Can I disable work calculations in Microsoft Project?

[scabHead]

I am really struggling with the Fixed Unit vs Fixed Duration vs effort driven
type stuff. The projects I manage have several tasks. I want to be able to
assign and change resources without having any durations changed or any other
weird stuff happen. My work consists of mainly assigning inanimate resources
likes rooms, forklifts, tables, chairs, phones, etc. The task shouldn't get
shorter or longer if I add or remove a phone.

I have been assigning resources to a hammock task so that they span a whole
period of sub tasks. Everything seems to work fine. Then I look at task
usage view and some of the resources do not span the entire duration of the
hammock task. This doesn't make any sense to me. I think Project is trying
to do some math here but I don't want it to.

If anyone can tell me the simplest way to do what i am trying to do I would
really appreciate it.

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Hello,
The best way is to set the tasks as Fixed Duration, *Not* Effort driven.
Do that in the Task Information dialog (Advanced tab)
NB : you can set these settings as default in the Tools /Options / Schedule
dialog

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Jim Aksel]

In your case, I would use fixed duration. Two ways to get there:

1. This Works
a. Double click the task in question.
b. Pull the Advanced Tab
c. Change Task Type to "Fixed Duration"

2. Probably Better
a. On the main menu, click Window/Split. The task entry form shows on the
bottom pane
b. Change task type in the bottom pane to "Fixed Duration"

********
There is a relationship in Project between Fixed Work, Fixed Duration, and
Fixed Units. Project holds the value you select constant. The default is
usually "units"

Example: You select a task as Fixed Work. Enter a resource and assign 16
hours. With basic assumptions of 1 head, project sets you a duration of 2
days. If you change the duration to 1 day, Project will hold work constant
and increase units to 200% indicating 2 resourcing working at 100% will get
you the 16 hours of fixed work.

Example: Fixed Units. Enter a 2 day task with 1 persion assigned, 16 hours.
You change the task duration to 3 days. Project chagnes total work to 24
hours while keeping fixed units (100%) at one head.

It drives us all mad ...

 

[scabHead]

Thanks, I will give that a try. I must have avoided trying "Fixed Duration"
settings since I was assigning these to a hammock task that is of dynamic
length. I will run a few tests.

It is also good to know that other people are driven crazy by some of the
"help" that Project provides.

 

[scabHead]

Well the fixed duration deal wasn't the cure-all. It didn't fix anything
really. I can't believe that what I am trying to do is all that exotic. I
just want to reserve/schedule items so that my coworkers know that I have
them locked up.

For the life of me I can't figure out where Project is getting the data to
do those screwed up calculations.

For example, I can clear out the resource field altogether. Then I paste a
text string in there like the following:

B1555,O2 Meter,Cleanroom Chair[2],Cleanroom SS Tables-std[4],Polyester
Hood[100],Polyester Shoes[100],Polyester
Coverall[100],Legstat[10],Phone-Speaker

Then I go to task usage view and the dates used by the resources are all not
the same.

Is the problem that I am using hammock tasks? If so, how the heck can I get
around this problem. The hammock tasks itself was supposed to be a fix for
other problems. If you create a group task and assign resources to it, the
resource view charts don't work right because they don't want to show group
tasks. So I went the hammock task route to fix that problem even though that
paste special process is kind of a pain. All I am trying to do is have it
show for a task is that any resource assigned is assigned for the duration of
the task. You would think that would be like the STINKIN' DEFAULT approach
for crying out loud.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi scabHead ,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

I think you are using inanimate object as resources. The way you're
assigning them indicates that they are resources that do work, thus any
change to the allocation will affect the other resources or durations. Try
assigning them as materials, setting their max units to whatever you have.
Then assign the materials to the task at the level you need.

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials

Well the fixed duration deal wasn't the cure-all. It didn't fix
anything really. I can't believe that what I am trying to do is all
that exotic. I just want to reserve/schedule items so that my
coworkers know that I have them locked up.

For the life of me I can't figure out where Project is getting the
data to do those screwed up calculations.

For example, I can clear out the resource field altogether. Then I
paste a text string in there like the following:

B1555,O2 Meter,Cleanroom Chair[2],Cleanroom SS Tables-std[4],Polyester
Hood[100],Polyester Shoes[100],Polyester
Coverall[100],Legstat[10],Phone-Speaker

Then I go to task usage view and the dates used by the resources are
all not the same.

Is the problem that I am using hammock tasks? If so, how the heck
can I get around this problem. The hammock tasks itself was supposed
to be a fix for other problems. If you create a group task and
assign resources to it, the resource view charts don't work right
because they don't want to show group tasks. So I went the hammock
task route to fix that problem even though that paste special process
is kind of a pain. All I am trying to do is have it show for a task
is that any resource assigned is assigned for the duration of the
task. You would think that would be like the STINKIN' DEFAULT
approach for crying out loud.

Thanks, I will give that a try. I must have avoided trying "Fixed
Duration" settings since I was assigning these to a hammock task
that is of dynamic length. I will run a few tests.

It is also good to know that other people are driven crazy by some
of the "help" that Project provides.

 

[Steve House]

Effort driven versus non-effort driven settings apply when you ADD or REMOVE
resources but otherwise don't affect anything. If the task duration should
change when you add a telephone, then make it effort driven before adding
the resource. If it should not change when you add the phone, make it
non-effort driven before adding it. A given task's effort driven /
non-effort driven setting may change many times as you work with the
resources - it's not an inherent characteristic of the task so much as it is
a switch setting for you to use to insure Project handles resource additions
and subtractions properly each time you make a change. The correct setting
for a given edit is dependent on exactly what you're changing and why you're
doing it. For example, if the task is to make 100 cold sales calls, the
duration should not change when I add the phones to the resource list but it
should change if I add more telemarketers (and don't forget the budget for
ammo to shoot 'em once you get them in the room <grin>).

Project will always do the math - doing it is why it exists. It's up to you
to insure it does the correct math. If you can't get it to, you need to
carefully examine your idea of "correct" to make sure it's a valid model of
the real world because odds are Project is right.