Cumulative duration

[DavidC]

Hi,

Have been set the task of adding in for a tender schedule, the cumulative
duration for a project. My thoughts on this are that it will be reasonably
challenging to write something that looks at the start of a routine and then
follow it's successors and determine the overall duration by calculating from
the start of the first activity in the routine to the finsh date of each
successive activity.

Has anyone done this before or got any comments thoughts?

regards

DavidC

 

[Rod Gill]

Never come across cumulative duration before. If all you want is the total
overall duration then click Tools, Options and under the View tab check Show
project summary task.

If you want the total effort for the project either insert the Work column
or display the Work Table and the Project Summary Task will again show you
the result.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

DavidC --

In addition to Rod's excellent response, wouldn't the cumulative Duration
for the project be the Actual Duration value for the Project Summary Task
(Row 0)? The Actual Duration represents the cumulation Duration from the
start of the first completed task to the end of the completed progress in
the project. Hope this helps.

 

[DavidC]

Hi Rod,

Understand the options you suggest, but this is more complicated.

What I have been asked to provide is a schedule based on a specific contract
from issuing the tender documents through evaluation, site establishment and
specific material supply milestones. The schedule I have as part of a larger
project using master/submaster files, just to complicate matters more. The
cumulative duration is eg:
Description Start date Duration cumulative duration
Issue Tender 1/10/06 0 days 0 days
Tender period 1/10/06 21 days 21 days
Evaluation 22/10/06 15 days 36 days
Award tender 16/11/06 0 days 36 days
Site establishment 4/12/06 0 days 64 days
Supply pipe 23/02/07 65 days 134 days
Commissioning 1/06/07 45 days 136 days
Handover 2/08/07 0 days 181 days

The activites are selected ones from the full schedule and so are not
physically grouped together in a manner that lends itself to summary tasks.
In fact some activites are in different files making the task that much more
difficult.

I have been pondering the option of VBA looking at the first task start
date, then finding it's successor's finish date, doing the subtraction and
putting the result into a custom field. I have the activites I need in a new
view using filters and a specific table so being able to move from one task
to the next task in that view should I suspect be theoretically possible in
which case returning the relevant dates and doing the calculation should not
be too difficult.

Hope this all makes sense.

regards

DavidC

 

[DavidC]

Hi,
Oh that it were that simple. Unfortunately it is the cumulative duration for
a sequence of activites forming only a part of the project. Too make it
worse they are not activites forming the first part or last part but
activites involved in the middle of the project and interspersed with other
activites unassociated with directly with them but definately associated with
the project as a whole. It relates to the sequence of activites for a couple
of tender and contracting processes in a construction project where these are
but three contracts working in parallel to the main contract and liniing in
to the main contract towards then end. As a project it is simple and basic.

Regards

DavidC

 

[Rod Gill]

Okay. I think you are effectively adding up effort for some key tasks, but
if Duration is what you've been asked for, you can:

Insert the Flag1 field.
Set the field to Yes for every Task you want to include in your total.
Insert the Duration1 field
Create a formula in the Duration1 field, something like:
IIf([Flag1]=Yes,[Duration],0)

Set the summary task to rollup and sum subtasks in the formula dialog.

This will give you what you want I think. For sub projects you will need to
add the formula etc to the master schedule or a project with the other
sub-projects inserted, no link (which copies all tasks).

 

[DavidC]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the thought. Unfortunately not all tasks are sequential some
have lead time and some lag time hence the overall duration is not the sum of
the individual activites but rather the time between the start of the
sequence and the finish date for that activity. What I feel I am being asked
to provide is something similar to the timescale setting of week1 etc, but
showing as an activity duration being as though it started from the start of
the sequence. Before you ask the question I do not understand why knowing an
activity has this cumulative duration other than it would show the end of the
activity being x days since the start. It is certainly one of left field and
has no scheduling function. It is merely to show soemthing to the tenderers.

regards

DavidC

Okay. I think you are effectively adding up effort for some key tasks, but
if Duration is what you've been asked for, you can:

Insert the Flag1 field.
Set the field to Yes for every Task you want to include in your total.
Insert the Duration1 field
Create a formula in the Duration1 field, something like:
IIf([Flag1]=Yes,[Duration],0)

Set the summary task to rollup and sum subtasks in the formula dialog.

