Date problem...

[Nicole]

I find it funny that when I put dates in my gantt chart
some arbitrarily change (when I dont' ask them to). What
am I doing wrong. Seems I'll be scrolling down and have to
end up changing dates back. It's driving me nuts!!! Help!

 

[JackD]

Nicole,

First of all, you shouldn't be putting dates in the gantt chart. Just
because you can doesn't mean you should.

The reason is that project is meant to calculate the dates given a set of
tasks, durations for those tasks, and the relationships between those tasks.
Basically it does sophisticated date math.

If you put in dates they will interfere with this math, and the calculated
dates will frequently override the dates that you have entered.

It sounds like you are fairly new to Project so I suggest you try working
through the tutorial (you can find it in the help menu) or look at Mike
Glen's series of online articles (scroll down the page until you hit the
Microsoft Project section.
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=InfoDetail&ID=4

They will help you make better sense of what is going on.

-Jack

 

[Nicole]

Thanks for your help. You are right - I am very new to
Project. I'm going to go take Project 1 and Project 2 next
month.
I just don't understand if it is a project that I am
setting completion dates for - why wouldn't I be able to
set that date? Why would I need "sophisticated date math"
to do it for me? It doesn't know when I want that
particular part of the project complete.
Sorry if it seems like I'm ranting but I have orders on
how to do it and well you know....
Anyway, thanks again for your help..

 

[Francisco Alcala]

Hi Nicole.

You should consider that Project is also a planning tool. As such, it helps you to make the most efficient schedule (well, sort of) for a project. Remember that every project goes with variation to the original plan. You can create a schedule that states a certain task to finish on Friday but the task could really finish on Thursday or next Monday. Variation is not bad, but not controlling it is.

Start and Finish dates are calculated by Project, considering the factors Jack mentioned. In fact, if you change start or finish dates, Project creates a Constraint and, as a result, the start and finish dates change. However, the constraint you just defined could create a schedule conflict with other constraints, making impossible to reach all of them; that's why Project changes the date you entered.

If you really need to start or finish a task on a certain date, then better define a deadline for the task, or, create a constraint that is adequate. You can establish "Must start on" or "Finish no later than" constraints. For avoiding schedule conflicts and future problems, define tasks relations (ej. Finish to start) only if the relation really exists and must be covered.

Greetings.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Nicole,

Project is designed to show you what is possible to achieve by calculating
the critical path from the Durations and Precedence logic links and resource
assignments you have entered. If you enter dates or any other constraints,
then you are reducing the flexibility of Project to tell you what is
possible. Use Deadline dates to indicate when you want tasks to finish as
they take no part in any calculations. If the dates that Project calculates
as the possible dates do not meet the deadlines, you will get an indicator
to say so. It is then up to you to adjust your plan accordingly. Let
Project work out what is possible and then adjust your plan to meet your
deadlines.

You might like to have a look at my series of Microsoft Project lessons in
the TechTrax ezine, at this site: http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc (Perhaps you'd
care to rate it before leaving the site, Thanks.)

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on )

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[Steve House]

Adding to the other comments - certainly you have target completion dates,
all projects do. But the fundmental reason for using a tool like MS Project
is to figure out just what it is you have to *do* proactively in order to
meet those target dates. You can't just pluck dates out of thin air and
expect that will be the schedule - if one of the tasks you need to do is
paint some widgets and you want that done by 15 Aug, you have to actually do
things - order the paint on time, get the widgets shaped and sanded, etc -
ahead of time to drive the painting task to be able to finish by that date.
That's why Project is changing the dates you're inputting. It takes
information about the number of specific tasks that must be done and their
nature, the length of time you expect each one to take, the sequence that
the process itself dictates that the tasks must take place in, the
availability of the resources required to do the tasks, and from all that
calculates the dates where it is possible to schedule the tasks. I might
want - need - those widgets painted by the 15th of August but if the paint
doesn't arrive until the 20th I can't have it the way I want it and setting
the 15th as the date the plan says it will be done would just be deluding
myself that everything is ok. So if Project is calculating a date that is
not what you wanted to input, that is telling you that it is impossible for
you to meet those target dates with the work structured the way you
presently have it. You then adjust something you really do have control
over - to get the widgets painted on time, for example, you're going to have
to order the paint a week earlier than you originally thought you would so
it gets here in time to get the painting done by the 15th.

The dates that work gets done in your project are not the inputs into the
schedule. They are the *consequence* of arranging the things you actually
have control over - when do you order the paint, how many workers do you put
on the task, do we include this feature in the first release or wait for the
next one, etc - as you design the project.

 

[Nicole]

Thanks Steve. I think I understand now. Is it possible to
have this so that none of the tasks are linked therefore
being able to set whatever dates I want?
Surely I am using the wrong software for what I want to do
but I want to try and make it work.
Every year we have a business plan for the year. Each
department has a goal. Under the goal are tasks that they
have to complete to achieve the goal. There is a start
date and a completion date. Sometimes the completion date
cannot be met so they ask me to change the date. Sometimes
the action is completed but it's something that should be
ongoing.
I'm not putting in work hours, or dollars spent or any
type of budget. Just a plan of action to achieve goals.
Thanks!

 

[Steve House]

You said it yourself - you're putting in a plan of action to achieve certain
goals. But the reason for using software like MSP is to figure out what
plan will work to meet those goals and what plan won't. If Project
calculates some dates that don't meet the goals, then trying to do the work
in the manner you've input to Project won't meet them either. Do you really
want to force Project to display planned dates that *won't* work - pretty
pictures that have no relation to reality - or do you want to use it to help
figure out a plan of action that *will* work? You know what tasks need to
be done. You have an idea how long each one will take and the sequence that
the process demands. You know the resource assets you have to accomplish
them with - and those you have certain control over, you can direct someone
how many hours a day they need to work on something, for example, or can
recommend we hire some temps for the month of August. You know the start
date - that you also might control. Given those inputs, Project figures out
for you when it *will* end. You don't tell it the end date - it tells you
what end date you're going to get if you do the work in the manner you've
envisioned. It's a reality check to see if the end date they're claiming is
actually do-able. If it isn't, do you want to just display wishful thinking
and have to explain later why it didn't work out as planned or do you want
it to help you figure out what you need to do, i.e. what to change among the
things you do control, to actually meet the objectives? MS Project is
designed as a modeling tool to help you do just that - perform all the
calculations so you can experiment and figure out what is going to actually
work for you.

It sounds like you're passively recording what people are telling you is
happening or will happen. Reverse the flow of information. *You* tell
*them* what they need to do to make it all happen as it's supposed to. MSP
is project management software and the PM is the driving force, the leader,
the organizer, that sets the direction everyone else in the project is
supposed to follow. MSP is your adjutant in that process, your calculator
that helps you figure out what marching orders to issue the troops so you
achieve the objective <grin>.

--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs