how to make a task excluding a certain period of time

[SlowArrow]

I would like to exclude some of the tasks not to be interrupted by a long
holiday period of time. What is the best way to achieve this in MS Project
2003?

Thanks for your help, ahead

 

[JulieS]

Hi SlowArrow,

Make a new calendar (Tools > Change working time, New) and includes
the holiday time as working time. The assign the calendar to those
tasks using the Advanced tab of the Task Information dialog box.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

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

 

[Jim Aksel]

Create a new calendar and assign that calendat to the tasks. In P2003,
select Tools.Change Working Time, then New... at the bottom of the dialog box.

To assign your new calendar to specific tasks, select the tasks, then select
the task Information button on the toolbar (looks similar to a white file
folder). You can assign the new calendar from the Advanced tab.

If you wish to apply this calendar to the entire project, do it from
Project/Project Information on the main menu.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

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

 

[Jim Aksel]

Good Morning Peers! Looks like we all jumped on this one.
Time for coffee and to get to work.

 

[Dave]

I would like to exclude some of the tasks not to be interrupted by a long
holiday period of time. What is the best way to achieve this in MS Project
2003?

Thanks for your help, ahead

Do you mean:
- The tasks should continue through holiday periods (in which case the
answer has been given)?
- That the task should not start prior to a holiday period if it cannot
complete without splitting over a holiday period (which was my reading
of the question)?

 

[SlowArrow]

Dave! You've got my problem!

My question is the second version, as I've tried to explain more detailed in
my answer to Trevor.

Or the task should finish before the first day of the period,
or it should start after the last day of the period.

Thanks...

 

[Jim Aksel]

I think Mike gave a reasonable answer to work the tasks manually. Using VBA
is possible, perhaps too much work.

After thinking about it, try this. Let us assume the task you do not want
to split is 7 work days long (so it can split a weekend, but not a long
vacation). Establish a new calendar. The first work day is 8 business days
before the real "long period off". The second work day is the last day of
the extended work day off. All the time between these two task are "not
working time." The callendar must also allos work for all days prior to the
first day.

For the work days in the new calendar, make only one minute of work
available for each of the days. The work day starts at 5:01 PM and ends at
5:02 PM (I assume the normal work day ends at 5PM). All other days on this
calendar are non-working days.

I will assume the tasks are linked Finish-to-Start in this order: A-B-C-D-E
and task "D" is the task that cannot be split over the long period of
vacation.

Create a milestone of 0 duration (or maybe 1 minute duration). I will call
this task "MS". Assign the new calendar to the MS task.

Place this milestone as the predecessor to Task D. Your task chain will
look like this: A-B-C-MS-D-E.

If task "C" finishes later than 8 business days before "vacation" then the
milestone MS will not start until its next available work day --- 5:01PM on
the last day of "vacation." Then Task D will start after the milestone.

If Task C finishes very quickly, then task D will start (and complete) prior
to the vacation period.

I think that will work. Post back if you have any more questions.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

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

 

[SlowArrow]

Dear Jim, thanks for your help. I've got your trick and i think, it should
work, however, I could have not tested it yet.

Slowarrow