Calling all MS Project Experts

Scott · Feb 26, 2004

We are currently implementing MS Project for a stage/gate process. The issue that we are running into is that we have tasks that span multiple stages and are gated later on in the project

For example, we have stage1 with 5 tasks. One of those tasks begins in stage1 but ends in stage2. It is not a requirement that the task be complete in stage1 to enter into stage2. How can this be modeled in MS Project? We do want to show that stage1 is complete therefore the summary needs to be correct for reporting

Any help would be appreciate

John Beamish · Feb 26, 2004

Although the task begins in Stage1, it is not, technically, a Stage1 task
since it does not have to be completed to gate through to Stage2.

Therefore, you could do the following:

1. Use a plan that has a summary task for each stage and, within that
summary task you will find only those sub-tasks where completion is a
requirement for that stage's gate plus two milestone tasks (more on that
in a moment).

2. Tasks like the one you describe may *begin* in stage1 but the related
"gate" is in stage2 so tasks like this are really sub-tasks within the
stage2 summary task.

3. The final subtask in stage1 is a milestone: "Gate exit approved".

4. The second (you'll see in a moment why it could be the third or
fourth) subtask in stage2 is a milestone. "Stage entry".

5. Link those two milestones.

6. The task you are having problems with is the first sub-task in
Stage2. It is guaranteed to start earlier than the "Stage Entry"
milestone so the Stage2 summary task will also begin earlier. Note that
you can have lots of these tasks ... just put them ahead of the "Stage
Entry" milestone (and, of course, establish proper linkages).

So ... what have we done?

1. When a Stage's summary task is complete ... the final milestone for
that stage has been completed ("Gate exit approved").

2. A subsequent stage's summary task may be partially completed even
before a preceeding summary task is complete because we are now accurately
showing task(s) that can be started early but which still must be
completed before the stage's exit gate can be reached.

3. We have linked the stages by "hanging" tasks within a stage from the
"Stage entry" milestone and we have linked that starting milestone to the
exiting milestone of the previous stage.

JLB, PMP

We are currently implementing MS Project for a stage/gate process. The
issue that we are running into is that we have tasks that span multiple
stages and are gated later on in the project.

For example, we have stage1 with 5 tasks. One of those tasks begins in
stage1 but ends in stage2. It is not a requirement that the task be
complete in stage1 to enter into stage2. How can this be modeled in MS
Project? We do want to show that stage1 is complete therefore the
summary needs to be correct for reporting.

Any help would be appreciated

--

Mark Durrenberger · Feb 26, 2004

Traditionally a stage-gate process describes the deliverables by phase not
the activities.
So work on a large deliverable due in phase 2 may actually start long before
phase 2.

Why is it important to show the tasks by phase and not just the
deliverables?

Mark

--
_________________________________________________________
Mark Durrenberger, PMP
Principal, Oak Associates, Inc, www.oakinc.com
"Advancing the Theory and Practice of Project Management"
________________________________________________________

The nicest thing about NOT planning is
that failure comes as a complete surprise and is not
preceded by a period of worry and depression.

- Sir John Harvey-Jones

Scott said:
We are currently implementing MS Project for a stage/gate process. The

issue that we are running into is that we have tasks that span multiple
stages and are gated later on in the project.

For example, we have stage1 with 5 tasks. One of those tasks begins in

stage1 but ends in stage2. It is not a requirement that the task be complete
in stage1 to enter into stage2. How can this be modeled in MS Project? We do
want to show that stage1 is complete therefore the summary needs to be
correct for reporting.

Scott · Feb 27, 2004

Excellent....I think this will work out

Thank yo

----- John Beamish wrote: ----

Although the task begins in Stage1, it is not, technically, a Stage1 task
since it does not have to be completed to gate through to Stage2

Therefore, you could do the following

1. Use a plan that has a summary task for each stage and, within that
summary task you will find only those sub-tasks where completion is a
requirement for that stage's gate plus two milestone tasks (more on that
in a moment)

2. Tasks like the one you describe may *begin* in stage1 but the related
"gate" is in stage2 so tasks like this are really sub-tasks within the
stage2 summary task

3. The final subtask in stage1 is a milestone: "Gate exit approved"

4. The second (you'll see in a moment why it could be the third or
fourth) subtask in stage2 is a milestone. "Stage entry"

5. Link those two milestones

6. The task you are having problems with is the first sub-task in
Stage2. It is guaranteed to start earlier than the "Stage Entry"
milestone so the Stage2 summary task will also begin earlier. Note that
you can have lots of these tasks ... just put them ahead of the "Stage
Entry" milestone (and, of course, establish proper linkages)

So ... what have we done

1. When a Stage's summary task is complete ... the final milestone for
that stage has been completed ("Gate exit approved")

2. A subsequent stage's summary task may be partially completed even
before a preceeding summary task is complete because we are now accurately
showing task(s) that can be started early but which still must be
completed before the stage's exit gate can be reached

3. We have linked the stages by "hanging" tasks within a stage from the
"Stage entry" milestone and we have linked that starting milestone to the
exiting milestone of the previous stage

JLB, PM

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 10:21:07 -0800, Scott

We are currently implementing MS Project for a stage/gate process. The
issue that we are running into is that we have tasks that span multiple
stages and are gated later on in the project
stage1 but ends in stage2. It is not a requirement that the task be
complete in stage1 to enter into stage2. How can this be modeled in MS
Project? We do want to show that stage1 is complete therefore the
summary needs to be correct for reporting

--