Using Project for scheduling tasks

P

Peter Greenley

Is Project useful for general time management and task scheduling?

I have a number of small projects which I have to complete by the end
of March. Typically, these are short software projects that last for 3
or 4 days. Each project can be broken down into clearly identifiable
tasks. However, while the tasks within a project have to be done in a
certain order, the projects themeselves are not dependent on each
other, so I could juggle them and interleave them if necessary. So
conceivably, a project could be started now and finished in a month's
time, without impacting on intervening projects.

I would like to use MS Project to help me see what is coming up, and
how I can reschedule tasks when necessary. However I'm not certain how
best to approach this with the software. I want to be able to depict
the 3 or 4 logical, dependent stages of each project. I want to be
able to move tasks around the calendar so that if I insert Task1 from
Project3 into the middle of the time allocated to Project1, all the
dates shuffle up to show that Project 1 will be finishing a day (or
whatever) later than originally envisaged. I can't be allowed to drag
Task2 in front of Task1 in the same project, but I am allowed to put
Project2 before Project1

Can Project be used to do this sort of thing? I appreciate that I can
achieve something similar in Outlook or Excel, but I'm keen to learn
Project for the start of a 'real' longer term project later in the
year, and hoped that I might be able to start using it now to ease
myself into it. Perhaps I'm creating obstacles for myself by thinking
of this as a Gantt chart. Perhaps there is some other view that makes
more sense?

Is there a simple answer to this, or could someone point me at an
online resource that discusses these needs? I have done a Google trawl
but haven't found quite what I'm looking for.

Thank you for any assistance / advice.
 
J

JulieS

Is Project useful for general time management and task scheduling?

I have a number of small projects which I have to complete by the end
of March. Typically, these are short software projects that last for
3 or 4 days. Each project can be broken down into clearly
identifiable tasks. However, while the tasks within a project have
to be done in a certain order, the projects themeselves are not
dependent on each other, so I could juggle them and interleave them
if necessary. So conceivably, a project could be started now and
finished in a month's time, without impacting on intervening
projects.

I would like to use MS Project to help me see what is coming up, and
how I can reschedule tasks when necessary. However I'm not certain
how best to approach this with the software. I want to be able to
depict the 3 or 4 logical, dependent stages of each project. I want
to be able to move tasks around the calendar so that if I insert
Task1 from Project3 into the middle of the time allocated to
Project1, all the dates shuffle up to show that Project 1 will be
finishing a day (or whatever) later than originally envisaged. I
can't be allowed to drag Task2 in front of Task1 in the same
project, but I am allowed to put Project2 before Project1

Can Project be used to do this sort of thing? I appreciate that I can
achieve something similar in Outlook or Excel, but I'm keen to learn
Project for the start of a 'real' longer term project later in the
year, and hoped that I might be able to start using it now to ease
myself into it. Perhaps I'm creating obstacles for myself by thinking
of this as a Gantt chart. Perhaps there is some other view that makes
more sense?

Is there a simple answer to this, or could someone point me at an
online resource that discusses these needs? I have done a Google
trawl but haven't found quite what I'm looking for.

Thank you for any assistance / advice.
Click to expand...

Hello Peter,

Welcome to the Project newsgroup. From your description of your needs
and desire to learn to use Project for further work, I think Project
will do a very nice job with what you describe.

There are a couple of possible ways of approaching the idea that you
suggest.

1) If the software projects are not too long, you could consider
creating one Project file and putting all the tasks for the projects
into one file. Create the links between tasks within in the projects
but do not create links between one project and another. By then
creating and assigning resources, Project can help show where you do not
have enough resources for the number of tasks and work you have
assigned. You can then use the resource leveling command to help delay
tasks to fit the available resources. The disadvantage of this method
would be the difficulty of scheduling projects to begin at different
times. The only way to schedule tasks to something other than the
default (start of the project) is to set constraints. Those constraints
have an effect on the resource leveling command.

2) Another option is to use the resource pool capabilities of Project.
Using that method, you would create separate project files for each
software project. The resources would be created in a separate project
file, and set as the resource pool file for each of of software
projects. You could still use the resource leveling capabilities of the
program and could also leverage not only task level priorities in
leveling, but also Project level priorities.

Now, to your comment of "is there a simple answer" -- I would never
describe Project as "simple." It is a fairly sophisticated scheduling
tool with a steeper learning curve than a product like Excel. However,
you've stated that you wish to learn Project to advanced your ability to
work with the software for more serious work in the future. This could
be a perfect way to learn without the pressure of a larger project.

