Don't "Work" Through Non-Working Time

[David M C]

How can I ensure that any given task does not go through non-working time?
For instance, a 4-day task should only start on Monday or Tuesday such that
it is not WIP during the weekend?

Thanks

Dave

 

[Akram Hussein]

Hi,
time can be defined by going to Tools / Change Working time then you select
the days that you need to be marked as non-working. Furthermore you must
ensure that all resources are using the same calendar and their non working
time is same as of the project.

If you are using MS Project Server then you will be probably need to do this
in the enterprise global template and it will reflect in all projects.

 

[David M C]

I had already done that, and it doesn't achieve what I want it to achieve. We
are doing the external decorations of 1500 properties. During the winter
months (Dec, Jan, Feb), we do not do any external decorations. I have set
these as non-working time (logically, it would just be for the tasks, but
I've also tried changing the resource calenders too).

The external decs take 3 days. Currently, some of the properties are set to
start a day or two before the 3 month layoff (I used levelling to schedule
the properties into sequence). This means that it appears to take 3 months to
complete 1 property. Obviously, we would be quite happy for those properties
to be completed in the first couple of days of the layoff, and we know that
is what would happen. However, our client, on seeing the project, would
recognise this as a flaw in our plan.

I need a way to ensure all work is completed in one continuous block, with
no non-working time in between. If a task will not be finished before the
start of non-working time, it should not be started at all (imaging Mrs Jones
having a half painted house for 3 months).

Ideas?

Thanks

Dave

Hi,
time can be defined by going to Tools / Change Working time then you select
the days that you need to be marked as non-working. Furthermore you must
ensure that all resources are using the same calendar and their non working
time is same as of the project.

If you are using MS Project Server then you will be probably need to do this
in the enterprise global template and it will reflect in all projects.
--
Akram Hussein [Microsoft Office Project MVP]

How can I ensure that any given task does not go through non-working time?
For instance, a 4-day task should only start on Monday or Tuesday such that
it is not WIP during the weekend?

Thanks

Dave

 

[John]

I had already done that, and it doesn't achieve what I want it to achieve. We
are doing the external decorations of 1500 properties. During the winter
months (Dec, Jan, Feb), we do not do any external decorations. I have set
these as non-working time (logically, it would just be for the tasks, but
I've also tried changing the resource calenders too).

The external decs take 3 days. Currently, some of the properties are set to
start a day or two before the 3 month layoff (I used levelling to schedule
the properties into sequence). This means that it appears to take 3 months to
complete 1 property. Obviously, we would be quite happy for those properties
to be completed in the first couple of days of the layoff, and we know that
is what would happen. However, our client, on seeing the project, would
recognise this as a flaw in our plan.

I need a way to ensure all work is completed in one continuous block, with
no non-working time in between. If a task will not be finished before the
start of non-working time, it should not be started at all (imaging Mrs Jones
having a half painted house for 3 months).

Ideas?

Thanks

Dave

Dave,
This type of question has been asked before in this newsgroup but
usually it is for a process that cannot be interrupted once it is
started (e.g. pouring a concrete slab).

The issue could be resolved with a fairly simple VBA macro but here's
another, less advanced suggestion. Since you know it takes 3 days to set
up the decorations and the off-time is well defined, why not manually
tweak the schedule to take care of those instances where the conflict
would occur?

John
Project MVP

Hi,
time can be defined by going to Tools / Change Working time then you
select
the days that you need to be marked as non-working. Furthermore you must
ensure that all resources are using the same calendar and their non working
time is same as of the project.

If you are using MS Project Server then you will be probably need to do
this
in the enterprise global template and it will reflect in all projects.
--
Akram Hussein [Microsoft Office Project MVP]

How can I ensure that any given task does not go through non-working
time?
For instance, a 4-day task should only start on Monday or Tuesday such
that
it is not WIP during the weekend?

Thanks

Dave

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi David,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

There's no general way to do this that I know of. However, try creating a
new calendar where there is only Monday as a working day. Now create a task
Duration 1 minute and assign that calendar. Now link this between the two
tasks and the new task will be scheduled on the next available Monday. If
you want to be precise, you can reduce the Duration of the sucessor task by
one minute.

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

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

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials

I had already done that, and it doesn't achieve what I want it to
achieve. We are doing the external decorations of 1500 properties.
During the winter months (Dec, Jan, Feb), we do not do any external
decorations. I have set these as non-working time (logically, it
would just be for the tasks, but I've also tried changing the
resource calenders too).

The external decs take 3 days. Currently, some of the properties are
set to start a day or two before the 3 month layoff (I used levelling
to schedule the properties into sequence). This means that it appears
to take 3 months to complete 1 property. Obviously, we would be quite
happy for those properties to be completed in the first couple of
days of the layoff, and we know that is what would happen. However,
our client, on seeing the project, would recognise this as a flaw in
our plan.

I need a way to ensure all work is completed in one continuous block,
with no non-working time in between. If a task will not be finished
before the start of non-working time, it should not be started at all
(imaging Mrs Jones having a half painted house for 3 months).