This will give you what you want I think. For sub projects you will need to
add the formula etc to the master schedule or a project with the other
sub-projects inserted, no link (which copies all tasks).

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

Hi Rod,

Understand the options you suggest, but this is more complicated.

What I have been asked to provide is a schedule based on a specific
contract
from issuing the tender documents through evaluation, site establishment
and
specific material supply milestones. The schedule I have as part of a
larger
project using master/submaster files, just to complicate matters more.
The
cumulative duration is eg:
Description Start date Duration cumulative duration
Issue Tender 1/10/06 0 days 0 days
Tender period 1/10/06 21 days 21 days
Evaluation 22/10/06 15 days 36 days
Award tender 16/11/06 0 days 36 days
Site establishment 4/12/06 0 days 64 days
Supply pipe 23/02/07 65 days 134 days
Commissioning 1/06/07 45 days 136 days
Handover 2/08/07 0 days 181 days

The activites are selected ones from the full schedule and so are not
physically grouped together in a manner that lends itself to summary
tasks.
In fact some activites are in different files making the task that much
more
difficult.

I have been pondering the option of VBA looking at the first task start
date, then finding it's successor's finish date, doing the subtraction and
putting the result into a custom field. I have the activites I need in a
new
view using filters and a specific table so being able to move from one
task
to the next task in that view should I suspect be theoretically possible
in
which case returning the relevant dates and doing the calculation should
not
be too difficult.

Hope this all makes sense.

regards

DavidC

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

Then you need to add a summary task that is above all relevant tasks and its
duration will provide the answer. If this isn't easy, then I suspect you
will need to flag all relevant tasks, then have VBA code copy flagged tasks
into a new schedule form all sub projects and create a master summary task
above them to calculate the answer.

It sounds like you are being asked for an elapsed time for the tender
process? There are formulae in Project that can calculate this, but not
using the start of one task to the Finish of another task.

Could you create two milestones at the bottom of your schedule. The first
linked to the start of the first task and the second linked to the finish
date of the last task you want. Create a summary task over the two
milestones and use its calculated duration?

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the thought. Unfortunately not all tasks are sequential some
have lead time and some lag time hence the overall duration is not the sum
of
the individual activites but rather the time between the start of the
sequence and the finish date for that activity. What I feel I am being
asked
to provide is something similar to the timescale setting of week1 etc, but
showing as an activity duration being as though it started from the start
of
the sequence. Before you ask the question I do not understand why knowing
an
activity has this cumulative duration other than it would show the end of
the
activity being x days since the start. It is certainly one of left field
and
has no scheduling function. It is merely to show soemthing to the
tenderers.

regards

DavidC

Okay. I think you are effectively adding up effort for some key tasks,
but
if Duration is what you've been asked for, you can:

Insert the Flag1 field.
Set the field to Yes for every Task you want to include in your total.
Insert the Duration1 field
Create a formula in the Duration1 field, something like:
IIf([Flag1]=Yes,[Duration],0)

Set the summary task to rollup and sum subtasks in the formula dialog.

This will give you what you want I think. For sub projects you will need
to
add the formula etc to the master schedule or a project with the other
sub-projects inserted, no link (which copies all tasks).

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

Hi Rod,

Understand the options you suggest, but this is more complicated.

What I have been asked to provide is a schedule based on a specific
contract
from issuing the tender documents through evaluation, site
establishment
and
specific material supply milestones. The schedule I have as part of a
larger
project using master/submaster files, just to complicate matters more.
The
cumulative duration is eg:
Description Start date Duration cumulative duration
Issue Tender 1/10/06 0 days 0 days
Tender period 1/10/06 21 days 21 days
Evaluation 22/10/06 15 days 36 days
Award tender 16/11/06 0 days 36 days
Site establishment 4/12/06 0 days 64 days
Supply pipe 23/02/07 65 days 134 days
Commissioning 1/06/07 45 days 136 days
Handover 2/08/07 0 days 181 days

The activites are selected ones from the full schedule and so are not
physically grouped together in a manner that lends itself to summary
tasks.
In fact some activites are in different files making the task that much
more
difficult.

I have been pondering the option of VBA looking at the first task start
date, then finding it's successor's finish date, doing the subtraction
and
putting the result into a custom field. I have the activites I need in
a
new
view using filters and a specific table so being able to move from one
task
to the next task in that view should I suspect be theoretically
possible
in
which case returning the relevant dates and doing the calculation
should
not
be too difficult.

