Microsoft Project - Tasks - Constraining Tasks

Constraining Tasks 

When planning a project where ever possible it is best to let the software schedule when the task takes place.  It will take into consideration the duration of the tasks and the links specified.  But sometimes certain tasks need to happen at particular points in time.  This is where a deadline or a constraint needs to be set.

Microsoft Project - Tasks - Deadlines and Constraints

Deadlines and Constraints 

Deadlines allow you to display a point on the Gantt Chart.  If you go past a deadline, a warning symbol is displayed in the indicators column.  Whereas if you went past a constraint a warning dialog box would appear in the middle of the screen

Setting a Deadline 

A Deadline can be set in the advanced tab of Task information.

The different types of constraint 

Setting a constraint 

A constraint can be set on the advanced tab of the task information by 

1. Selecting the type of constraint required.

2. Entering the date of the constraint.

If a constraint that could cause problems is selected then a warning is given when the constraint is set. 

It is important when the planning wizard pops up that the options are read.  If OK or Cancel is selected without changing the options , then no constraint is set. 

If the original constraint is required then the third option – Continue. A finish no Later constraint will be set needs to be set. 

If you do not need to see this message again, there is an option “Don’t tell me about this again” 

If the durations of the tasks change and it would impact on the constraint set, a warning message appears. 

The message can be continued, but then time will need to be saved in the duration of other tasks for the constraint to be met.  Otherwise the constraint will need to be changed. 

There is an option of “Don’t tell me about this again”, it is not a good idea to turn this message off. 

Microsoft Project - Tasks - Amending Task Data

Entering Task data 

Select the cell on the task sheet and enter the name of the task.  The task name should be a short description of what the task.

The data can be accepted by either using the Enter key or  clicking on the tick on the Entry Bar.  The entry can be rejected by the Esc key or by clicking on the red cross.

Amending data 

1. Select the cell to be changed

2. Click on the entry bar  or  press F2 (the Edit function key)

3. Make adjustments as necessary.

4. Press the Enter key  or  click on the tick on the entry bar to accept the changes

Inserting Tasks

1. Position cell pointer to where new task is required

If multiple tasks need to be inserted, highlight the appropriate number of tasks to be inserted.

2. Menu, Insert, Insert task  or  press the Insert key on keyboard

Deleting Tasks 

1. Select the task or tasks to be deleted.

2. Menu, Edit, Delete tasks  or  the Delete key on the keyboard

Microsoft Project - Tasks - Lead and Lag Times

Lead and Lag Times 

hen planning a project, it is broken down into the component parts and then linked depending on how the tasks follow on from one another.   When the links are entered it does not allow for waiting time of any kind.  For instance when painting a room the top coat is done after the undercoat - but it can not be done immediately afterwards as the undercoat has to dry first.  The gap in time between the first task stopping and the second task starting is the lag time.   

The lag time is associated with the link between two tasks.  It can be entered as a fixed duration or it can be entered as a percentage of the predecessor task.  

When entering a lag it will take the calendar into consideration so that if there is any non working time on the standard calendar this will be taken into consideration.    

These tasks have a two day lag (2d) between them.  The two days being used as the lag days are Friday and Monday.   

This depends on whether the delay required needs to take into consideration when people are working.   

If some information is requested from a different organisation and they need to generate it from a source of some kind - then the weekend needs to be taken into consideration as to when that information is available. 

If the lag requires a 48 hour fixed gap between the two tasks for instance if paint is drying or tarmac is setting then the weekend will be just as effective as a working day.  So that non working time is not taken into consideration the lag can be entered as an elapsed time value. 

A lag of two elapsed days (2ed) - the two days of lag are Friday and Saturday.  Task 2 starts on the next working day. 

Any time lag (but not the percentage lag) can be changed to an elapsed time lag by preceding the time unit with the letter e.   

Durations entered in lag times will allow tasks to overrun into non working time but will not allow tasks to start in non working times 

The first task is finishing on Saturday as the duration is entered in elapsed time, but the second task is not starting on Sunday even though the task is entered in elapsed time.  