Ideas?

Thanks

Dave

Hi,
time can be defined by going to Tools / Change Working time then
you select the days that you need to be marked as non-working.
Furthermore you must ensure that all resources are using the same
calendar and their non working time is same as of the project.

If you are using MS Project Server then you will be probably need to
do this in the enterprise global template and it will reflect in all
projects. --
Akram Hussein [Microsoft Office Project MVP]

How can I ensure that any given task does not go through
non-working time? For instance, a 4-day task should only start on
Monday or Tuesday such that it is not WIP during the weekend?

Thanks

Dave

 

[David M C]

I ended up tweaking the project manually as John suggested. My only
reservation with doing it this way, is that if I level the project again,
other properties may well end up being spread across the non-working time.

What I have done is not the ideal solution, but it "looks" right, and that
is good enough for now.

Thanks

Dave

I had already done that, and it doesn't achieve what I want it to achieve. We
are doing the external decorations of 1500 properties. During the winter
months (Dec, Jan, Feb), we do not do any external decorations. I have set
these as non-working time (logically, it would just be for the tasks, but
I've also tried changing the resource calenders too).

The external decs take 3 days. Currently, some of the properties are set to
start a day or two before the 3 month layoff (I used levelling to schedule
the properties into sequence). This means that it appears to take 3 months to
complete 1 property. Obviously, we would be quite happy for those properties
to be completed in the first couple of days of the layoff, and we know that
is what would happen. However, our client, on seeing the project, would
recognise this as a flaw in our plan.

I need a way to ensure all work is completed in one continuous block, with
no non-working time in between. If a task will not be finished before the
start of non-working time, it should not be started at all (imaging Mrs Jones
having a half painted house for 3 months).

Ideas?

Thanks

Dave

Dave,
This type of question has been asked before in this newsgroup but
usually it is for a process that cannot be interrupted once it is
started (e.g. pouring a concrete slab).

The issue could be resolved with a fairly simple VBA macro but here's
another, less advanced suggestion. Since you know it takes 3 days to set
up the decorations and the off-time is well defined, why not manually
tweak the schedule to take care of those instances where the conflict
would occur?

John
Project MVP

Hi,
time can be defined by going to Tools / Change Working time then you
select
the days that you need to be marked as non-working. Furthermore you must
ensure that all resources are using the same calendar and their non working
time is same as of the project.

If you are using MS Project Server then you will be probably need to do
this
in the enterprise global template and it will reflect in all projects.
--
Akram Hussein [Microsoft Office Project MVP]


:

How can I ensure that any given task does not go through non-working
time?
For instance, a 4-day task should only start on Monday or Tuesday such
that
it is not WIP during the weekend?

Thanks

Dave

 

[John]

I ended up tweaking the project manually as John suggested. My only
reservation with doing it this way, is that if I level the project again,
other properties may well end up being spread across the non-working time.

What I have done is not the ideal solution, but it "looks" right, and that
is good enough for now.

Thanks

Dave

Dave,
You're welcome and yes, applying leveling after tweaking will require
further manual "intervention" but that's the price for using leveling in
this instance.

John

I had already done that, and it doesn't achieve what I want it to
achieve. We
are doing the external decorations of 1500 properties. During the winter
months (Dec, Jan, Feb), we do not do any external decorations. I have set
these as non-working time (logically, it would just be for the tasks, but
I've also tried changing the resource calenders too).

The external decs take 3 days. Currently, some of the properties are set
to
start a day or two before the 3 month layoff (I used levelling to
schedule
the properties into sequence). This means that it appears to take 3
months to
complete 1 property. Obviously, we would be quite happy for those
properties
to be completed in the first couple of days of the layoff, and we know
that
is what would happen. However, our client, on seeing the project, would
recognise this as a flaw in our plan.

I need a way to ensure all work is completed in one continuous block,
with
no non-working time in between. If a task will not be finished before the
start of non-working time, it should not be started at all (imaging Mrs
Jones
having a half painted house for 3 months).

Ideas?

Thanks

Dave

Dave,
This type of question has been asked before in this newsgroup but
usually it is for a process that cannot be interrupted once it is
started (e.g. pouring a concrete slab).

The issue could be resolved with a fairly simple VBA macro but here's
another, less advanced suggestion. Since you know it takes 3 days to set
up the decorations and the off-time is well defined, why not manually
tweak the schedule to take care of those instances where the conflict
would occur?

John
Project MVP

:

Hi,
time can be defined by going to Tools / Change Working time then you
select
the days that you need to be marked as non-working. Furthermore you
must
ensure that all resources are using the same calendar and their non
working
time is same as of the project.

If you are using MS Project Server then you will be probably need to do
this
in the enterprise global template and it will reflect in all projects.
--
Akram Hussein [Microsoft Office Project MVP]


:

How can I ensure that any given task does not go through non-working
time?
For instance, a 4-day task should only start on Monday or Tuesday
such
that
it is not WIP during the weekend?

Thanks

Dave