Ways to put iterative tasks in the schedule

[Kendra]

Hi,

What's the best way to put iterative tasks in the MS project 2007 schedule

We have a developer develop a code then it gets forwarded to the
principle/Lead developer to review the code & this cycle can continue x
number of times which is hard to pre-define.

How would you go about handling/reflecting this kinds of iterative tasks in
MS Project 2007 schedule file?

Thanks,
Kendra

 

[vanita]

Hi Kendra

In MS Project you would have to plan defined no. of iterations. At execution
stage if the actual no. of iterations are more, you may add more cycles to
the schedule.

For each cycle of code development and review define one 'Summary Task' with
detailed tasks under it as sub-tasks. After defined no. of cycles or
iterations insert a milestone 'Code development finish' and link last
activity of the last cycle with it.

I hope it helps.
Vanita

 

[Ammar Al-Saket]

It depends on the duration of "develop a code" task, if it's relatively short
task (say less than 5 days) then I would put it once and link it with "review
the code" tasks by FF+(review time needed) relationship.

hope that works

A. Al-Saket

 

[Jim Aksel]

I wonder if scheduling to that level is adding value for you. We would
establish a sufficeint duration for the task and not care how many iterations
it took. Generally these type of "go backs" are Level of Effort as you
cannot know how many times they will occur and what duration it will take to
correct the code during each cycle.

If the code passes a peer review and unit testing, we let the code move
forward. If it turns out there is a bug report on the code later (say during
integration), we send it off to a Level of Effort Task that has to do with
correcting bugs and other documented trouble in the code.

Other than that, you'd have to rebid the time/effort for each iteration as
it happens and insert it into the schdule. Not a bad idea sometimes because
one group may be able to take "the Week 38 build" and run with it while your
coder goes back to correct errors and go to the "Week 40 build" then the
"Week 43 build" etc. Of course we make the team enter a risk item if someone
takes an earlier build.
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Jim Aksel, MVP

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