(Saturday and Sunday are non working times. 

Lag times will delay a task, however there are times when you want a task to start slightly earlier - this is known as a lead time.   

For instance if a room full of computers has to be disconnected and then packed - not all of the computers have to be disconnected before someone else is packing them up. 

A lead time is entered in the same way a lag time, it is entered at the same place but it is entered as a negative value. 

The lead and lag times can be entered against any of the four types of links - but do check the results to make sure they are what you want to happen. 

Setting the Lead and Lag Times 

Mouse 

Once the link has been established.  Double click on the link line.  The dialogue box below will appear on the screen 

In the lag box enter the value or percentage required.  Entry in the table - predecessors column 

After entering  the predecessor and the type of link enter the lag or lead time as a positive or negative value. 

Microsoft Project - Task - Information Dialog Box

The Task Information Dialog box 

1. Double click on the task



this brings up the task information box.  Across the top there are several tabs -

2. Select the predecessors tab

3. Click in the cell underneath the column heading task name.

4. Click on the drop down arrow on the entry bar in the dialogue box.

5. Select the task that precedes the selected task.

6. If there are multiple predecessors - work down the column to put them all in

Microsoft Project Task Information

Task Information 

Information about a task can be changed by double clicking on the task.  Depending on what data needs to be changed you click on the appropriate tab.

Microsoft Project - Tracking Explained

Tracking Explained 

Tracking is a way of monitoring progress on the project plan. There are many different ways of tracking progress.  Track the project to the level that is required, the deepest level the software is capable of doing.

By tracking a project information can be drawn from the project to produce reports that can be circulated around the team to keep them informed with what has been done, what needs to be done and how close to the original schedule the project is running.

Microsoft Project - Tracking Percentages

Tracking Percentages 

% complete can also be entered into the tracking tasks dialog box.  But it can also be entered directly into the Task information



To speed up the tracking process, any or all of above methods of tracking can be done by using the Tracking table

Microsoft Project -Tracking Start and Finish Dates

Tracking the start and finish dates 

This will method of tracking will only keep a record of when the task actually started and finished and a comparison can then be made on the duration of each task and what effect this has had on the project.

Select the task,

Menu, Tools, Tracking, Update Tasks



By tracking just the start and finish dates the only percentages shown will be 0% and 100%.

Microsoft Project - Tracking - Update Project

Update Project 

If the project (or part of the project is going according to schedule then the tasks do not need to be updated individually.  The whole of the project (or part, if only some of the tasks are going to schedule) can be updated in one go.

Menu, Tools, Tracking, Update Project



Here the tasks can be updated up to a particular date.  The date that is entered automatically is the current date (as defined by the Project Information Dialog Box).  This date can be accepted or changed as required.

% complete options depend on whether the percentage values are of use or not.  The default option will show the percentages.

Microsoft Project - Views - Calculations in Fields

Calculations in fields 

If you wish to store data that is not already calculated, then a formula can be used on a customised field.

The cost field holds the total cost for a task, the fixed cost holds just the fixed cost but there is not a resource cost (in the task fields).

The resource cost can be calculated.

1. Menu, Tools, Customise, Fields

2. Select type of field required and then select the field

3. Click on Rename button and enter name required

4. Click on Formula

5. Enter the formula, this can be typed in if you know the field names or by selecting from the Field list where you choose the category of fields.

If the formula is more complex then functions can be added again either by typing or by choosing from the button.  (If formulae of this complexity need to be entered then it would be useful to know how functions work in Microsoft Excel.)

6. On clicking OK after entering the formula a warning pops up letting you know that any data that has been entered will be lost if you accept the changes.

7. Decide h07434822281ow the calculation is to be done on the summary row.

Is it a good idea to use the formula on the summary row in this example?

8. Where the answer is required display the field as data

9. Click on OK



To actually display the data, the field needs to be added to a table.

Microsoft Project - Views - Changing a View

Changing a View 

To change to a standard view,

1. Menu, View

2. Select view required

This allows the user to select views that have been set up in the menu system.



