
team.
The project team is supposed to only be available 50% of their time.
And once the project started the task duration is in days sometimes weeks.

What is the best way to set these tasks?
And what task type should be used?
Can these tasks have a mixture of types (Fixed Duration, Fixed Units, Fixed
Work)

Thanks.

-jp

 

[Rod Gill]

When first assigning a resource, task type has no effect. It's only when
editing an assignment that Type does anything. Units are always, always work
/ Duration. So if one is fixed, a second is edited, the third gets
re-calculated.

Yes any task can have any type. I always retain fixed units as that is most
flexible.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[jp]

Hi Rod,

So when you do "Fixed Units" for the environment described below, do you
change
the type once you edit it -- tracking progress?

Or do you mean that based on the scenario you're faced with, you make changes
according to the situation at hand to make your task type work?

Do you find it that most tasks have different types in a single project file?
Or do you find that most your tasks start as "Fixed Units" and end up as
"Fixed Units" even after you update (edit) something in them?

-jp

 

[Rod Gill]

I have Fixed Units as the default type and only change if an edit required
it. I often restore type to Fixed Units as this is more flexible and
produces fewer error messages etc.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[jp]

Thanks.

-jp

I have Fixed Units as the default type and only change if an edit required
it. I often restore type to Fixed Units as this is more flexible and
produces fewer error messages etc.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Steve House]

Assignment Units is a rate variable - it describes the rate at which the
resource converts the passage of time into useful man-hours of work output.
Most of the time, the "speed" that a resource is working is going to remain
fairly constant, thus it makes sense that if one edits the work estimate the
task's duration should change accordingly and if one edits the duration, the
work the task consumes would need updating.