Split Tasks and Task Type

[Trevor Rabey]

I hate split Tasks and avoid modeling with them.
...but
If you split Tasks, even multiple times, the duration stays the same, say 5
Days...
So one 5 day Task split into bits with 4 spaces, ie:
1 day of Task, 1 day of Space,1 day of Task, 1 day of Space,1 day of Task, 1
day of Space, 1 day of Task, 1 day of Space, 1 day of Task.
still has a duration of 5 days, even though it is "spread" over 9 days. OK,
Duration measures Working Days (according to the calendar for the Task).

....Unless the Task Type is Fixed Duration, and this happens even if there
are no Resources or Work.
Why the difference due to Type and what purpose does it serve?

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Trvor,

You're one of those who generally answers questions!

Not sure about this. The Duration remains at 5 as you correctly say that it
measures working time. However, I don't get any change by changing Task
Type. As far as I know, the Task Type doesn't have any effect until you
assign resources. You didn't say what happens when you change the Task
Type.

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

 

[Trevor Rabey]

I am just as happy asking as answering them.
This is puzzling.
It came up in MSP dept of the www.planningplanet.com forum.
(sometimes I hang out there when I am not hangin out here)

Clean file, nothing in it, everything default.
Just 3 tasks, Dur=5D.
Then make the 3 tasks the 3 Types.
Or set the type first and then set the duration.
Split each task.
Duration stays the same for fixed units and fixed work tasks, but for fixed
duration increases to cover the whole "span".

This is what happens when I do it. Doesn't it do this for you?

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Trevor,

OK, I followed your steps and got the result you are seeing. I certainly
have not come across this before. I tried it again in Project 2007 and all 3
tasks correctly have the same 5 days duration. I can only conclude that it
is a bug in earlier versions. If you assign a single resource to each, they
all have the correct working hours assigned but the Duration 9 days task is
incorrect and the W*U=Dur formula is not correct.

Mike Glen
Project MVP