To see the complete list views that are available in Project, you need to go to the More Views option in the Menu

This shows all of the views that are available.

Microsoft Project - Views - Creating new fields in a Table

Creating new fields in a table 

Simple new fields can be created in the table definition.

The fields can be added to the field name by choosing one of the appropriate type of field and the name that it is to be known by under the name column.  If filters are to be set up on the data in this field then the field name is used in the filter not the name.



The field is to be used in several different locations then it is possible to rename the field to the name that you want it to be known as.  By doing this then the field can be selected by either the original field or by the “new name”.

To Rename Field

1. Menu, Tools, Customize, Fields

2. Select type of field required and then select the field

3. Click on Rename button and enter name required


By renaming the field, the field can be selected by either the original field name or by the “new name”.

Microsoft Project - Views - Creating New Views

Creating New Views 

New views can be set up by:

1. View Menu

2. More Views …


3. Click on the New Button



4. Choose whether a single view or combination view is required

Single view will give one only such as a Gantt Chart.  Whereas Combination view will allow two views to be shown together such as Resource Allocation.  In a combination view the bottom window is always dependent on what is selected in the top window. Eg If the top window is the resource sheet and the bottom window is the Gantt Chart, then the bottom window will only show the tasks being done by the resource selected in the top window.

If Single view is selected: 

5. Give the view a name

6. Choose what sort of screen is required. (Gantt chart, sheet, usage etc)

7. Select table is required.  (Could be one that has been created.)

8. Is the data to be grouped in any way?

9. Does any filter need to be applied

10. Do you wish to use this view regularly?  If the answer is yes then tick the show menu and it will be shown in the View menu, (or the view bar if it is being shown) otherwise the view can be accessed via the More Views dialog box.



If combination View is selected:

1. Give the view a name

2. Select which view is to be shown in the top

3. Select which view is to be shown in the bottom window

4. Tick the Show in menu button if the view is to be used regularly



NB if one of the views for the combination view is a new view then that new view needs to be created first before the combination view can be created.

Microsoft Project - Views - Customising Views

Customising Views 

Views can be changed to display different information as required by changing the bar styles.  How they are changed depends on what is needed.

Before going in the change the bar styles use the Gantt Chart Wizard to get the view as close as possible to what is required.  (The Gantt Chart Wizard automates some of the process and saves time, but it does not give all the options.)

Then

1. Format menu

2. Bar Styles



Here you can format the different bars as required or add new bars.

In the example above a new bar style has been added to show the slack

• It has been named Slack (so the style will show in the legend when the view is printed out).

• The appearance has been changed so that the shape is a line in the middle of the bar, and the colour is Teal.  (The changes are made it the bottom section of the dialog box and displayed on the slack row.)

• It displays the slack for normal tasks

• The bar starts at the finish date of the task

• The bar finishes after the duration of the slack

Changing Text displayed on the Bars 

Sometimes the on the Gantt Chart, if you have lots of resources allocated to each task the text at the end of the bar overshadows the bar in the display.  If that is the case then it can be changed so that instead of the resource name being displayed on the Gantt Chart the resource initials can be displayed instead




In Bar Styles dialog box:

1. Select the bar to be changed.

2. Click on the text tab at the bottom

3. Select the text to be changed, and click on the drop down arrow at the end

4. Select the field required.

If the critical path is being shown remember to do it for both critical tasks and non critical tasks.
Customising Fields

Project is a fully fledged relational database made up of lots of tables which all contain different fields.  The tables are set up to display certain combinations of those fields to convey different aspects of the project.

There are two different types of fields, those that store data and those that calculate values depending on values in other fields..

Where data is stored, there are text, number, dates, costs and flag fields.  These fields hold very particular data to be used for defined functions within Project.

But sometimes there is information that needs to be stored with the tasks but it is only relevant to how you or your organisation work.

To allow for this scenario there are blank fields within Project.

