Moving tasks around = contraint issues

[danimalx]

Hi all,

After creating my initial WBS and adding tasks and sub tasks, I've com
across the need to move tasks around - via cut/paste. In doing so thos
tasks I've moved around now get populated with Start No Earlier Tha
constraints and constraint date of N/A and I'm unable to move the bar
around in the Gantt Chart due to the date constraints. If I try to se
it back manually, then move the bar again it resets back to the SNET an
N/A settings.

My question is, how then should I move tasks around and still preserv
the As Soon as Possible and N/A Constraint date settings so I don't hav
these problems? Or am I off track with my cause/effect reasoning of wha
is going on here?

Thanks in advance for any insight

 

[Rob Schneider]

Project is picky about how to using clipboard to move tasks. The right
way is to select the whole task by clicking the mouse pointer on the ID
field. Search in Help for "move tasks" for the full instructions.

Also, when you move the bars on the Gantt Chart (dragging and dropping
them), Project does as you ask and then changes the constraint type and
constraint dates to the new position. For example, a task that is ASAP
with a start of 18 Jan, when you drag it three days to the right, it
will change the it to "Start No Earlier Than" and the constraint date
becomes 21 Jan.

When I'm building a schedule I pay little attention to the detailed
dates and instead focus on the predecessors/successor, durations, work,
etc. and then build a schedule which hopefully hits the dates expected.
If the expected dates not possible, then build we build a possible
schedule. Never ever move tasks on the Task bar. Just a habit I guess,
but avoids this issue you see.


--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi danimalx,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

When you move a task around or its bar, Project assumes you know what you're doing, and the only way it knows how to re-set the date is to enter a constraint, SNET in this case. This will restrict the flexibility of your project. My advice is to never enter or change dates manually or move tasks on screen (which in effect does the same thing) because of the constraints. Enter Task Names, Durations and Precedence links. Then assign your resources, and if they are overallocated, level the project. Now examine the resulting schedule to see it it meets your needs. If not, then, and only then, change assignments, Durations, or Dates to meet your needs, remembering that these actions will create constraints to meet those needs. It's all a question of knowing what you are doing and the effect that that will have. Good luck!

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 my free Project Tutorials




Hi all,

After creating my initial WBS and adding tasks and sub tasks, I've come
across the need to move tasks around - via cut/paste. In doing so those
tasks I've moved around now get populated with Start No Earlier Than
constraints and constraint date of N/A and I'm unable to move the bars
around in the Gantt Chart due to the date constraints. If I try to set
it back manually, then move the bar again it resets back to the SNET and
N/A settings.

My question is, how then should I move tasks around and still preserve
the As Soon as Possible and N/A Constraint date settings so I don't have
these problems? Or am I off track with my cause/effect reasoning of what
is going on here?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[danimalx]

Mike, Rob

Thanks for the great insight. I'll be spending more time with my
schedule later this afternoon and unless I post back all is well.

I've been using Project off and on for 10 years in a limited capacity
and have finally made the commitment to use it the proper way. I'm sure
I'm not the only offender

I'm glad I've found this board; reading the threads and searching past
posts has been very helpful.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[danimalx]

Hello again,

Another confusing situation I'm facing here with my current projec
that I could not tell if was related to my previous cutting/pasting, s
I started with a new project and ran a little test.

I setup 8 tasks, each with 1 day duration, then assigned them each a
FS relationship to the immediate task above them (highlighted all task
and selected the link button). At this point, should I not have
cascading Gantt reflecting a start date for each subsequent task 1 da
later than the previous day? When I do the above each of the tasks star
date is stuck on the first day of the project - task 1. Each of th
tasks has an ASAP/NA Type and Date.

How do I attain a cascading flow of tasks so my tasks don't all have
start date the same as the 1st task?

Thanks

 

[JulieS]

Hello Dan,

It sounds as though your project is not calculating. To manually
calculate the project and have Project change dates based upon
predecessor/successor relationships, press the F9 key. To set Project
to automatically calculate (preferred) go to Tools > Options,
Calculation tab and ensure your calculation mode is set to Automatic.

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

 

[danimalx]

Yes! This is the cause for certain. Thanks Julie have a great day!

Dan

 

[JulieS]

You're welcome, Dan and thanks for the feedback.

Julie
Project MVP

 

[Mike Glen]

You're welcome, Dan

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



Mike, Rob

Thanks for the great insight. I'll be spending more time with my
schedule later this afternoon and unless I post back all is well.

I've been using Project off and on for 10 years in a limited capacity
and have finally made the commitment to use it the proper way. I'm sure
I'm not the only offender

I'm glad I've found this board; reading the threads and searching past
posts has been very helpful.

Cheers!

Dan