To get started, give a read to fellow MVP Mike Glen's excellent series
of tutorials on MS Project. You may find a link to his tutorials at:
http://project.mvps.org/mike's_tutorials.htm

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project
 
P

Peter Greenley

Hello Peter,

Welcome to the Project newsgroup.  From your description of your needs
and desire to learn to use Project for further work, I think Project
will do a very nice job with what you describe.

There are a couple of possible ways of approaching the idea that you
suggest.

1) If the software projects are not too long, you could consider
creating one Project file and putting all the tasks for the projects
into one file.  Create the links between tasks within in the projects
but do not create links between one project and another.  By then
creating and assigning resources, Project can help show where you do not
have enough resources for the number of tasks and work you have
assigned.  You can then use the resource leveling command to help delay
tasks to fit the available resources.  The disadvantage of this method
would be the difficulty of scheduling projects to begin at different
times.  The only way to schedule tasks to something other than the
default (start of the project) is to set constraints.  Those constraints
have an effect on the resource leveling command.

2) Another option is to use the resource pool capabilities of Project.  
Using that method, you would create separate project files for each
software project.  The resources would be created in a separate project
file, and set as the resource pool file for each of of software
projects.  You could still use the resource leveling capabilities of the
program and could also leverage not only task level priorities in
leveling, but also Project level priorities.

Now, to your comment of "is there a simple answer" -- I would never
describe Project as "simple."  It is a fairly sophisticated scheduling
tool with a steeper learning curve than a product like Excel.  However,
you've stated that you wish to learn Project to advanced your ability to
work with the software for more serious work in the future.  This could
be a perfect way to learn without the pressure of a larger project.

To get started, give a read to fellow MVP Mike Glen's excellent series
of tutorials on MS Project.  You may find a link to his tutorials at:http://project.mvps.org/mike's_tutorials.htm

I hope this helps.  Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visithttp://project.mvps.org/for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project
Click to expand...

Thank you Julie. I need to research some of the concepts you mention
to fully understand them, but you've given me much of what I was
hoping to receive -- some encouragement, and the reassurance that I
can indeed use Project to manage these projects and tasks. I will take
a look at Mike's tutorials.

Peter.
 
P

Prasad

Thank you Julie. I need to research some of the concepts you mention
to fully understand them, but you've given me much of what I was
hoping to receive -- some encouragement, and the reassurance that I
can indeed use Project to manage these projects and tasks. I will take
a look at Mike's tutorials.

Peter.
Click to expand...


Peter,

Your situation is almost identical to production scheduling in job
shops where numerous independent jobs with different routings (set of
operations with dependency relations) need to be scheduled and
rescheduled regularly subject to all constraints. Each job is like a
small software project in your example. Job shops also need fast and
extensive what-if analysis capability to address unexpected major
changes in the system. There are simple and powerful scheduling
software that are designed and developed exclusively for such systems.
They can instantaneously generate a feasible and rational schedule of
multiple projects along with explicit resource schedules without any
need for advanced concepts and training. They are superior to Project
in resource-constrained, multi-project scheduling and therefore more
expensive than the latter.

Regards,
Prasad
 
J

JulieS

<snip>
Thank you Julie. I need to research some of the concepts you mention
to fully understand them, but you've given me much of what I was
hoping to receive -- some encouragement, and the reassurance that I
can indeed use Project to manage these projects and tasks. I will take
a look at Mike's tutorials.

Peter.
Click to expand...
You're most welcome Peter. Please start with Mike's tutorials and come
back here as you need to post any questions.
 
L

Lucian Ioan

Dear Peter,

One solution is as Julie says if you want to use MS Project. But to me it seems a little bit complicated for your needs (just my feeling and I might be wrong). Instead I would like to recommend you to try with RationalPlan Multi Project:
http://www.rationalplan.com/multi-project-management-software.php

With this tool you can manage multiple projects at once and by sharing the same resources. Linking between tasks from different projects is straightforward.

Lucian



Peter Greenley wrote:

Using Project for scheduling tasks
26-Dec-09

Is Project useful for general time management and task scheduling?

I have a number of small projects which I have to complete by the end
of March. Typically, these are short software projects that last for 3
or 4 days. Each project can be broken down into clearly identifiable
tasks. However, while the tasks within a project have to be done in a
certain order, the projects themeselves are not dependent on each
other, so I could juggle them and interleave them if necessary. So
conceivably, a project could be started now and finished in a month's
time, without impacting on intervening projects.