Text 1 – 30 fields allow you to store any text that is associated with the tasks.  Do you have certain people who are responsible for particular aspects of the project but are not going to be carrying out the work?  Then this information cannot be stored in the resources field, but it could be stored in a text field.

Number 1 – 20 fields allow you to store numbers associated with tasks.  The value can be typed in or calculated.

Flag 1- 20 fields allow you to store Boolean data.  The yes / no data can be selected from the drop down or calculated.

There are ten cost, duration, start and finish fields as well.  They can be set either by entry via tables that have been set up or via the interim plan facility on the set baseline dialog box

Microsoft Project - Views - Graphical Indicators

Graphical Indicators

Graphical indicators can be used to highlight particular types of data.  For instance if
costs need to be monitored very closely then the tasks can be highlighted so that if the costs go above the baseline they can be highlighted.

For instance if a formula has been put in for Number 1 so that

Cost<= baseline cost then number = 1

Baseline<cost<=baseline*1.1 then number = 2

Cost>baseline cost*1.1 then number = 3

Then if the data is displayed all that is displayed is a column that displays the numbers 1,2 or 3 depending on which category it falls into.

This data can be displayed as graphical indicators so that

1 is green – everything is OK

2 is yellow – be careful it has gone above budget, but not by much

3 is red – warning it is more than 10% over budget

Once the values have been set up for the tasks then if graphical indicators need to be set for the summary rows then they have to be set up for the Summary rows as well.

The graphical Indicator is set on the Customising field dialog box where you set the formula.

Microsoft Project - Views - Project Tables

Tables 

Table control the combination of columns that are shown on the task sheet.  The default table on Project is the Entry Table.  This table allows you to enter the sort of data that is required to set up a Project.

Once a project has been set up then other information might need to be seen.  The schedule table shows the latest dates that tasks can happen and the project still finishes on time.  This table gives the same sort of information that is generated on the forward pass and backward pass on the PERT chart.

The cost table gives all the cost information, whether it is the fixed cost, the current cost, baseline and variance in costs.  (The variance can only be calculated once the baseline has been set.)

The tables can be selected from the View menu or by right clicking in the top left hand corner of  the table.

Microsoft Project - Views - Project Views Explained

Views Explained

Views are different ways of looking at the same data.  The project file is a fully fledged relational database, though this is not obvious to non database users.  Different views allow the user to see different elements of the information stored within the file.

The Gantt Chart is the default view and displays the project plan against a time line.
The network diagram gives the flow process of the project plan.  (In earlier versions of project, this used to be known as the PERT chart.)



The Tracking Gantt shows the project plan against the baseline and how much of the project has been completed.

There are many different views within Project, and if by chance non of them meet your requirement, new views can be created as necessary, showing the information necessary.

There is also a calendar view, where the whole project can be printed onto a calendar.  The calendar can be set up to display all of the tasks or just for particular people.

The resource views give information on the resources, either as a list or a graph.

The usage views give the workload either from the resource view or the task view as required.

The Tracking Gantt shows the project plan against the baseline and how much of the project has been completed.

There are many different views within Project, and if by chance non of them meet your requirement, new views can be created as necessary, showing the information necessary.

There is also a calendar view, where the whole project can be printed onto a calendar.  The calendar can be set up to display all of the tasks or just for particular people.

The resource views give information on the resources, either as a list or a graph.

The usage views give the workload either from the resource view or the task view as required.

Microsoft Project - Task - Notes

Task Notes 

If further information needs to be stored about a task then the information can be entered into the task notes.

Microsoft Project - Tracking - Tracking Durations

Tracking Durations 

On the same dialog box, actual duration can be tracked.  If the only data entered is actual duration then the calculations being used will be.
Remaining Duration=Duration – Actual Duration

And

% complete = Actual Duration/Duration.

By only inputting the actual duration, problems in the schedule are not highlighted in advance.
Whereas if the actual duration and remaining duration are input then possible problems show up earlier

Duration = Actual Duration+ Remaining Duration.
As the duration is calculated, this will show variances against the baseline.