Chapter 7 Fine Tuning Task Details

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Chapter 7Fine Tuning Task Details

• What will we do in this chapter?
• Adjust task relationships, look at lead lag
  time.
• Learn about task constraints and how to apply
  them.
• Look at the critical path.
• Interrupt work on a task by splitting it.
• Create a calendar for a specific task.

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Chapter 7Fine Tuning Task Details

• And we will do more.
• Examine the different task types and how Project
  schedules them.
• Record deadlines for tasks.
• Enter a fixed cost and specify how it should
  accrue.
• Set up recurring tasks.

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Adjusting Task RelationshipsDependencies -
General

• Real vs preferred task dependencies. To reduce
  project duration consider the following
• Do linked tasks have to be linked?
• Do FS tasks have to be FS or can they be SS or
  FF?

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Adjusting Task RelationshipsDependencies How
to

• To adjust task dependencies
• Select the successor task in any task sheet view
  (Gantt chart etc.)
• Go to the Task Information dialog box.
• Select the Predecessors tab and adjust dependency
  type in the Type column.

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Adjusting Task RelationshipsLead and Lag Time -
General

• FS tasks can be overlapped by adding lead time or
  delayed by adding lag time, ex
• Lead construct walls, plaster walls.
• Lag order equipment, install equipment.

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Adjusting Task RelationshipsLead and Lag Time
How to

• To define Lead Lag time
• Select the successor task in any task sheet view
  (Gantt chart etc.)
• Go to the Task Information dialog box.
• Select the Predecessors tab and adjust Lead or
  Lag time in the LAG column.
• Lead is negative, lag is positive.

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Task Constraints

• A constraint is a restriction placed on the start
  or finish date of a task.
• Controls the degree of flexibility that Project
  has in rescheduling.
• There are three categories of constraints
  Flexible, Semi-flexible and Inflexible.

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Task Constraints continued

• Flexible constraints give Project the most
  flexibility in rescheduling. These should be
  used whenever possible. These are the default.
• Semi-flexible constraints limit rescheduling
  within date specified.
• Inflexible constraints totally prevent any
  rescheduling of a task..

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Task Constraints continued

• In case of scheduling conflict, constraint takes
  precedence.
• BEWARE entering a task start or finish date
  applies a semi-flexible constraint to the task.
• Set task constraints in the Task Information
  dialog box.
• To remove a constraint, set it to ASAP.

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Critical Path

• The critical path is the series of tasks that
  will push out the projects end date if delayed.
• Free slack is the amount of time a task can be
  delayed before it delays another task.
• Total slack is the amount of time a task can be
  delayed before it delays project end date.
• By default a task is critical if it has zero
  slack, this can be changed in Tools -gt Options -gt
  Calculation.
• View critical path on Detailed Gantt chart.

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Interrupting Work on a Task

• If work on a task has to stop for some reason,
  the task can be split.
• Duration of a split task does not include the
  time of the split unless the task has an Elapsed
  Duration or is Fixed Duration.
• If duration of a split task changes, it is the
  last segment that changes.

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Task Calendar

• A particular task may have to be scheduled
  differently from project calendar working times,
  ex. Task being performed by a machine that runs
  24 hours a day, or a task that has to be done on
  the weekend.
• Consider resource calendars when applying task
  calendar to a task.
• Tools -gt Change Working Time to create new
  calendar.
• Task Info dialog box, Advanced tab to apply new
  calendar to task.

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Task Types

• Change task type in Task Info dialog box,
  Advanced tab.
• See chart on p. 156 of text for values
  recalculated by Project for different task types.
• Task Type comes into play whenever a tasks work,
  duration or units are edited.

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Deadline Dates

• A deadline is a date value entered for a task
  indicating when task must be done.
• A deadline does not constrain a task.
• Therefore, if a task must be done by a certain
  date, consider entering a deadline instead of a
  constraint.
• Task Info dialog box, Advanced tab

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Fixed Costs

• A Fixed Cost is an amount of money budgeted for a
  task independent of resources or duration.
• Fixed Costs can accrue at the start or end of a
  task, or they can be prorated.
• Enter on any task sheet view
• Table Entry -gt Cost

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Recurring Tasks

• Used for repetitive tasks such as project status
  meetings.
• Recurring tasks are created with
• Start no Earlier Than constraints
• No task relationships
• Effort driven scheduling turned off
• Enter on any task sheet view
• Insert -gt Recurring task