I would like to use MS Project to help me see what is coming up, and
how I can reschedule tasks when necessary. However I am not certain how
best to approach this with the software. I want to be able to depict
the 3 or 4 logical, dependent stages of each project. I want to be
able to move tasks around the calendar so that if I insert Task1 from
Project3 into the middle of the time allocated to Project1, all the
dates shuffle up to show that Project 1 will be finishing a day (or
whatever) later than originally envisaged. I cannot be allowed to drag
Task2 in front of Task1 in the same project, but I am allowed to put
Project2 before Project1

Can Project be used to do this sort of thing? I appreciate that I can
achieve something similar in Outlook or Excel, but I am keen to learn
Project for the start of a 'real' longer term project later in the
year, and hoped that I might be able to start using it now to ease
myself into it. Perhaps I am creating obstacles for myself by thinking
of this as a Gantt chart. Perhaps there is some other view that makes
more sense?

Is there a simple answer to this, or could someone point me at an
online resource that discusses these needs? I have done a Google trawl
but have not found quite what I am looking for.

Thank you for any assistance / advice.

Previous Posts In This Thread:

Using Project for scheduling tasks
Is Project useful for general time management and task scheduling?

I have a number of small projects which I have to complete by the end
of March. Typically, these are short software projects that last for 3
or 4 days. Each project can be broken down into clearly identifiable
tasks. However, while the tasks within a project have to be done in a
certain order, the projects themeselves are not dependent on each
other, so I could juggle them and interleave them if necessary. So
conceivably, a project could be started now and finished in a month's
time, without impacting on intervening projects.

I would like to use MS Project to help me see what is coming up, and
how I can reschedule tasks when necessary. However I am not certain how
best to approach this with the software. I want to be able to depict
the 3 or 4 logical, dependent stages of each project. I want to be
able to move tasks around the calendar so that if I insert Task1 from
Project3 into the middle of the time allocated to Project1, all the
dates shuffle up to show that Project 1 will be finishing a day (or
whatever) later than originally envisaged. I cannot be allowed to drag
Task2 in front of Task1 in the same project, but I am allowed to put
Project2 before Project1

Can Project be used to do this sort of thing? I appreciate that I can
achieve something similar in Outlook or Excel, but I am keen to learn
Project for the start of a 'real' longer term project later in the
year, and hoped that I might be able to start using it now to ease
myself into it. Perhaps I am creating obstacles for myself by thinking
of this as a Gantt chart. Perhaps there is some other view that makes
more sense?

Is there a simple answer to this, or could someone point me at an
online resource that discusses these needs? I have done a Google trawl
but have not found quite what I am looking for.

Thank you for any assistance / advice.

On 12/26/2009 3:19 PM, Peter Greenley wrote:Hello Peter,Welcome to the Project
On 12/26/2009 3:19 PM, Peter Greenley wrote:

Hello Peter,

Welcome to the Project newsgroup. From your description of your needs
and desire to learn to use Project for further work, I think Project
will do a very nice job with what you describe.

There are a couple of possible ways of approaching the idea that you
suggest.

1) If the software projects are not too long, you could consider
creating one Project file and putting all the tasks for the projects
into one file. Create the links between tasks within in the projects
but do not create links between one project and another. By then
creating and assigning resources, Project can help show where you do not
have enough resources for the number of tasks and work you have
assigned. You can then use the resource leveling command to help delay
tasks to fit the available resources. The disadvantage of this method
would be the difficulty of scheduling projects to begin at different
times. The only way to schedule tasks to something other than the
default (start of the project) is to set constraints. Those constraints
have an effect on the resource leveling command.

2) Another option is to use the resource pool capabilities of Project.
Using that method, you would create separate project files for each
software project. The resources would be created in a separate project
file, and set as the resource pool file for each of of software
projects. You could still use the resource leveling capabilities of the
program and could also leverage not only task level priorities in
leveling, but also Project level priorities.

Now, to your comment of "is there a simple answer" -- I would never
describe Project as "simple." It is a fairly sophisticated scheduling
tool with a steeper learning curve than a product like Excel. However,
you have stated that you wish to learn Project to advanced your ability to
work with the software for more serious work in the future. This could
be a perfect way to learn without the pressure of a larger project.

To get started, give a read to fellow MVP Mike Glen's excellent series
of tutorials on MS Project. You may find a link to his tutorials at:
http://project.mvps.org/mike's_tutorials.htm

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

dngss=A0etp://project.mvps.org/mike%27s_tutorials.htmThank you Julie.
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Thank you Julie. I need to research some of the concepts you mention
to fully understand them, but you have given me much of what I was

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On 12/26/2009 5:13 PM, Peter Greenley wrote:You're most welcome Peter.
On 12/26/2009 5:13 PM, Peter Greenley wrote:
You're most welcome Peter. Please start with Mike's tutorials and come
back here as you need to post any questions.


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