Can't set a 16 hour task to 1 day (24 hour calendar)!

[Paulo de Arruda Borelli]

I'm trying to have Project Standard 2002 assign the same Start and End Dates
to a 16-hour task. But Project keeps calculating the End Date as one day
after the Initial Date. For example: if the Initial Day is Aug-13th and the
task duration is 16 hours, Project calculates the End Day as Aug-14th.

This is NOT the expected date since my calendar is a 24-hour one.

To reproduce this problem:
1) Create a new project
2) Assign the 24-hour calendar to the project (Project Menu/Project Info,
Calendar = 24-hour Calendar)
3) Create a task
4) Set the task duration to 16h (16 hours)
5) Project will set the End Date as one day after the Start Date.

What's wrong here?

Thank you in advance
Paulo Borelli.

 

[Paulo de Arruda Borelli]

Hi, Jan,

The default start time is already 0:00. The default end time is set to 23:59
(I've also tried setting it to 0:00).

Also, the following defaults have been set:
Hours per day: 24
Hours per week: 168
Days per month: 30

Would you have any other suggestion?

Thank you
Paulo.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Paulo,

In Tools, Options, Virew, set date format to show time of day.
At what time does your task start?

Greetings,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620

 

[Paulo de Arruda Borelli]

Great! now it's clear. the tasks were starting at 8:00 am. But now another
doubt comes: the Project Info window is set to Start Date = Aug, 14th,
00:00. All the other parameters are still as described in the first message.

My new doubt may seem not important at all, but I'm trying to schedule a
1-day duration task. If I simply enter "1d" on the task duration field, the
schedule Start Date will be Aug, 14th, 00:00 and the End Date Aug, 15th,
00:00. What could be done? How can I enter "1 day" and have Project schedule
the task for Aug, 14th only?

If I'm being stupid, please, just tell it to me!

Thank you
Paulo Borelli.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Paulo,

I must admit I never wondered. 00:00 the next day is good enough for me.
Sorry.
--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620

 

[Steve House]

Your example IS one day. You have one day = 24 hours, well and good.
August 14th begins at 00:00 and 23:59 is the beginning of the last minute of
August 14th. 00:00 - > 23:59 is an elapsed time of 23 hours 59 minutes, not
24, and 24 hours is finished when that last minute finishes at 24:00
(00:00). 00:00 begins the first minute of August 15th. So 24 hours runs
FROM 00:00 14AUG TO (but not including) 00:00 15AUG. The finish field shows
the first instant AFTER the task is finished, not the last instant that work
is still happening. Think of it as being "finished by."

Now the question comes to my mind, why are you doing this? The calendar
indicates the hours during the day during which work will take place. Tasks
are generally broken down to the level of 1 task = 1 resource or resource
team working together. The 24 hour calendar implies that once a task begins
it will proceed without interuption until done. BUT since one resource is
doing that task, it also implies that once a task begins, your resources
will work on it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without breaks, meals, naps,
days off or any other interuption until it's done. Machines may work that
way but people don't - a group might by having shifts that overlap but most
tasks will be done by one guy working an 8 hour shift (or whatever your
company's standard workday is). He's going to start when he comes in to
work, knock off at the end of the day, go home, come back and resume the
next day, etc. No work will happen when he's not there. If it's going to
take 24 hours to do a task, it's going to take the guy working on it 3 of
his 8 hour shifts or 3 workdays, not 1. Now there ARE situations where the
24 hour calendar is going to be appropriate but IMHO they are few and far
between and it's very rare indeed that is should be used as the project
calendar. You might want to evaluate carefully what your really doing here.