Customize Time duration and concurrent tasks

[wjaramillo]

I have an existing task with sub tasks. How can I have the main task not
register in the duration? For example, the main tasks has 10 subtasks with a
duration totaling 49 days. The main tasks may start concurrently with another
task. However, the default needs to be that none of the subtasks should start
until the criteria is met. The parent task is showing 99 days and part of
that are the 49 days. I need to keep the 49 days subtasks visible. And they
can not count towards my 99 days. Therefore my parent should show 50 days
instead of 99 days. Then if the critieria is met I can enable the 49 days to
be added and total up to 99 days.

 

[John]

I have an existing task with sub tasks. How can I have the main task not
register in the duration? For example, the main tasks has 10 subtasks with a
duration totaling 49 days. The main tasks may start concurrently with another
task. However, the default needs to be that none of the subtasks should start
until the criteria is met. The parent task is showing 99 days and part of
that are the 49 days. I need to keep the 49 days subtasks visible. And they
can not count towards my 99 days. Therefore my parent should show 50 days
instead of 99 days. Then if the critieria is met I can enable the 49 days to
be added and total up to 99 days.

wjaramillo,
Say what?

OK, let's clarify a few things. First of all a summary line is not a
task at all, it is simply a summary of various pieces of data for the
subtasks under it. If the "main task" is the summary line then by
definition the Start date will be the same as the first subtask under it.

The Duration field is not additive. Duration of a summary line is the
working time between the start of the first subtask to the finish of the
last subtask. The user can't pick and choose which subtasks are involved.

What exactly is this "criteria" that must be met? In Project a
predecessor is one or more tasks that must be completed before the
successor task can start (e.g. you gotta prime the walls before you can
paint them). I guess that would be the "criteria".

It is still not clear what you want, but it might be possible to create
a formula in a custom field to show some type of custom duration.
However without a better understanding, I wouldn't know where to begin.

John
Project MVP

 

[wjaramillo]

Sorry for my incorrect terminology. Yes, I did refer to the summary task.
However, I did figure out a solution to my problem. I included a lead time
with all the tasks under the summary tasks.

Thanks

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Sorry, but that won't cut it. A schedule is supposed to model physical
reality and a summary task simply cannot begin earlier than the start of its
earliest subtask and is done when its latest subtask finishes. Tasks are
always observable activities. If I look at your summary task, what will I
see happening? Nothing - the only thing I'll ever be able to see with my
eyes is the resources working on the subtasks and so until the first one
physically starts, the summary task literally cannot exist.

Summary tasks really don't exist - they are constructs of convenience put in
for reporting purposes. If you could remove all the summary task lines in
your project plan while leaving all their subtasks in place, ALL the work of
the project would still get done.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

 

[John]

Sorry, but that won't cut it. A schedule is supposed to model physical
reality and a summary task simply cannot begin earlier than the start of its
earliest subtask and is done when its latest subtask finishes. Tasks are
always observable activities. If I look at your summary task, what will I
see happening? Nothing - the only thing I'll ever be able to see with my
eyes is the resources working on the subtasks and so until the first one
physically starts, the summary task literally cannot exist.

Summary tasks really don't exist - they are constructs of convenience put in
for reporting purposes. If you could remove all the summary task lines in
your project plan while leaving all their subtasks in place, ALL the work of
the project would still get done.

Steve,
Well said and I agree with you 100%. But since the poster still refers
to the summary line as a task, I don't think we're getting though. Oh
well, we try.

John