Newbie to Project and forums need help

[Kevlin]

Hello, I am new to the forums and only recently started using MS Projec
2003.

I am wondering how I would go about the following:

First a bit of history, we track our projects from a single date thi
date really is not a start or a finish but more of a work date.

When we do this we go forwards and backwards in time by using + and
d

Example say our project is supposed to start on 1 Jan 08, before tha
can start we must start a test plan and many other steps.

So our Finish date (for lack of better things to call it) is 1 Jan 0
our Test plan is built - 120 days so that would be 1 Sep 07. Likewis
we do a report that is due + 90 days so that would be 1 Apr 08.

How would I use this as a formula to calculate the dates these need t
start for me.

I envision a task sheet with fields labled
Task Name Duration Lag/Lead Start Date Finish Date

Where Duration would be typed in and lead to a finish date based on th
Lag/Lead column inputting to the Start date

Example

Task Name
Test Plan 20d -120d (calculated Finish dat
-120d = 1 Sep 07) 21 Sep 07

Any ideas on how to build the formula and put it into a column?

I apologize, if this has been asked a zillion times and also for m
newbie'sm

Cheers

 

[DavidC]

Hi,

If the 1st Jan is the earliest date the project can start, then set that as
the start date and make it a milestone (zero duration). Then all activities
will be successors to this. Since you need to create a test plan which will
take 20d to create and let us say it needs to be reviewed and agreed before
the project starts, then you can set up the project so that:

Project start 0d 1/01/09
Test plan agreed 5d
Test plan review and amend 15d
Develop test plan 20d.

Now the successor to the Project start is then the Test plan agreed with a
SF type link, the Test plan review is also a SF successor to the Test plan
agreed, and the Test plan development is a SF successor to the test plan
review. This then gives you the latest date by which you need to start the
test plan in order to meet the project start date. I would then recommend
allowing for some float in this process since it is unlikely for things to
work exactly to plan. So maybe increase the durations by 10% thereby giving
you say 10% float before project start date.

Also place a deadline on the Test plan agreed date as being the start date
for the project less one day. This will then identify the critical path for
that process leading up to the project start.

Alternatively place the deadline as above, but make the links to the Project
start date as FS predecessors not as above. This will mean putting a start
date for developing the plan.

Just a couple of ideas

Hope this helps.

Regardd

DavidC

 

[dlmckirdy]

Kevlin,

Why not first set your start date to 1/1/08. Then build your schedule Top
Down (start to finish) as normal. When you are done, go to Project>Project
Information>Start Date and adjust the start date until your "Work Date" hits
the desired date. Do not schedule by dates, but rather by duration, letting
Project determine the dates. Then, assuming there are no duration changes
prior to the "Work Date", all scheduling is in direct relation to the "Work
Date".

 

[Steve House]

I've gotta agree with Douglas here. Perhaps it's time to re-examine your
approach to project scheduling in general. MS Project, and indeed the
foundations of critical path managment methodology, says that the Project
Start is when the first activity leading towards creation of the project's
deliverables commences. In your example, the real project start is the date
of the start of the first activity in your Test Plan. The Start of Work is
the beginning of a project phase that comes well after the start of the
project itself.

The problem with the method you propose is that it requires a fair amount of
clairvoyance and that's a talent in short supply ever since Casandra
retired. Better to calculate when you'll be able to start work rather than
try to foretell the future and work backwards from the date your psychic
predicts you'll start. <grin>

 

[salgud]

I've gotta agree with Douglas here. Perhaps it's time to re-examine your
approach to project scheduling in general. MS Project, and indeed the
foundations of critical path managment methodology, says that the Project
Start is when the first activity leading towards creation of the project's
deliverables commences. In your example, the real project start is the date
of the start of the first activity in your Test Plan. The Start of Work is
the beginning of a project phase that comes well after the start of the
project itself.

The problem with the method you propose is that it requires a fair amount of
clairvoyance and that's a talent in short supply ever since Casandra
retired. Better to calculate when you'll be able to start work rather than
try to foretell the future and work backwards from the date your psychic
predicts you'll start. <grin>

Well put, Steve!

 

[Kevlin]

I thank you all for your input's the problem is our Test start date once
scheduled NEVER changes. The Test might be canceled but never slipped.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Why is that a problem?