Constraining Specific Tasks Exclusive of Other Work

[Allencar]

Hello All,

I am new to MS Project trying to schedule a shutdown. Three tasks (each a
different duration) require all other work to stop while they are being
performed due to safety concerns. These three tasks are the primary reason
for the shutdown. Two of the tasks are on the critical path. They also
occur in the middle of the overall project. Only two of the tasks can be
performed at the same time. Other tasks would stop when these three tasks
start and would resume after all three are completed.

Currently this is a simple MS Project project without resource allocation.

Can this type of schedule be done in MS Project?

 

[John]

Hello All,

I am new to MS Project trying to schedule a shutdown. Three tasks (each a
different duration) require all other work to stop while they are being
performed due to safety concerns. These three tasks are the primary reason
for the shutdown. Two of the tasks are on the critical path. They also
occur in the middle of the overall project. Only two of the tasks can be
performed at the same time. Other tasks would stop when these three tasks
start and would resume after all three are completed.

Currently this is a simple MS Project project without resource allocation.

Can this type of schedule be done in MS Project?

Allencar,
There may be various ways to structure the plan and I'll offer my
suggestion but one thing is for sure, a Project plan will NOT halt
tasks, that is the responsibility of the humans executing the plan.

That said, here is my suggestion. Identify the task(s) that initiate the
safety related operations and make those tasks a predecessor to
whichever two safety tasks can be performed concurrently. Also tie the
initiating tasks to an alert milestone. Now here is the critical manual
part - when the alert milestone is reached, manually stop all tasks in
the plan. This can be done either by splitting on-going tasks or because
of safety concerns, it might be better to end all on-going tasks (call
the completed part, "part A") and then create a new task ("part B") to
describe the uncompleted part. Make the third safety task a successor to
the other two and make all "part B" tasks successors to the third safety
task.

Sound complicated, well maybe, but there is just no way to link tasks
midway through another task. A fixed (or even a percentage) delay can be
applied to the start of a task but in your situation that would be a
poor way to handle a safety critical plan.

As I said, maybe someone else has another idea, but at least this is a
start.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

 

[Haris Rashid]

hi,
It will be useful to break these tasks into multiple tasks and make other
tasks dependent on it. This will help shedule tasks with dependencies so that
the tasks that require others to stop have such dependencies and do not
execute in parallel.

You can also use the STOP and RESUME columns and define when the tasks stop
and resume. This will introduce splits in your tasks and you can have them
created so that the tasks that have to shut down others occur only during the
split period.

Another option is to create tasks shedule. You can create a custom schedule
and associate it with your tasks.

By default, tasks are scheduled based on the project calendar. To define
unique or specific exceptions, such as machinery that runs during nonworking
time, you can create a task calendar for individual tasks.


On the Tools menu, click Change Working Time.
Click New.
In the Name box, type a name for your new calendar.
To begin with a default calendar, click Create new base calendar.
Click OK.
Under Set selected date(s) to, click Use default, Nonworking time, or
Nondefault working time.
To change Nondefault working time, type the times you want work to start in
the From boxes and the times you want work to end in the To boxes.
Note After you create a base calendar, you need to assign that calendar to
a task.

Kind regards,

 

[Allencar]

Hello John & Harris,

Thanks to both of you for two very thoughtful suggestions. I found both
methods to make sense with my limited knowledge and will probably try both of
them out to determine which works best for my specific situation.

Thanks,
Allen

 

[Mike]

I have a similar question to Allencar's original and, since 2 years (and 1 MS
Project release) have passed since the original discussion, I wonder if there
is a different/better answer? Is there a way to tag or flag a task in Project
2007 that will prevent any other, or specific other tasks from being
performed in parallel. This situation might occur - and actually does quite
often, in a facility that has several unrelated (but still within the same
project) operations occuring simultaneously and due to the hazardous nature
of one task, constrains any other work in that facility at the same time.
Similarly, a hazardous op might just require a clear on a specific floor of a
facility and thus only contrain other tasks from occuring in the same area
(vs. all tasks in the same facility). Using a successor/predecessor-type
relationship won't work because these tasks are not related secuencially in
the process flow. Any new suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Dave]

I have a similar question to Allencar's original and, since 2 years (and 1 MS
Project release) have passed since the original discussion, I wonder if there
is a different/better answer? Is there a way to tag or flag a task in Project
2007 that will prevent any other, or specific other tasks from being
performed in parallel. This situation might occur - and actually does quite
often, in a facility that has several unrelated (but still within the same
project) operations occuring simultaneously and due to the hazardous nature
of one task, constrains any other work in that facility at the same time.
Similarly, a hazardous op might just require a clear on a specific floor of a
facility and thus only contrain other tasks from occuring in the same area
(vs. all tasks in the same facility). Using a successor/predecessor-type
relationship won't work because these tasks are not related secuencially in
the process flow. Any new suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

I think you'd have to use VBA.