task type question

[Jack]

Does having the event-driven checkbox checked on the Task Details Form truly
have an imact on what MS Project does for a task with a Fixed-Duration task
type?

 

[Jack]

I meant to say effort-driven.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Yes, it does. First of all, effort driven and non-effort driven settings
only have an effect when you either ADD or REMOVE bodies from tasks that
already have one or more resources assigned to them. Assume a task that is
5 days duration that has 1 resource, Rocky, assigned to it at 100% and I've
set its task type to Fixed Duration. I now add a second resource,
Bullwinkle, to it. If the task is effort driven, the total work is split
between the two resources so that Rocky's initial 40 hours of work becomes
20 hours for each of them. Since the task is fixed duration their assigment
percentage becomes 50% each, 5 days duration, 20 hours of work each. If I
make the task non-effort driven before adding Bullwinkle, the 40 hours of
work Rocky originally had is replicated, Bullwnkle also getting assigned 40
hours. Duration is still 5 days, Rocky and Bullwinkle are now both at 100%
instead of 50% as before, and total work is 80 hours instead of 40.

 

[Jack]

Thank you, Steve. I guess this is where I'm getting lost.
Assume that the task is 2-day JAD session with a Fixed Duration and not
effort driven.
You assign 1 resource, Rocky, at 100%.
You find that that you need Bulwinkle to join him as well so you add him to
the task.
For any Fixed Duration task, especially one of this kind where 2 days is two
days no matter how many resources you add to the task, I would expect a Fixed
Duration task to have a set duration - 16 hours (2 days) - whether you check
effort-driven or not. Why would it change?