Assigning task as "monthly", "qtrly" & visually displaying on cale

[Holly OK]

I'm trying to use MS Project to document our strategy with cascading objectives, initiatives and resulting scorecards. I want the scorecards to be an item that I can visually display occurance as monthly, quarterly, etc. I've been looking at either making them a material resource or a recurring task. I can't figure out the best way to do it because I don't want to have to assign hours or any calculation. I saw a feature where you could use an icon, it has colored balls to choose from. And, I'd prefer the "parent" item in the outline not to show those assignments in the calendar because then my calendar gets messy looking.

Can you provide me any direction because I'm getting frustrated wasting time since I'm completely in the dark.

Thanks,
Holly

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Holly OK --

Why don't you try the following. Click Insert - Recurring Task, then enter
a Task Name and Duration for the task. If you want a monthly recurring
task, select the Monthly recurrence item and select your additional
Recurrence pattern values. If you want the quarterly recurrence, select the
Monthly recurrence pattern but select the "Every third" month item. Once
you have created the recurring task, you are not obligated to assign any
resources to it.

Just a thought. Hope this helps.

I'm trying to use MS Project to document our strategy with cascading

objectives, initiatives and resulting scorecards. I want the scorecards to
be an item that I can visually display occurance as monthly, quarterly, etc.
I've been looking at either making them a material resource or a recurring
task. I can't figure out the best way to do it because I don't want to have
to assign hours or any calculation. I saw a feature where you could use an
icon, it has colored balls to choose from. And, I'd prefer the "parent" item
in the outline not to show those assignments in the calendar because then my
calendar gets messy looking.

Can you provide me any direction because I'm getting frustrated wasting

time since I'm completely in the dark.

 

[Holly OK]

That is what I've done so far. But, how do I customize a visual display of the recurring tasks? I'd like an icon or something to display in the calendar view (or other view) for each time that scorecard is due to be published. Right now the only visual display is the circular arrow in the left and I think it says "1hr" for each occurance can I make it say something else or show an icon instead? If so, do I do this with the resource customization or with a field customization?

And, do all the parents in the outline HAVE to have the 1hr displayed for all their child activities, can I make them only show on the parent of the recurring task and not the "initiative" and "objective" lines I have them linked to above that task.

Make sense?

Another silly question, how do I add a column on the far right? It always adds it to the left of the last column and I can't figure out how to get the far right column moved to where I want it to go.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Holly OK --

To the left of the recurring task name is a plus sign (+) indicator which
you must click to expand the recurring task and see each of the task
occurrences. In the Gantt Chart view, pull your vertical split bar to the
right so that you can see the Finish column. This will show you each of
your scorecard occurrences and when each scorecard is due.

I'm not sure I understand what you are asking in the second question.
However, I can tell you that the recurring task will show a blue Gantt bar
for every occurrence in the Gantt Chart and I know of no way to hide this.

To add a column on the far right side of any table, apply the table then
click View - Table - More Tables. Select the table you wish to change and
then click the Edit button. Add the column (field) at the bottom of the
list. Hope this helps.

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
Denver, Colorado
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"

That is what I've done so far. But, how do I customize a visual display of

the recurring tasks? I'd like an icon or something to display in the
calendar view (or other view) for each time that scorecard is due to be
published. Right now the only visual display is the circular arrow in the
left and I think it says "1hr" for each occurance can I make it say
something else or show an icon instead? If so, do I do this with the
resource customization or with a field customization?

And, do all the parents in the outline HAVE to have the 1hr displayed for

all their child activities, can I make them only show on the parent of the
recurring task and not the "initiative" and "objective" lines I have them
linked to above that task.

Make sense?

Another silly question, how do I add a column on the far right? It always

adds it to the left of the last column and I can't figure out how to get the
far right column moved to where I want it to go.

 

[JulieD]

Hi Holly

you can customise the appearance of the bars in the bar part of the gantt
chart ... either double click on the bar you want change & make your changes
or choose format / bar styles from the menu & make the changes to all
summary tasks or whatever - if i'm understanding you correctly, just
formatting some of the bars to none (no left, no middle, no right) will
"hide" them from view on the bar chart while leaving the text in on the
left hand side.

alternatively you can create a custom filter which you can apply to the
gantt chart to show only recurring tasks (however this will hide the text as
well as the bars) - to create a custom filter choose project / filtered for
/ more filters - new ... give the filter a name, choose the field
"recurring" , set the test to "equals" and the criteria to true, choose Ok &
Apply and you should only see the recurring tasks rather than everything ...
to get all back, click on the drop down arrow of the filter box (formatting
toolbar right hand side) and choose "all tasks" - let us know how you go

Cheers
JulieD

Dale,
I appreciate your patience. I think I'll re-ask my question with a

different idea in mind. How about if I only wanted to view recurring tasks
in either a calendar view or the gant chart view? That way I would not have
to look at any of the "parents" in the outline. Basically, I wish I didn't
have to assign start/finish dates to them, only the recurring tasks. My
outline looks like this:

Strategic Theme (don't want to assign dates)

"work effort". Probably monthly or quarterly and occassionally annually.)

So, in the case of the "tasks" that I don't want to show dates if I were

in a task usage view I'd rather not see all the "1h's". And, in the Gant
view I'd rather not see the black bars. Is there a filter you can apply?

Maybe I'm wasting my time and should just use Excel if I can't get the

look of a report that I want. But, I thought there would be benefits of
using Project. I thought in time I might get creative and find ways to use
some of its other capabilities since essentially a strategic plan is one big
company "project".

