Why does Project shorten assignments on fixed duration tasks?

[rt]

I've asked this question before but accidentally deleted it.

We're using PS2003 SP2a, reporting hours of work done per day or per
week (enforced) with managed periods on.

Some PM's insist to update their schedules using fixed duration tasks.
That causes units to skyrocket - this phenomenon has been extensively
discussed here.

What I don't fully understand, however, is what happens on some tasks
like the following:

Fixed duration 125d (Dec. 11 - Jun. 1)
Non-effort driven
12 resources assigned to the task
Resources started time reporting at different times (no zeroes used on
day 1)
Not all resources have started reporting time on this assignment
Actual Work usually not equal to Work in a given period

So, lots of things that are not best practice...

When the PM accepts actuals on such assignments, Project puts all
Remaining Work per assignment on the next week, sometimes 2 or 3
weeks, at enormously high workloads, even though the fixed duration
hasn't expired (neither on the task, nor on the assignment).

I've looked at this issue from many different angles but I can't put
my finger on the logic behind it. I understand why Project sometimes
extends a fixed duration task. I also understand that Project may need
to redistrubute the task's work among the different assignments and
that this may cause high units. And I suspect that the way the actuals
are reported causes the assignments to become contoured.

What I don't understand is why Project doesn't use the full duration
to spread out the work - contoured or not, at high units or not. Can
anyone enlighten me? Please?

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

You're simply expecting too much from a fairly simple behavior. When you
apply updates from PWA, the system reschedules incomplete (uncompleted in
Project-speak) remaining work on the assignment that would otherwise be left
on the schedule before the status date, to the status date. Think of it like
a snow plow pushing the work forward to begin after the date you apply the
update. It sounds like you then expect it to redistribute the work, but that
would require the system to make a whole bunch of decisions about work
contours and resource loading that really require human intelligence. The
next step is for the project manager to use the leveling tool, manual
leveling techniques or both to re-plan the work.

--


Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
For Project Server Books: http://www.projectserverbooks.com
For Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
For Project FAQS: http://www.mvps.org/project

 

[rt]

You're simply expecting too much from a fairly simple behavior. When you
apply updates from PWA, the system reschedules incomplete (uncompleted in
Project-speak) remaining work on the assignment that would otherwise be left
on the schedule before the status date, to the status date. Think of it like
a snow plow pushing the work forward to begin after the date you apply the
update. It sounds like you then expect it to redistribute the work, but that
would require the system to make a whole bunch of decisions about work
contours and resource loading that really require human intelligence. The
next step is for the project manager to use the leveling tool, manual
leveling techniques or both to re-plan the work.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
For Project Server Consulting:http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS:http://www.projectserverexperts.com
For Project Server Books:http://www.projectserverbooks.com
For Project Server Training:http://www.projectservertraining.com
For Project FAQS:http://www.mvps.org/project














- Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht weergeven -

Thanks Gary, that could make sense. Can I then bounce some
implications off you as I understand them?

- if an assignment becomes contoured in this way, it's not really a
specific contour, it's just "not flat" anymore?

- sometimes Project schedules all remaining work on 2 or 3 weeks,
rather than just the next day. What I see is that the first 2 weeks
have the same workload, the last week the remainder. I would expect
this to be due to the resource's Units, then?

Thanks for helping me understand

Richard

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

How about if we put it this way, Project does a terrible job of handling
work on fixed duration tasks in general. The default scheduling behavior
when you start a new fixed duration task and apply work to it, is that the
system spreads work across the duration like cream cheese on a bagel. It
attempts to do the same as it plows it forward, it just doesn't do it well.

--


Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
For Project Server Books: http://www.projectserverbooks.com
For Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
For Project FAQS: http://www.mvps.org/project

 

[Ivor Davies]

Gary - is this the "normal" expected behavior from Project Server 2003?

I just did a test with several tasks with FIXED DURATION (3 with Effort
Driven ON and 3 with Effort Drive OFF) - both came up with the same result
after I updated my timesheet (2 hours per day for 5 days for each tasks that
spans the time from April 1st 2007 to March 31st 2008). It pushed the FINISH
DATE OUT past the March 31st (so-called FIXED DATE). Does this sound right to
you?

please advise ....thanks so much..

Ivor

 

[Ivor Davies]

Sorry Gary - I meant to say that it moved my START DATE back by about 1 week
(NOT THE FINISH DATE)...

Do you know if this is "fixed" in Project Server 2007??

Just wondering..

Thanks again ...I'm going to run down the hardware store so that I can get
some turpentine to rub the "L" off of my forehead!

Ivor

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Was this the first time you posted work to the task? If so, look at your
actual start date. You need to set this in Project before you start pushing
in work, otherwise the system is designed to capture the first day you
reported work as the actual start date, and then adjust your fixed-duration
task accordingly. Does that make any sense of what you're seeing?

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com