Repeating Project Tasks
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From: whstewart1 on 4 May 2010 00:04 I am relatively new to project and perhaps starting out with a complicated scenario. I am getting ready to start fixing up a 50 unit apartment complex with the residents still living there. Due to this, my scheduling has to go down to the hour of each of 2 or 3 days that we move the residents out. I want to know the best way of managing this relatively simple task and multiplying it by 50 (once for each unit) I started out by having each task as a sub task of the day of work and the 2 days of work as subtasks for the apartment unit that I am working on at that specific time. The problem is- I want to be able to change the schedule for the first Unit and for it to apply to all 50 units. Basically I want to have the same set of tasks repeated 50 times and be able to adjust or add to only one of them and have it change all of the rest. Is there any clean way of doing this. I was thinking of making each unit a separate project and having a master project to run the whole thing but that does not solve the problem of if I need to change the schedule because one item is taking longer than expected. I do not want to have to go in and to that on all 50 files or in all 50 subtasks if it is all in 1 project. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. -- whstewart1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ whstewart1's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/216370.htm View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/microsoft-project/1333215.htm http://forums.techarena.in
From: Rod Gill on 4 May 2010 04:44 I think I would start with 50 tasks, one for each apartment. I would then specify tasks for each apartment in Excel and allocate hours for each task and day 1, or day 2 etc. Add hours for each apartment to relevant task in Project and go from there. Printed task list in Excel goes to team for each apartment. You are creating a lot of work trying to time manage using Project. Assign one person to be responsible for an apartment and get them to plan the work, pre-order materials carry out inspection tasks then manage the work. Your project is part project management but mostly time management and Project is not a time management tool. -- Rod Gill Microsoft MVP for Project - http://www.project-systems.co.nz Author of the only book on Project VBA, see: http://www.projectvbabook.com "whstewart1" <whstewart1.4af7tc(a)DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message news:whstewart1.4af7tc(a)DoNotSpam.com... > > I am relatively new to project and perhaps starting out with a > complicated scenario. I am getting ready to start fixing up a 50 unit > apartment complex with the residents still living there. Due to this, > my scheduling has to go down to the hour of each of 2 or 3 days that we > move the residents out. I want to know the best way of managing this > relatively simple task and multiplying it by 50 (once for each unit) I > started out by having each task as a sub task of the day of work and the > 2 days of work as subtasks for the apartment unit that I am working on > at that specific time. The problem is- I want to be able to change the > schedule for the first Unit and for it to apply to all 50 units. > Basically I want to have the same set of tasks repeated 50 times and be > able to adjust or add to only one of them and have it change all of the > rest. Is there any clean way of doing this. I was thinking of making > each unit a separate project and having a master project to run the > whole thing but that does not solve the problem of if I need to change > the schedule because one item is taking longer than expected. I do not > want to have to go in and to that on all 50 files or in all 50 subtasks > if it is all in 1 project. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. > > > -- > whstewart1 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > whstewart1's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/216370.htm > View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/microsoft-project/1333215.htm > > http://forums.techarena.in > > > __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus > signature database 5083 (20100503) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. > > http://www.eset.com > > > __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5083 (20100503) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com
From: Jim Aksel on 4 May 2010 11:33 It depends on exactly what you want to do. For example, if you have a task "Fix Electrical" and that is set to 3 hours. If you decide that it will take 4 hours, there is no way for Project to automatically increase the other 50 apartments to 4 hours for electrical on those remaining apartements. You can do some things that will help. For example, create a summary task called "Apartment#" and then indent everything you will do to the aparment underneath that summary task. You can also include two milestones "Start Work on This Apartment" and "Apartment Complete". Now you can now collapse and copy this summary task and paste it several times. If you use your head, you can paste once, then copy two items. Paste (you now have 4), then copy all 4 and paste, you now have 8... You will have to manually tag each summary task with the apartment ID. To link the apartments, you establish a Predecessor/Successor (Link) between the Apartment Finished and Apartment Start tasks going between the cascading aparements. So, if Apartment 17 runs long ... then Apartments 18-50 will automatically roll assuming you did not manually key any dates. Now, let's shift to the idea that "electrical" may need to increase from 3 hours to 4 hours for all remaining apartments. What I would do would be to sort the project file (Project/Sort/Sort By... by name). Now you should have all the "Painting" tasks together, then all the "Electrical" tasks together. You can