task with varing duration 1

[playared]

I’m using Project 2000 and need help.

I need to link a series of task (task 1, task 2 and task 3) and then link the end of the series to task 4 which is constrained to “must finish on”. At the time of baselining the task 4 has a duration of 10 days. As the project progresses the task 1, task 2 and task 3 can slip forward as a delay or due to increased duration. When this happen I would like task 4 to decrease in duration as the other tasks force task 4 to the right. Another way of looking at it is if task 3 moved to the right overlapping task 4 then task 4 would decrease in duration to fill the from the finish of task 3 and the “must finish on” date of task 4. I’m using this, as compared to the baseline, to monitor a specified starting contingency,

All help will be approached.

 

[PDQBach]

You need to create a Hammock task.

Create a standard task with ASAP constraint type. This will be the hammock task. In your case, T4.

Determine which task has the finish date that represents the Start date of the hammock task. In your case, T3.

Determine which task has a date the represents the Finish date of the hammock task. Let's call it T5. (You will need to create this task. Make it a milestone task. Put a Must Finish On constraint on this task. Set the Start date to the constraint date.)

The next steps make T4 the hammock task.

Click on the Finish date of T3; press Ctrl+c; click on the start date of T4 (the hammock task); click on Edit; click on Paste Special...; click on Paste Link radio button; click on OK.

Click on the Finish date of T5; press Ctrl+C; click on the finish date of T4 (the hammock task); click on Edit; click on Paste Special...; click on Paste Link radio button; click on OK.

Do not attempt to create a link between T3 and T4 or T4 and T5.

 

[playared]

PDQBach,
Thanks for the information above. It does just about what I am looking for.

If I extend or move T1, T2 or T3 past the end of T4 the T4 time line will move past the milestone T5. If I then move T1, T2 or T3 to the left the T4 Finish remains past the T5 milestone.

I would like the T1, T2 and T3 task constrained to not finish after the T5 milestone and the T4 finish not allowed to move past the T5 Milestone (which is restrained to a date).

Thanks again. I'm looking for information on Hammock Taskso I better understand your process. I had never been aware of Hammock Task

 

[PDQBach]

The enhanced requirements aren't usually handled by MS Project so a dynamic exploration of possible scenarios isn't easily accomplished.

In real life (i.e. when the project is active), however, take the following steps when timing becomes an issue:

1. Prepare change notice according to Change Management processes.
2. Put on hair shirt.
3. Go to PMO and grovel.
4. Manually adjust schedule to reflect PMO benevolence.

 

[curtisalove]

How do you overlap tasks?

 

[playared]

curtisalove,
I assume you are addressing PDQBach.

PDQBack,
Thanks!
I spend most of my career (retired) as a Program Manager and experienced the birth/growth of computer based scheduling. I'm not an expert with MSProject. I just consult to organization on program management, so scheduling is a part of that and most use MSProject.

 

[PDQBach]

playared

Then you are well accustomed to wearing a hair shirt!

I played around with it a bit this evening varying the types and dates for constraints on the various tasks. I didn't find a combination that worked the way I believe you want -- but there could be a permutation that would do that but I didn't find it in my admittedly somewhat non-rigorous evaluation of possible test cases.

In case some VBA might offer a solution, I looked at the MSProject object model. I can identify that a task has a linked field but haven't found out how to determine which field and the source of the link.

Any further progress in this assignment is left as an exercise for the student. ;-)

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curtisalove

I have no idea what you mean.