Task Type automatically changing from Fixed Duration to Fixed Unit

[Bud]

We are using MSPS Project 2007

We have production support schedules with some non-direct tasks such as Team
Meetings, ADMIN, General client support, etc that we set up for the year
through 12/31/2008 with Task Types of Fixed Duration.

We also have small change request tasks that we have set up as Fixed units.
Actuals are posted to the schedule through timesheets and this happens
automatically.

We progress our schedules each week since many of the tasks are of course
just forecasts of what we think will happen. Some work just doesn't happen
and we need to move it forward since you can't physically do work yesterday.
We do this by going to Tools, Tracking, Reschedule uncompleted work to start
after...option. We progress the whole schedule because we want to see what
actually is happening on all types of tasks and than perhaps make some
adjustments.

This moves work on the Fixed duration types of tasks out to let's say
1/9/2009. We than simply change the Finish date back to 12/31/2008.

When we do this it changes the Task type from Fixed duration to Fixed Units
and than we have to change it back.

Why is it doing this? What can we do to prevent it?

Thanks

 

[Crook]

Hi Bud,

Regrettably, I was not able to reproduce your error using MS Project Pro
2007 SP1in offline mode from our PS07 server.

FWIW, our production environment remains PS03. Every once in a great while
a PM will tell me that Project is changing her task types automatically.
We've never been able to independently verify this, and when I ask the PM to
watch for this and verify it, she has not been able to do so.

Of course, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It merely means that I
haven't caught Project doing it. (yet - grin!)

HTH,
Crook

 

[Bud]

Actually, this doesn't happen periodically, it happens all the time whether
or not it is being updated on the MSPS server environment or whether we have
it pulled off to our Laptop D drive.

We have to add in the extra step to reset the task type back to fixed
duration. This happens everytime we progress the schedule moving the work out
beyond our end date such as the end of the year 12/31/2008.

Our specific steps are to
1. Progress the schedule. If actuals were posted the week of July21st than
we will pick July 27th as the progress date.
2. We than Look at the fixed duration task types and if we have any that
went into the next calendar year move them back to 12/31/2008.
3. We do number 2 by changing the Finish date from let's say 01/09/2009 to
12/31/2008.
4. Upon doing number 3 MS Project automatically changes the task type to
Fixed units.