then change the duration of Electrical from 3 hours to 4 hours and then copy/paste (drag or highlight and hit control+D, etc) that will get you then. Then resort the file by ID. If you want, you can also explore using customize grouping (also under the Project menu) which essentially gets you to the same place. -- If this post was helpful, please consider rating it. Jim Aksel, MVP Check out my blog for more information: http://www.msprojectblog.com "whstewart1" wrote: > > I am relatively new to project and perhaps starting out with a > complicated scenario. I am getting ready to start fixing up a 50 unit > apartment complex with the residents still living there. Due to this, > my scheduling has to go down to the hour of each of 2 or 3 days that we > move the residents out. I want to know the best way of managing this > relatively simple task and multiplying it by 50 (once for each unit) I > started out by having each task as a sub task of the day of work and the > 2 days of work as subtasks for the apartment unit that I am working on > at that specific time. The problem is- I want to be able to change the > schedule for the first Unit and for it to apply to all 50 units. > Basically I want to have the same set of tasks repeated 50 times and be > able to adjust or add to only one of them and have it change all of the > rest. Is there any clean way of doing this. I was thinking of making > each unit a separate project and having a master project to run the > whole thing but that does not solve the problem of if I need to change > the schedule because one item is taking longer than expected. I do not > want to have to go in and to that on all 50 files or in all 50 subtasks > if it is all in 1 project. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. > > > -- > whstewart1 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > whstewart1's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/216370.htm > View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/microsoft-project/1333215.htm > > http://forums.techarena.in > > . >
From: Trevor Rabey on 5 May 2010 06:42 I just re-read your post and noticed something that you need to know about. You seem to be saying that you will use Day 1, Day 2 etc as the summary headings for tasks. This is a very bad idea, mainly because it won't work. The summaries should be appropriate headings for the tasks, such as "demolition", "set out", "plastering", "cabinets" etc You should not be trying to specify what will happen on each day (with the summaries). You need the tasks, durations and predecessors. -- Trevor Rabey 0407213955 61 8 92727485 PERFECT PROJECT PLANNING www.perfectproject.com.au "whstewart1" <whstewart1.4af7tc(a)DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message news:whstewart1.4af7tc(a)DoNotSpam.com... > > I am relatively new to project and perhaps starting out with a > complicated scenario. I am getting ready to start fixing up a 50 unit > apartment complex with the residents still living there. Due to this, > my scheduling has to go down to the hour of each of 2 or 3 days that we > move the residents out. I want to know the best way of managing this > relatively simple task and multiplying it by 50 (once for each unit) I > started out by having each task as a sub task of the day of work and the > 2 days of work as subtasks for the apartment unit that I am working on > at that specific time. The problem is- I want to be able to change the > schedule for the first Unit and for it to apply to all 50 units. > Basically I want to have the same set of tasks repeated 50 times and be > able to adjust or add to only one of them and have it change all of the > rest. Is there any clean way of doing this. I was thinking of making > each unit a separate project and having a master project to run the > whole thing but that does not solve the problem of if I need to change > the schedule because one item is taking longer than expected. I do not > want to have to go in and to that on all 50 files or in all 50 subtasks > if it is all in 1 project. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. > > > -- > whstewart1 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > whstewart1's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/216370.htm > View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/microsoft-project/1333215.htm > > http://forums.techarena.in >
From: whstewart1 on 5 May 2010 07:28
Jim-Thanks for the help. This looks like it will work. Unfortunately there does is not a sort by "name" option that I was able to find but the custom grouping can be grouped by name. This will make it a lot easier as long as I get all of my tasks in order before I start. I am still presented with an issue if I add something to the list. Thanks again. Trevor- Actually I am pretty sure it will work. I think you are thinking of DAY1 incorrectly. I am treating DAY1 as a task and as a way of grouping the 50 or so things that have to be done to each unit. If you do not understand the way I am trying to explain it, Imagine I was planning for a week long music festival tour. Seven days spread out with uncertain dates. The only thing I know is that in order for the second day to happen the first day has to already have happened. Or another example would be if I was planning for a hiking trip and want to group my meals and activities under the day itself which is a task. In order for DAY2 to happen, DAY1 will have to be done. In my project in particular, we are going to go through most of the units doing their DAY1 tasks before I even Start back going through the units with their DAY2 tasks. If you know of a better way of doing this or why exactly it will not work, please let me know. -- whstewart1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ whstewart1's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/216370.htm View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/microsoft-project/1333215.htm http://forums.techarena.in |