Hope this all makes sense.

regards

DavidC

:

Never come across cumulative duration before. If all you want is the
total
overall duration then click Tools, Options and under the View tab
check
Show
project summary task.

If you want the total effort for the project either insert the Work
column
or display the Work Table and the Project Summary Task will again show
you
the result.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more


Hi,

Have been set the task of adding in for a tender schedule, the
cumulative
duration for a project. My thoughts on this are that it will be
reasonably
challenging to write something that looks at the start of a routine
and
then
follow it's successors and determine the overall duration by
calculating
from
the start of the first activity in the routine to the finsh date of
each
successive activity.

Has anyone done this before or got any comments thoughts?

regards

DavidC

 

[DavidC]

Thanks for your help Rod, some ideas to think about especially the use of
milestones.

Thanks again

DavidC

Hi,

Then you need to add a summary task that is above all relevant tasks and its
duration will provide the answer. If this isn't easy, then I suspect you
will need to flag all relevant tasks, then have VBA code copy flagged tasks
into a new schedule form all sub projects and create a master summary task
above them to calculate the answer.

It sounds like you are being asked for an elapsed time for the tender
process? There are formulae in Project that can calculate this, but not
using the start of one task to the Finish of another task.

Could you create two milestones at the bottom of your schedule. The first
linked to the start of the first task and the second linked to the finish
date of the last task you want. Create a summary task over the two
milestones and use its calculated duration?

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the thought. Unfortunately not all tasks are sequential some
have lead time and some lag time hence the overall duration is not the sum
of
the individual activites but rather the time between the start of the
sequence and the finish date for that activity. What I feel I am being
asked
to provide is something similar to the timescale setting of week1 etc, but
showing as an activity duration being as though it started from the start
of
the sequence. Before you ask the question I do not understand why knowing
an
activity has this cumulative duration other than it would show the end of
the
activity being x days since the start. It is certainly one of left field
and
has no scheduling function. It is merely to show soemthing to the
tenderers.

regards

DavidC

Okay. I think you are effectively adding up effort for some key tasks,
but
if Duration is what you've been asked for, you can:

Insert the Flag1 field.
Set the field to Yes for every Task you want to include in your total.
Insert the Duration1 field
Create a formula in the Duration1 field, something like:
IIf([Flag1]=Yes,[Duration],0)

Set the summary task to rollup and sum subtasks in the formula dialog.

This will give you what you want I think. For sub projects you will need
to
add the formula etc to the master schedule or a project with the other
sub-projects inserted, no link (which copies all tasks).

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more


Hi Rod,

Understand the options you suggest, but this is more complicated.

What I have been asked to provide is a schedule based on a specific
contract
from issuing the tender documents through evaluation, site
establishment
and
specific material supply milestones. The schedule I have as part of a
larger
project using master/submaster files, just to complicate matters more.
The
cumulative duration is eg:
Description Start date Duration cumulative duration
Issue Tender 1/10/06 0 days 0 days
Tender period 1/10/06 21 days 21 days
Evaluation 22/10/06 15 days 36 days
Award tender 16/11/06 0 days 36 days
Site establishment 4/12/06 0 days 64 days
Supply pipe 23/02/07 65 days 134 days
Commissioning 1/06/07 45 days 136 days
Handover 2/08/07 0 days 181 days

The activites are selected ones from the full schedule and so are not
physically grouped together in a manner that lends itself to summary
tasks.
In fact some activites are in different files making the task that much
more
difficult.

I have been pondering the option of VBA looking at the first task start
date, then finding it's successor's finish date, doing the subtraction
and
putting the result into a custom field. I have the activites I need in
a
new
view using filters and a specific table so being able to move from one
task
to the next task in that view should I suspect be theoretically
possible
in
which case returning the relevant dates and doing the calculation
should
not
be too difficult.

Hope this all makes sense.

regards

DavidC

:

Never come across cumulative duration before. If all you want is the
total
overall duration then click Tools, Options and under the View tab
check
Show
project summary task.

