Critical path calculation is incorrect

[Danny Brothwell]

I have a project where the critical path calculation appears to be incorrect.

There are numerous tasks that can move forward or backwards (using the as
soon as possible / as late as possible functions) without affecting the end
date, however they are always shown as critical tasks.

I would appreciate any help on this.

 

[Gilgamesh]

I have a project where the critical path calculation appears to be
incorrect.

There are numerous tasks that can move forward or backwards (using the as
soon as possible / as late as possible functions) without affecting the
end
date, however they are always shown as critical tasks.

I would appreciate any help on this.

There could be many factors.
- There could be multiple critical paths
-Your network diagram could have multiple entry and exit points (predecessor
relationships have not been completed, see above)
- You could have constraints on tasks that make them critical.

 

[Danny Brothwell]

Thanks for the reply.

In answer to your suggestions:

1. The multiple ciritcal path calc is turned off, so I am assuming only a
single path is being calculated

2. I beleive the predecessor relationships are OK. On the occasion when
there are multiple exit points ie. tasks not linked to the Project Finish
milestone, these are not shown on the critical path.

3. Re. constraints on tasks that make them critical - can you provide
typical examples of these, so I might be able to search for them in the
project. As far as I was aware the only functions being used are as late as
possible and as early as possible, and also negative lag times on finish to
start relationships to allow some overlapping of tasks.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Danny --

Do you have any missed Deadline dates somewhere in the project? When a task
Finish date slips past its Deadline date, Microsoft Project marks that task
and ALL its predecessors as Critical, even though they are not technically
Critical tasks. This is one of the bizare behaviors of the software.

 

[davegb]

Thanks for the reply.

In answer to your suggestions:

1. The multiple ciritcal path calc is turned off, so I am assuming only a
single path is being calculated

2. I beleive the predecessor relationships are OK. On the occasion when
there are multiple exit points ie. tasks not linked to the Project Finish
milestone, these are not shown on the critical path.

3. Re. constraints on tasks that make them critical - can you provide
typical examples of these, so I might be able to search for them in the
project. As far as I was aware the only functions being used are as late as
possible and as early as possible, and also negative lag times on finish to
start relationships to allow some overlapping of tasks.

The ALAP constraint will automatically make a task critical, since it
will have 0 total slack. Other tasks may be affected by this as well.

 

[Danny Brothwell]

Bingo!

Although I haven't put deadline dates in the programme, someone else has
modified it and has put in 2 deadline dates. Removing these allows the
critical path to work splendidly.

Many thanks.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Danny --

You are more than welcome for the help, my friend!

 

[D Pingger]

Forgive me for responding to another's post by posting my own question. For
the life of me, I can't figure out why my browser is not allowing me to start
a new thread.

But here goes the question for all MVPs.

Is there a way to apply the bar styles from one file to other files without
using it as a template?? More like what the organizer would do? I'm stumped.

TIA

D Pingger

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi D Pingger,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

Try using a newsreader like Outlook Express as it's much more flexible than
the web and a lot faster for browsing.

The formatting of the bars is a function of the view you using. So, create
a new view with the formatting you want, and then you can use the Organizer.


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

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

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials