Summary field "work" adds duration time to total task

[Aschwin Beurskens]

I've just switched to project 2003 professional. My
project plans have almost doubled in work effort (and thus
in costs). It looks like the summary for 'work' adds the
summary duration. An example:

task work duration resource
3. Design 11 4
3.1 task 1 4 4 resource1
3.2 task 2 2 2 resource1
3.3 task 3 1 1 resource2

No matter what I try (starting from scratch, changing
effort driven on/off, a mix a resources) I end up with
similar results.

Is this a bug (feature;-) or am I doing something
basically wrong?

 

[JackD]

Are you SURE you have no resource assigned to the summary task?
Also, which version did you upgrade from?

If I recall correctly, Project 2000 had a problem that if there was ever a
resource assigned to a summary task, even if that resource was removed the
work would remain. The solution was to demote the task until it is not a
summary, set the work to 0 then promote it to summary task again.

Try starting with a freshly created file and see if you have this problem.

-Jack

 

[The Spaniard]

Another thing to look out for is having a summary task linked as either a
successor or predacessor to other tasks. In our organization we have
discovered that this situation causes the summary task's values to be
summed together in addition to its subordinate tasks. Thus resulting in
what you describe; an approximate doubling of the work that's expected.
Rule of thumb: never use summary tasks as a either a predacessor or
successor.

-Mark

 

[Aschwin Beurskens]

Thank you both.

I ended up deleting the summary task and recreating a new
one, making sure the subtask were at the same level at the
summary task when I created it.

cheers

-----Original Message-----
Another thing to look out for is having a summary task linked as either a
successor or predacessor to other tasks. In our organization we have
discovered that this situation causes the summary task's values to be
summed together in addition to its subordinate tasks. Thus resulting in
what you describe; an approximate doubling of the work that's expected.
Rule of thumb: never use summary tasks as a either a predacessor or
successor.

-Mark