Cannot change start date for a task

[Babar]

Hi,
Every time I try to change the start date for a particular task, it
adds a constraint of Start No Earlier Than but doesn't change the start
date. Consider the following example

TASK 1
Start Date: 1/11/06
End Date: 1/11/06
Duration: 4hr
Predecessor: N/A

Now if I try to change the start date to 1/9/06, it doesn't change the
date but just adds the No Earlier Than constraint.

Any reasons why Project would do that?

Thanks.
Babar

 

[davegb]

Hi,
Every time I try to change the start date for a particular task, it
adds a constraint of Start No Earlier Than but doesn't change the start
date. Consider the following example

TASK 1
Start Date: 1/11/06
End Date: 1/11/06
Duration: 4hr
Predecessor: N/A

Now if I try to change the start date to 1/9/06, it doesn't change the
date but just adds the No Earlier Than constraint.

Any reasons why Project would do that?

Thanks.
Babar

Check the Actual Start field and see if it's set to 1/11.

 

[Babar]

Actual Start Date field shows NA for that task.

 

[John]

Hi,
Every time I try to change the start date for a particular task, it
adds a constraint of Start No Earlier Than but doesn't change the start
date. Consider the following example

TASK 1
Start Date: 1/11/06
End Date: 1/11/06
Duration: 4hr
Predecessor: N/A

Now if I try to change the start date to 1/9/06, it doesn't change the
date but just adds the No Earlier Than constraint.

Any reasons why Project would do that?

Thanks.
Babar

Babar,
Ok, the task doesn't have an Actual Start date. Does it have a resource
assigned? If so, is 1/9/06 a working day for that resource?

John
Project MVP

 

[Babar]

Yes there is a resource assigned to that task and 1/9/06 is a working
day for that resource.

I should point out that there are other tasks in the project for which
actual work has been entered.

Thanks
Babar

 

[davegb]

Actual Start Date field shows NA for that task.

Ok. Check the calenedar. Are 1/9 and 1/10 non-working days?

 

[Babar]

Both of them (1/9 & 1/10) are working days.

 

[davegb]

Yes there is a resource assigned to that task and 1/9/06 is a working
day for that resource.

I should point out that there are other tasks in the project for which
actual work has been entered.

Thanks
Babar

Another possiblity. Does the task have a predecessor? What is it's
finish date? Is there lag time between them?

 

[davegb]

Yes there is a resource assigned to that task and 1/9/06 is a working
day for that resource.

I should point out that there are other tasks in the project for which
actual work has been entered.

Thanks
Babar

Another possiblity. Does the task have a predecessor? What is it's
finish date? Is there lag time between them?

 

[davegb]

Yes there is a resource assigned to that task and 1/9/06 is a working
day for that resource.

I should point out that there are other tasks in the project for which
actual work has been entered.

Thanks
Babar

I'm stumped. Have you tried re-creating these tasks in another file to
see if it does the same thing?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Babar --

Try the following:

1. Double-click the name of the task
2. Select the Advanced tab
3. Set the Contraint Type as Must Start On
4. Set the Contraint Date to 1/9/06
5. Click OK

Does the task move to its new Start date? Let us know.

 

[Babar]

Thank you Dale and Dave for all your help. Since this was a subtask,
there was a predecessor associated with the parent task, which was
preventing me from changing the start date.

Babar

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Take a look at the schedule after applying that constraint though. If the
predecessor was forcing the task to later than you wanted when you put on
the "Start No Earlier Than" constraint, forcing it to the earlier date
through a "Must Start On" constraint creates a schedule that is impossible
to achieve in real life. The existance of the link from its prdecessor say
that it is impossible for it to start any earlier than the date the link
dictates yet the MSO constraint now says it *must* start earlier than that
date. You can't have it both ways - either the link shouldn't be there or
the constraint shouldn't be there. If you don't fix it, your schedule is
promising a lie, claiming that something will happen in a certain way when
it is absolutely impossible for it to be true. Project schedules should
model achievable physical reality and provide you with reliable feedback
about what is possible and what is not. It should not merely document
desires, objectives, and goals.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs