Need a way to push out entire timeline irregardless of dependencie

[lamby74]

Hi all.

Is there any way to push out an entire timeline irregardless of dependencies?

I am looking to entirely shove out my timeline from , say for arguments
sake, from the middle on down. Some tasks stand alone, some have
dependencies.

 

[JulieS]

Hi Lamby74,
You have three options.
1) To move the start date of the entire project and move all tasks relative
to the new project start date use the Adjust dates button in the Analysis
toolbar.
2) To move all incomplete work in a project (leaving completed work alone)
choose Tool --> Tracking --> Update Project and reschedule all incomplete
work after a selected date.
3) Select from the middle of your project down to the end and apply a Start
No Earlier constraint to all tasks by using the Multiple Task Information
dialog box.

Hope this helps.
Julie

 

[lamby74]

Yep - this is great. That's the feature we need here. You know I really
admire all you helper people out here - you , Steve House, etc.
You really know your stuff.
I generally only come here as a last resort (don't want to waste people's
time). I have 5 book on how to use MS Project, I am all too familiar with
the software's internal help system, and I am not afraid to dig and dig to
try to help myself.

But still I have issues like this that I can't find any documentation on.
Thank god for you guys out here.

 

[JulieS]

Hi Lamby74,
Thanks so much for the kind words. Glad to have helped!

Julie

 

[Sarah]

You can also select all of the tasks you want to move out, click
Tools>Tracking>Update Project. Select the option "Reschedule
uncompleted work to start after", select the date after which you want
the tasks to start, then select the option "Selected tasks". Click OK.
All of the tasks that you selected will move out beyond the date you
selected.

Sarah

 

[lamby74]

Ooooh...I have a burning question now.

Once I do this and push my project out, am I correct in my observation that
I can't move it back?

Our situation is in dealing with suppliers. If it looks like our suppliers
will be delayed, and we push out the schedule (as you have so wonderfully
shown me how to do), but then the supplier comes back to us in a week and
says "Whoops, now it looks like we will be able to get it here earlier.", I
can't then move everything back. Is that right?

 

[lamby74]

Also, I notice it only moves tasks which have a 0% completion.

If a task is 1% to 99%, it won't move them.

Is that a correct statement?

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

That is correct. Actual progress indicates that work has been done, it's
history. And as with any sort of history it took place on the date it took
place, it's a physical event that took place at a specific place and at a
specific point in time. You can't rewrite history unless you have a time
machine that lets you go back and undo the work you did on one day and redo
it on another.

 

[lamby74]

Thanks Steve.... how about my other question in this same thread (under
Sarah's post) about moving is BACK in time again if the situation changes?
It is looking like you can only shove the timeline OUT, not bring it back in
again.

 

[JulieS]

Hi Lamby74,
Yes, you can.
Depending on how you moved the tasks:
1) If you moved the entire project using the Adjust Date button on the
analysis toolbar, re-run the adjust dates and enter the original project
start date.
2)If you moved incomplete work using the Update Project command, re-run the
Update Project command to move all uncomplete work back to the original date.
You will also want to select the tasks that have a "Start No Earlier" than
constraint and re-set the constraint type to "As soon as possible" in the
multiple task information dialog box.
3) If you constrained the moved tasks with a "Start No Earlier" than
constraint, re-set the constraint type to "As soon as possible."

If you think this may happen frequently, you may also want to save the
original project under a new name and then resort to using that project to
get things back to the way they were. (Of course you need to also keep track
of any changes to the newer version and repeat those changes to the original
file.)

Hope this helps.
Julie

 

[lamby74]

I did this and my dates didn't budge at all. I tried highlighting all the
relevant 0% completed tasks, right clicked and went to Task Information, and
chose "Start as soon as possible", then ran Update Project with an earlier
date. Nothing. Very curious.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Sure you can bring it back. How easy it is depends on how you moved it out
in the first place and the other details. One thought, before moving it out
I'd save a backup of the pro-move file. That way you can always revert back
and start over.

--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

 

[JulieS]

Hi Lamby74,
That is odd. Do the tasks have constraints on them *after* running the
update Project command? What release of Project are you using?
I have tested what I *think* you have done in Project 2003 with SP1 and it
happily moved the dates back.
Julie

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi
Updat eProject oinly creates "Start No earlier than" constraints on 0%
tasks.
They cannot move a task to before the project start date.
HTH