Tasks without dependencies in specific order
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From: Kevin Slane on 20 May 2010 10:49 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 11:01 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.
From: Jim Aksel on 20 May 2010 11:03 Is resource autoleveling turned on ? (Tools/Level Resources...) Is the project scheduled to schedule from the start date (Project/Project Information...) -- If this post was helpful, please consider rating it. Jim Aksel, MVP Check out my blog for more information: http://www.msprojectblog.com "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: Trevor Rabey on 20 May 2010 11:12 If these 5 tasks are not related by being predecessors and successors, then you should not link them, as you say. If you assign the same resource to all of them, then unless you use leveling to delay some of the tasks, then the resource will be over-allocated and what you would have is a plan which is just not feasible. Short, yes, but not possible. If you level, MSP will delay tasks and completely resolve the over-allocation, if possible, ie provided that there are no date constraints and provided that resources are not assigned to summaries, or any other reasons that might prevent resolution of the over-allocation. If you level and MSP gives a solution, then a solution is better than none at all, but there is more than one possible solution and the one you get may not be the one you would prefer. However, you can fine-tune the leveling to force MSP to give you a preferred solution. Try leveling with all of the check box options turned off. Also, set the leveling order to "Priority, Standard". Then set the relative priorities of the tasks. The easy way to do this is to insert the Priority column/field and number them in descending order. Then level. I do this all the time, usually with hundreds of tasks numbered from 1000 down the list, and it works a treat. Hope this helps. -- Trevor Rabey 0407213955 61 8 92727485 PERFECT PROJECT PLANNING www.perfectproject.com.au "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.
From: Kevin Slane on 20 May 2010 11:15
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. > |