Creating an MS Project for tasks not related to each other

[jonopeek]

Hi there,

I am new to using MS Project and would like a bit of advise on how
people would approach the creation of a MS Project to deal with the
following scenario:

Where I work we have 6 programmers all working on different tasks,
these tasks are not really dependant on each other so as a result each
programmer works on whatever task they have whenever they have the
time.

They all have 2 and a half days a week put aside for support work to
help solve queries from other people around the business, in addition to
these 2 and a half days, half of every Thursday is dedicated to quick
win solutions for various tasks.

My query is how is the best way to set up Project and its calendars and
resources so that these 2.5 support days are automatically excluded from
the available days for the programmers to work on their tasks. Secondly,
how should the tasks be entered seeing as none of them are dependant on
any other tasks having first been completed. Each tasks has an estimated
length of say several days so I would gather this would mean they are
work driven.

When each programmer begins working on a task how is the best way to
enter the times they have worked on each task, considering they could
work for a couple of hours each day on several different tasks. This
means I do not have an estimated start date for any of them (just that
any of the tasks could start on or after a specific date) but still need
to know how long all the tasks together will take based on their
estimated time and be able to produce a timeline view so they are able
to get a visual representation of their work load.

I hope this is enough information for people to suggest their
approach.

Many thanks!

 

[Rod Gill]

Project isn't the tool for you! Project is used to schedule projects which
by definition have a specific start and end point. What you've described is
an ongoing series of unrelated jobs. These can probably be tracked thru a
standard support system.

Unless I have what you want wrong? If so, what problem are you trying to
solve? What defines success for you?

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[jonopeek]

Many thanks Rod,

I was kind of thinking that this would be the case, but thought there
might be a way to deal with unrelated tasks in Project.

Basically the goal is to be able to track the unrelated tasks as you
would in a larger project and get a visual representation of how well
each task is doing and how much more work is left to do on each one
based on the original estimate and the actual work done.

Do you know of any specific program which might assist in this sort of
tracking?

Thanks again!
Jono

 

[Rob Schneider]

You can get this visual representation by simply putting in all the
tasks with the expected duration all running in parellel? Doesn't this
work? Get what I mean?

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[jonopeek]

Yes, I think I understand. But running the tasks in parallel would no
give an accurate picture of when all of them would be expected to hav
been completed.

I'll give it a try by moving the start of one task to the end o
another (without linking them) which should work. It would be great t
be able to get it so that if a day is already taken up with somethin
else (say the 2 days support work) that the task is then automaticall
split to fit into the next available time slot. I guess using the bas
calendar and marking the days for the support work as non-working day
would achieve this.

Jon

 

[Rod Gill]

For what you want work with Excel. Project is overkill!

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Rob Schneider]

As Rod says ... use Excel (or a big poster on the wall).

--rms

www.rmschneider.com