Automatically remove from 'dummy' task - when specific task added 2

[Darrylles]

MS Project noob here, so please be patient over the next couple of weeks!

MS Project 2003.

2 x team members that I want to initially assign to 'general' duties for a full 12 month period, 5 days per week, 48 weeks per year.
So; first pass - they both have 1 task apiece for 12 months.

This task is basically a 'catch-all' task - if they aren't given specific tasks - then they are shown as performing this general task.

As time goes on, they will be assigned additional 'specific' tasks - varying lengths of time - as and when.

When I add a specific task and assign one of these 'resources' to it and then level - I'd like it to remove their entry from their 'general' task for the period of the specific task (without squawking about this resource being 'over-allocated').

(The only tasks worth reporting-on are the specific ones, but I feel that the 'general' task bar will highlight the fact that we aren't specifying / categorising tasks well enough.)

Am I going about this in a completely incorrect way? If not - can anyone point me toward what I need to be setting to enable this?

Thanks for any help.

Darrylles


Never argue with an idiot, he'll bring you down to his level - then beat you with experience.

 

[PDQBach]

Well, there are a bunch of approaches that you can use to do this but none of them are very user-friendly and involve constant updating.

From my perspective: I wouldn't worry about the full-year task ... I'd create new tasks and assign resources as the project evolves then I'd look at View > Resource Usage and, on the right hand grid, RightMouseButton and select "Remaining Availability". This won't give you the full year task you want but it will give you the remaining availability which you do want.

 

[Darrylles]

PDQ,

Thnx - much appreciated.


Darrylle

Never argue with an idiot, he'll bring you down to his level - then beat you with experience.

 

[JulieInMaine]

I'm with PDQ on this one. Project will not ever remove resources from tasks nor alter their assignment units. So your wish of
"When I add a specific task and assign one of these 'resources' to it and then level - I'd like it to remove their entry from their 'general' task for the period of the specific task (without squawking about this resource being 'over-allocated')."

is not possible automatically within the product.

As PDQ suggests, use the Remaining availability field to view how much "free" time your resources have to perform the general duty tasks.

Julie