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Holly OK --

I think I can come close to meeting your requirements. To hide the black
Gantt bars for the summary tasks (Strategic Theme, Objective, and
Initiative), you might try the following:

1. Select each of the three summary tasks
2. Click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar
3. On the General page, select the "Hide task bar" option (make sure the
checkmark shows in the option box)
4. Click OK

If you wanted to hide the blue Gantt bars on the Scorecard summary task, but
still show the blue Gantt bar for each recurring task occurrence, then try
the following:

1. Expand the Scorecard summary task
2. Select each of the occurrences
3. Click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar
4. On the General page, deselect the "Roll up Gantt bar to summary" option
(make sure the checkmark is white and not gray)
5. Click OK

In the Task Usage view, you should not see 1h of Work for each recurring
task occurrence (the Scorecard tasks) since no Work and no resources have
been assigned to the tasks. If you assign resources to these tasks, then
you will see the 1h of Work for each task and each assigned resource.

Yes, I would agree that you have gone to an awful lot of work to make
Microsoft Project model your environment. And in the end, perhaps using
Excel might have been easier. However, I don't regret the time spent
helping you. Good luck!

Dale,
I appreciate your patience. I think I'll re-ask my question with a

different idea in mind. How about if I only wanted to view recurring tasks
in either a calendar view or the gant chart view? That way I would not have
to look at any of the "parents" in the outline. Basically, I wish I didn't
have to assign start/finish dates to them, only the recurring tasks. My
outline looks like this:

Strategic Theme (don't want to assign dates)

"work effort". Probably monthly or quarterly and occassionally annually.)

So, in the case of the "tasks" that I don't want to show dates if I were

in a task usage view I'd rather not see all the "1h's". And, in the Gant
view I'd rather not see the black bars. Is there a filter you can apply?

Maybe I'm wasting my time and should just use Excel if I can't get the

look of a report that I want. But, I thought there would be benefits of
using Project. I thought in time I might get creative and find ways to use
some of its other capabilities since essentially a strategic plan is one big
company "project".

 

[Steve House]

Designating your scorecards as a material resource won't cut it - materials
are things like bricks, fuel, etc that are used up and incorporated in the
project's deliverables. Another problem you'll face sooner or later if not
right now is that the tasks and summaries in Project are not the objectives
and initiatives you say you're trying to track. Instead, they're the work -
visible physical actions like digging holes or writing programs - that are
done by the people responsible. "Contract Signed" is an objective and
Project represents these as milestones, perhaps with a due day designated as
its deadline (Task information screen, Advanced tab, deadline entry) and
that's the best way to represent yours - look at the deliverables that are
created during the initiatives in order to meet the objectives established
as the purpose of the exercise. The tasks required to reach that objective
might include a 2 day negotiating session attended by Jim, Mary, and Bob, 4
hours typing the final draft by Fred the secretary, and a 15 minute signing
ceremony attended by the CEO's of both organizations.

Your initiatives might be separate projects or phases of a single large
project. Your objectives would be the milestones that mark the point at
which the deliverables and signifigant stages in the progression are
completed with deadlines assigned where needed. But in order to manage
those initiatives and objectives effectively, IMHO you simply must take it a
step further and delineate in meticulous detail the actual physical
activities that the people responsible for meeting those objectives will
have to do in order to accomplish them, along with the estimates of how long
it will take to do each task. Work is the only thing a manager can manage,
objectives are the outcome and in themselves not manageable - an objective
without the work to meet it being defined is just smoke and mirrors, an
intangible, with nothing to hold on to in order to make sure it happens as
you require.


--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

I'm trying to use MS Project to document our strategy with cascading

objectives, initiatives and resulting scorecards. I want the scorecards to
be an item that I can visually display occurance as monthly, quarterly, etc.
I've been looking at either making them a material resource or a recurring
task. I can't figure out the best way to do it because I don't want to have
to assign hours or any calculation. I saw a feature where you could use an
icon, it has colored balls to choose from. And, I'd prefer the "parent" item
in the outline not to show those assignments in the calendar because then my
calendar gets messy looking.

Can you provide me any direction because I'm getting frustrated wasting

time since I'm completely in the dark.

 

[Steve House]

An additional thought - it sounds like you are really needing the
calendaring and graphics tools of Project rather than its schedule creation
and work budgeting tools. You might want to investigate a more graphical
tool like Visio. I'm not saying you can't do what you want with Project,
perhaps you can, but everyone I know who's tried to fit it into a different
mold that what it's designed for - that being, project task scheduling and
management via critical path methodology - has had it turn around and bite
their behinds sooner or later.


--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Thanks everyone! I know my "project" is kind of unconventional. My

"project" in this case is just to manage the existence of "measurements" to
track how we are doing on each initiative and objective. I personally don't
have to manage all of the initiatives and objectives themselves. So, I
wanted to document all of the scorecards and illustrate their alignment with
the objectives. This will be a visual representation to show if we are
measuring everything. In a different exercise I'm tracking "what" is being
measured, and having meetings with all of the project managers to make sure
their scorecards are producing meaningful measurements. So, in the case of a
product rollout for example, the scorecard shows milestones and whether they
are on track. But my project file does not have to track everyone elses
stuff, just make sure the tracking is in place.

Anyway, these suggestions have helped! I've figured out how to get the

look I want! Excel may have been easier, but I exported to Excel and whew
what a mess it looked like. I think I'll just keep it where it is.

Holly

objectives, initiatives and resulting scorecards. I want the scorecards to
be an item that I can visually display occurance as monthly, quarterly, etc.
I've been looking at either making them a material resource or a recurring
task. I can't figure out the best way to do it because I don't want to have
to assign hours or any calculation. I saw a feature where you could use an
icon, it has colored balls to choose from. And, I'd prefer the "parent" item
in the outline not to show those assignments in the calendar because then my
calendar gets messy looking.

 

[John]

Holly,
You can always select the task(s) that have no visible bar and go to
Format/Bar. Then select the desired bar characteristics.

John