How do I set up the Predecessors column?

[Guest]

I'm trying to set up preceding activities, but I get an
error saying that I cannot link summary tasks to subtasks.
HELP!

 

[John Beamish]

You should definitely be able to link a summary task to sub-task and vice
versa -- provided, of course, that the subtask is not within the summary
task.

Perhaps you could give us a concrete example of the tasks you are creating
but cannot link.

JLB, PMP

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply. My summary task is hardware - and
one of the subtasks I have is "hardware specs." The
subtask is within the summary task, but why is this a
problem?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

This is a problem because there is an explicit link from the summary task to
its subtaks:

If the start of a summary task is forced by anything else than its subtasks,
no subrtask will start befor the summary

The result will always be that a summary's start and end dates are the
earliest start of any subtask, and the latest finish of any siubtask,
respectively.

There logically is no room for any other link or relationship between
summary and sub.

What else did you have in mind?

Greetings,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620

 

[Steve House]

The subtask is already a component of the summary task. The start and
end dates and the duration of the summary task is determined by the
subtasks, including the one you're trying to link to. Linking, OTOH,
would mean the summary will be driving the subtask. It can't be both
ways. You can think of summary tasks as sort of "mini-projects" in
their own right with their subtasks being the various activities that
get that segment or phase completed.

 

[Guest]

Thank you. Even though I'm paying my professor to teach me
MS Project, he doesn't cover it in class, so it's
basically a self-taught section of the course. The
assignment instructions said to set up headings (summary
tasks), subheadings (the subtasks), so after I did that I
wanted to set up the preceding activities...so that must
be my problem, but I can't figure out where to go from
here.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

As for linking activities, FORGET ABOUT THE SUMMARY TASKS, they are just
titles of "subprojects", not really "TASKS"
so you liink subtaks whenever one has to finish before an other one can
start
HTH
--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620