Tasks without dependencies in specific order
in [Project]
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From: C on 20 May 2010 11:21 Hi Kevin, First, what version of Project are you using? Second, Are you saying that you have no dependencies and no constraints? I haven't seen MSP behave this way. If you enter in 5 tasks without constraints or predacessors, They should all start on the project start date and run the duration that you have entered (provided the tasks are setup as fixed duration non effort driven). Have you checked to see what task type you have for task # 1? Project will not automatically assume that you want the tasking to run from task 1 to task 5. ie...you want task 2 to start when task 1 completes and task 3 to start when task 2 completes and so on if you don't tell it. Therefore, if you want the tasks run run consecutively you have to used predecessors. "Kevin Slane" wrote: > This is probably a pretty goofy question, but one that perplexes me > nonetheless. > > If I have a simple project with 5 tasks, and assign myself as the resource > on all of them, why does MSP shove the first task all the way out (it's a > half day task) to the end of the project, then put the remaining tasks in > order? > > If I add dependencies, then all the tasks show up in order from 1 to 5, but > the reality is, these tasks aren't actually dependent on each other. So, > without setting dependencies where they probably shouldn't exist, and without > setting start-no-earlier-than constraints on my tasks, how can I tell project > to just schedule all the tasks in order based on their ID order? I just > don't understand why it wants to have me start with task 2 and push task 1 > all the way to the end.
From: Dale Howard [MVP] on 20 May 2010 13:09
Kevin -- You are more than welcome, my friend! :) -- Dale A. Howard [MVP] VP of Educational Services msProjectExperts http://www.msprojectexperts.com http://www.projectserverexperts.com "We write the books on Project Server" "Kevin Slane" <KevinSlane(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:C5A703D9-1C15-4341-A81E-0C0BF3480AF1(a)microsoft.com... > Very interesting, Dale! Thanks so much! > > "Dale Howard [MVP]" wrote: > >> Kevin -- >> >> It sounds like you have leveling set to Automatic in your Microsoft >> Project >> software. Click Tools - Level resources and set the Leveling >> Calculations >> option to Manual at the top of the dialog. This should resolve your >> first >> problem. >> >> As to why the tool moved the half-day task all the way to the end of the >> project, here's why: when you assigned yourself to all five tasks, and >> there >> were no dependencies set on these tasks, you created and overallocation, >> and >> then Microsoft Project leveled the overallocation immediately. To level >> the >> resource overallocation, the software examined five factors on each of >> the >> tasks on which you are overallocated. These factors include Start date, >> Total Slack, Constraints, Priority number, and Predecessors. On each of >> these five tasks, the Start dates were the same, the tasks had no >> constraints, the tasks all had the same Priority number, and none of the >> tasks were Predecessors. Therefore, the "tie breaker" leveling factor >> used >> by the software was Total Slack. The half-day task had the most Total >> Slack, therefore, the software delayed this task the most, which pushed >> it >> to the end of the project. >> >> Hope this helps. >> >> -- >> Dale A. Howard [MVP] >> VP of Educational Services >> msProjectExperts >> http://www.msprojectexperts.com >> http://www.projectserverexperts.com >> "We write the books on Project Server" >> >> >> "Kevin Slane" <KevinSlane(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:EEE51846-B2DA-4039-AAB5-6C5B91737BE2(a)microsoft.com... >> > This is probably a pretty goofy question, but one that perplexes me >> > nonetheless. >> > >> > If I have a simple project with 5 tasks, and assign myself as the >> > resource >> > on all of them, why does MSP shove the first task all the way out (it's >> > a >> > half day task) to the end of the project, then put the remaining tasks >> > in >> > order? >> > >> > If I add dependencies, then all the tasks show up in order from 1 to 5, >> > but >> > the reality is, these tasks aren't actually dependent on each other. >> > So, >> > without setting dependencies where they probably shouldn't exist, and >> > without >> > setting start-no-earlier-than constraints on my tasks, how can I tell >> > project >> > to just schedule all the tasks in order based on their ID order? I >> > just >> > don't understand why it wants to have me start with task 2 and push >> > task 1 >> > all the way to the end. >> |