Project tasks with no apparent dependencies

[HQ]

I am working on establishing a schedule for an audit engagement. The issue i
have is with the existence of high level tasks that have no dependencies but
sub-tasks within those high level tasks that do have dependencies within
themselves. For example lets take a testing cash task (summary task) and a
testing inventory task (Summary Task). These tasks have absolutely no
relationship. They have sub-tasks, such as peform testing, manager review,
addressing review notes . These sub-task have a FS dependency with each other
within the applicable summary task but the high level task of testing cash
has no dependency with testing inventory. They can occurr simultaenously.

What if the same resource is assigned to complete the perform testing
sub-task within the two summary tasks with no dependencies? I would like the
resource to work 100% on one of these tasks at a time until completion. These
tasks do have different priorities. For example i would like the resource to
work on testing inventory first and than on cash. How can i achieve that
without creating any dependencies?

Also in our field a testing task is rarely completed without any
interruptions. SO if my resource is working on inventory and comes across any
delays such as client delays, i would like the resource to start working on
cash until they can start again on inventory. How can i achieve this kind of
flexibility so that i can change the baseline schedule for appropriate
comparison with actual work and its impact on project finish date.

Also do i have to enter the subtasks of manager review and addressing review
notes for every summary task. Can i enter them once and link them in such a
way that as soon as any of the sumary tasks are complete they are immediately
ready for review?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Simply put:

1. ONLY enter "real" dependencies, a task CANNOT start until an other one
has finished
2. Assign the resoruce(s) to the taks
3. Insert the Priority feld and assign priorities to each task (1-100,
attention, the higher number is the higher priority)
4. Tools, Level Resources, select the appropriate granularity (f.i. by day),
Level Now.
That's all.
HTH

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi HQ,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

Multiple questions! Firstly, try Tools/Level resources.../select the
appropriate conditions/Level now. This will delay tasks that have an
overallocation of the same resource so that they do not clash. If one task
is more important than another, then give that task a higher priority in the
Task Information form, and level Priority,Standard selected.

For the stop/start case, enter the actual work done and then
Tools/Tracking/Update Project.../Reschedule uncompleted tasks to start
after:/OK. The change the priority for the tasks and re-level.

The baseline is a snapshot of the original plan and shouldn't really be
changed as time goes by. However, Tools/Tracking/Save Baseline.../ gives
you the option of saving interim baselines to allow for your sort of
situation.

As to your final question, I believe you will have to enter the review tasks
for each occasion. If you link all the areas to the review tasks they will
only be done once when ALL the tasks are finished.

Detailed steps to achieve most of the above are contained in my series on
Microsoft Project in the TechTrax ezine, particularly #19 & 20 on Levelling,
at this site: http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the article before leaving the site,
Thanks.)

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

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

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi,

Jan's finger slipped - priorities are from 1 to 1000

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[John Sitka]

For example lets take a testing cash task (summary task) and a

testing inventory task (Summary Task). These tasks have absolutely no relationship.

At the level of detail you desire These are not tasks, so don't refer to them as such.
"Summary Duration of a Task Set" is what they should be called.

There is a behaviour of the GUI act of leveling that you should be aware of,
It involves splitting the screen so you have a RESOURCE view in one of the windows.
When a resource view is the active window the act of levelling resources can become more granular
as you can select to level only one or a few resources and not the whole project. I believe this
maybe overlooked and if so it would cause frustration as whole plans "Explode" before your eyes.
Not that the explosion is incorrect. Just that it can be too much to handle at once.

Step through a mocked up course of events that the assignments (resource/task pair) you
mention might go through, consider how you will time the recording of progress and task
switching for that resource.

Keep asking yourself what is really going on and what you can "KNOW" for certain about the
contributing effort of that resource within the recording of progress and task switching. Consider the timing of
when the you become in the "KNOW" as well. Once you reach the limit of frequency of gathering detail that is
theoretically possible, abstract the contribution of that resource to a generalization that fits what you can
actually rely upon, enforce or fit into a routine of Project Management.
Then once comfortable with your measurement/update frequency pattern, level away.


Not sure what you mean, Don't link to summary tasks, create a task called
management review assign your manager as a resource and make it a successor to
the last task contained IN the Summary task. Or if review is to occur after both cash and inventory
are complete then create two links to last task contained IN the Summary tasks.
Then "addressing review" tasks are dependent on the managers completion. I think this is an important point. There is a wholesale
handoff in responsibility here, lots of waste or efficiencies can happen at these junctions, they need to be specific.
Maybe call all the reviewing tasks something like "Review_<some other designation>" custom filter on "Review_%"
then you could show give your managers a combined schedule. Showing when they will be called to perform
reviews and depending on the known business behavior may be a good estimate. Record actual progress for them too
to see the damage any delayed reviews are causing. ;-) .