Creating relative date restrictions

[hayansekki724]

I'm trying to create a relative time constraint in project, but I can'
seem to find any option other than entering a fixed date. Exampl
below.

I want task 2 to start no earlier than two weeks after task
completes, and I want task 2 to complete no earlier than four week
after task 1 completes. I don't want to enter the actual value of ([tas
1 complete date]+[2 weeks]) for my start date, because task 1 will hav
an end date that is variable.
Can anyone tell me how I could get Project (2007) to accept a formul
for the date restrictions?

Thanks in advance

 

[Rod Gill]

You can't create a formula to do this. You need to write VBA code to do this
as you can only have 1 link between two tasks.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

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

I'm trying to create a relative time constraint in project, but I can't
seem to find any option other than entering a fixed date. Example
below.

I want task 2 to start no earlier than two weeks after task 1
completes, and I want task 2 to complete no earlier than four weeks
after task 1 completes. I don't want to enter the actual value of ([task
1 complete date]+[2 weeks]) for my start date, because task 1 will have
an end date that is variable.
Can anyone tell me how I could get Project (2007) to accept a formula
for the date restrictions?

Thanks in advance!


--
hayansekki724
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[Jim Aksel]

Try using a hammock task (Read FAQ#19 here: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm
Use this twist. Establish two milestones. M1 is SS+10days with Task1. M2
is FF+20days to the Finish of Task1. Your Hammock (Task2) has a start of M1
and a finish of M2. This essentially offsets your Task 2 from Task1.

There is a concern however. You are requesting a start of task2 "NET."
Ifit starts 3 weeks later is that OK? If it starts later does it still have
to FNET 4 weeks after Task1? Could it finish 10 weeks later? The solution I
have given will only supply one possible scenario. You will have to adjust
the milestone dates lag values to accomplish the result. That you will have
to do on the fly.

Since your task start and ends are somewhat vague, you should also consider
other items that may constrain the duration, work, and cost of Task2.

--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[hayansekki724]

Thanks guys. VBA is probably more than I want to mess with to get m
project working, but I get the idea of the hammock task. If I understan
it correctly, I'm going to need a couple of dummy tasks in here to driv
the dates, which won't look great in my network diagram, but it's bette
than having my dates wrong. Thanks for both your ideas

 

[Steve House]

Task 1 is linked to Task 2 with a conventional finish to start dependency
link. Such a link says Task 2 can begin no earlier than the finish of Task
1.
Now click the link arrow and add a +2week lag time. NowTask 2 may start no
ealier than 2 weeks after the completion of Task 1. Task 1 get delayed,
Task 2 will too. Set Task 2's duration to 2 weeks. 2 weeks lag plus 2
weeks duration means the expected finish of 2 will be 4 weeks after the
completion of task 1.

Note - you should NOT be setting dates for individual tasks. Duration,
links, and resource availability, not management's desires, determine when
tasks are able to take place.

 

[hayansekki724]

Thank you, this is very helpful. I knew there must be some way to do it.
In what view do I click the link arrow? (I'll probably figure this out
myself when I get into the office). It's not a two week duration task,
but this will look neater than using hammock tasks.

The project owner's specifications determine when the tasks can take
place in this case, so I don't have much option there.

 

[Steve House]

Gantt chart view is as good as any. There are a variety of other places
where you can specify the lag time as well. But you have me confused. IF
it's not a 2 week duratiuon task why are are saying it's expected to finish
2 weeks after it starts? That's what saying "it starts no earlier than 2
weeks after A finishes and should end no earlier than 4 weeks after A
finishes" is implying.

Consider this. The reason for using scheduling software is to figure out
the organization of the workflow and the resource assignments that will
allow you to MEET the dates than the project owner has specified you must
hit. You do this by plugging in tasks with estimated duration, linking them
according to their physical dependencies, and assigning resources to work on
them. In response to those inputs, Project computes a schedule of dates.
If those dates meet the requirements, you're golden. If it doesn't, and on
the first trial it may very well not, then you have to reorganize the
workflow until it does. Task X is taking too long and making us miss the
deadline? Move another resource onto it and see if that helps, that sort of
fine tuning. If you enter dates yourself, trying to force the schedule to
show the dates you want, you're really just doing wishful thinking,
crippling Project's ability to help you with a reality check as to whether
your trial workflow could actually be doable in reality.

--
Steve House
MS Project Trainer & Consultant


wrote in message news:[email protected]...

 

[hayansekki724]

Steve,

I may have mistyped. I want task 2 to start no earlier than two weeks
after task 1 and end no later than 4 weeks after task 1. In this case,
task 2 has no duration, it's a delivery deadline for a component of the
project not managed internally, so I'm not concerned with it's actual
duration and start date.
Point taken about using Project to properly schedule tasks. However, in
a case like this where the owner has specified "deliver task 2 between
two and four weeks after Notice to Proceed (task 1)", is my attempt to
force the schedule for this task not correct?

Thanks,

 

[Steve House]

Actually one of the scheduling problems you're having is due to the fact
that neither of the "tasks" you mentioned are tasks at all. A task is
observable physical action performed by a resource over time. Driving the
truck for a week to deliver the pasrt in your Task 2 is a task but the "Part
Delivered" is a milestone, an instantaneous event with no duration. Thus
"Part Delivered" simply cannot have a start date of XX and an end date of YY
two weeks later. Since the owner has specified that milestone to occur
between 2 and 4 weeks after the "Notice to Proceed" milestone, just concern
yourself with the earliest required delivery date - FS link with 2 weeks lag
and put a hard date deadline on it two weeks later.