Broken Link

[Arjun M]

Friends,
My main tasks and the subtasks have lost links.I am working on a fixed
time line.So rather than the project scheduling i have added the end
date and start dates into my subtasks.But my main taks are not changing
accordingly.As a result my main tasks have different end date and start
date than its sub tasks.I tried to link the taks.But still its not
working.
Please send me suggestions to fix this issue.

Thanks
Arjun M

 

[John]

Friends,
My main tasks and the subtasks have lost links.I am working on a fixed
time line.So rather than the project scheduling i have added the end
date and start dates into my subtasks.But my main taks are not changing
accordingly.As a result my main tasks have different end date and start
date than its sub tasks.I tried to link the taks.But still its not
working.
Please send me suggestions to fix this issue.

Thanks
Arjun M

Arjun,
What exactly do you mean by "main task" and subtasks? I might assume
that you are referring to a summary line and its subtasks, however a
summary line is not a task at all, it is simply a summary of various
data fields for the subtasks. Also there is no "link" from subtasks to a
summary line so there is no link to be broken.

If I read between the lines, it sounds like Tools/Options/Calculation
tab is set for manual such that changes to performance tasks (i.e.
subtasks) are not being reflected at the summary line level. Either set
calculation to automatic or hit F9.

Finally, if you are working a "fixed timeline" as you say, why bother
with Project? Excel will be a lot easier.

John
Project MVP

 

[Arjun M]

John,
Thanks a lot for your help.
I agree Excel would be lot easier.But the client is asking for a MS
project plan.
Even though its not a good approach i have to go that route.

Thanks
Arjun M

 

[Arjun M]

John,
Thanks a lot for your help.
I agree Excel would be lot easier.But the client is asking for a MS
project plan.
Even though its not a good approach i have to go that route.

Thanks
Arjun M

 

[John]

John,
Thanks a lot for your help.
I agree Excel would be lot easier.But the client is asking for a MS
project plan.
Even though its not a good approach i have to go that route.

Thanks
Arjun M

Arjun,
You're welcome. If your client is asking for a Project plan then why not
develop one. Along the way you can explain that fixed dates for tasks do
NOT constitute a schedule, it is simply a list of tasks. Maybe if they
understood what a real dynamic plan is, you would both be better off.

John

 

[Arjun M]

John,
Once again thanks a lot for the reply.I have already delivered a
project plan.But unfortunately the client is not understanding what a
dynamic plan is and what the fixed tasks are.So i am stuck figuring out
what's the best thing to be done to delilver a project plan which
matches the fixed dates.In doing so i have overallocated my resources
and there are lot of constraint dates.

So please advice
Arjun M

 

[John]

John,
Once again thanks a lot for the reply.I have already delivered a
project plan.But unfortunately the client is not understanding what a
dynamic plan is and what the fixed tasks are.So i am stuck figuring out
what's the best thing to be done to delilver a project plan which
matches the fixed dates.In doing so i have overallocated my resources
and there are lot of constraint dates.

So please advice
Arjun M

Arjun,
My advice. Either explain the principles of project management,
including dynamic scheduling to your client or suggest that he/she take
a course on scheduling. Unfortunately there are still a lot of people
out there who think they can hard code the dates and have a schedule.
Hopefully your client simply doesn't understand that Project is a
dynamic scheduling application. You give the application some basic data
(e.g. task names, estimated duration, links, estimated work and
resources) and IT calculates the schedule.

Something else you can do is to set up a realistic plan (without
constraints) and match it as best you can to your client's preconceived
idea. The client may find out that given the schedule parameters, (data
mentioned above), his/her hard code dates aren't valid. It is a whole
lot better to find that out at the onset rather than later when it may
be difficult or next to impossible to recover.

Finally, if your client doesn't believe you or is adamant about his/her
dates, invite him/her to post a message to this newsgroup. We will be
happy to help him/her understand.

John
Project MVP

 

[Arjun M]

John,

Thanks a lot.
Guess i have to do that.But i was hesitating to offend the client PM by
saying you need to understand better.


Arjun M

 

[John]

John,

Thanks a lot.
Guess i have to do that.But i was hesitating to offend the client PM by
saying you need to understand better.

Arjun,
Would you rather nod in agreement with a plan that you know is doomed to
failure just to make the client happy in the beginning? Don't you think
the client might be more offended when he finds out you knew from the
beginning that his fixed date plan was bogus but didn't tell him?

If the client is worth having as a client, he/she will appreciate it
when you disagree with him/her if it is for good reason. If not, then
you do NOT want that client. They will be a thorn in your side.

John
Project MVP

 

[Arjun M]

John ,
Thanks a lot for your opinion.I agree with you.Its better to make the
client unhappy rather be a total failure.

Good luck and we will talk soon.

Thanks
Arjun M

 

[John]

John ,
Thanks a lot for your opinion.I agree with you.Its better to make the
client unhappy rather be a total failure.

Good luck and we will talk soon.

Thanks
Arjun M

Arjun,
You're welcome.

John

 

[Steve House]

If he's your client, he hired you presumably because you know more about
scheduling than he does. If he knew how to do it properly, he wouldn't have
hired you in the first place. So how can you offend him by giving him what
he is paying for and explaining the correct way to plan the project?

FYI, it's quire difficult to set a start date for tasks. Entering a date
into the Start field does not set the start date - that's always a
calculated, read-only, field. Entering a date into the Start field actually
sets a Start No Earlier Than constraint. You have an early limit but
Project can always move it later.