If you want the total effort for the project either insert the Work
column
or display the Work Table and the Project Summary Task will again show
you
the result.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more


Hi,

Have been set the task of adding in for a tender schedule, the
cumulative
duration for a project. My thoughts on this are that it will be
reasonably
challenging to write something that looks at the start of a routine
and
then
follow it's successors and determine the overall duration by
calculating
from
the start of the first activity in the routine to the finsh date of
each
successive activity.

Has anyone done this before or got any comments thoughts?

regards

DavidC

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Yikes....looks like a tough problem. Maybe you can just export selected
tasks to Excel and manipulate the data there?

This doesn't sound like something Project would be suitable for.

-A

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the thought. Unfortunately not all tasks are sequential
some have lead time and some lag time hence the overall duration is
not the sum of the individual activites but rather the time between
the start of the sequence and the finish date for that activity. What
I feel I am being asked to provide is something similar to the
timescale setting of week1 etc, but showing as an activity duration
being as though it started from the start of the sequence. Before you
ask the question I do not understand why knowing an activity has this
cumulative duration other than it would show the end of the activity
being x days since the start. It is certainly one of left field and
has no scheduling function. It is merely to show soemthing to the
tenderers.

regards

DavidC

Okay. I think you are effectively adding up effort for some key
tasks, but if Duration is what you've been asked for, you can:

Insert the Flag1 field.
Set the field to Yes for every Task you want to include in your
total.
Insert the Duration1 field
Create a formula in the Duration1 field, something like:
IIf([Flag1]=Yes,[Duration],0)
Set the summary task to rollup and sum subtasks in the formula
dialog.

This will give you what you want I think. For sub projects you will
need to add the formula etc to the master schedule or a project with
the other sub-projects inserted, no link (which copies all tasks).

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

Hi Rod,

Understand the options you suggest, but this is more complicated.

What I have been asked to provide is a schedule based on a specific
contract
from issuing the tender documents through evaluation, site
establishment
and
specific material supply milestones. The schedule I have as part of
a
larger
project using master/submaster files, just to complicate matters
more.
The
cumulative duration is eg:
Description Start date Duration cumulative duration
Issue Tender 1/10/06 0 days 0 days
Tender period 1/10/06 21 days 21 days
Evaluation 22/10/06 15 days 36 days
Award tender 16/11/06 0 days 36 days
Site establishment 4/12/06 0 days 64 days
Supply pipe 23/02/07 65 days 134 days
Commissioning 1/06/07 45 days 136 days
Handover 2/08/07 0 days 181 days
The activites are selected ones from the full schedule and so are
not
physically grouped together in a manner that lends itself to summary
tasks.
In fact some activites are in different files making the task that
much
more
difficult.
I have been pondering the option of VBA looking at the first task
start
date, then finding it's successor's finish date, doing the
subtraction and
putting the result into a custom field. I have the activites I need
in a
new
view using filters and a specific table so being able to move from
one
task
to the next task in that view should I suspect be theoretically
possible
in
which case returning the relevant dates and doing the calculation
should
not
be too difficult.
Hope this all makes sense.

regards

DavidC

:

Never come across cumulative duration before. If all you want is
the
total
overall duration then click Tools, Options and under the View tab
check
Show
project summary task.
If you want the total effort for the project either insert the Work
column
or display the Work Table and the Project Summary Task will again
show
you
the result.
--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and
more

Hi,

Have been set the task of adding in for a tender schedule, the
cumulative
duration for a project. My thoughts on this are that it will be
reasonably
challenging to write something that looks at the start of a
routine and
then
follow it's successors and determine the overall duration by
calculating
from
the start of the first activity in the routine to the finsh date
of
each
successive activity.
Has anyone done this before or got any comments thoughts?

regards

DavidC

 

[Frank Cox, PMP]

Hats off to Rod Gill for another useful tip, even if DavidC needs additional
assistance to find an ultimate solution. By the way, the cumulative duration
formula can easily be modified to meet other purposes. I tweaked it for use
in the cost1 rather than duration1 field to generate cumulative cost and
cumulative actual cost for flagged tasks. There are other applications for
the formula as well, such as for getting cumulative cost or other vital data
for projects or elements of projects rolled into a portfolio schedule to show
the level and proportion of sunk cost among flagged projects, phases, summary
or detail tasks that are and are not aligned to strategy; or, that are or are
not expected to proivde an expected return; or, that are or are not pegged to
some other management concern.