duration of tasks is not adding correctly

[Bonnie]

Using Project 2007. Project is taking the task, with the longest duration,
and summarizing it as the entire duration for that set of tasks. The total
days should add up to 4 days for the 'construction'. Example of problem
below:

Construction 2 days (this is the summary)
1. Install dura rock 1 day
2. Set tile 2 days
3. Grout tile 1 day

I've been using the MS Project Step by Step book and may have changed some
default for calculation that I was not aware of as well.

 

[John]

Using Project 2007. Project is taking the task, with the longest duration,
and summarizing it as the entire duration for that set of tasks. The total
days should add up to 4 days for the 'construction'. Example of problem
below:

Construction 2 days (this is the summary)
1. Install dura rock 1 day
2. Set tile 2 days
3. Grout tile 1 day

I've been using the MS Project Step by Step book and may have changed some
default for calculation that I was not aware of as well.

Bonnie,
Just for reference, duration is not an additive parameter. Duration by
definition is the working time between the start of a task and the
finish of a task. For a summary line, duration is the working time
between the start of the earliest subtask and the finish of the latest
subtask. Therefore in you example, if you have no links between subtasks
1, 2 and 3, the duration at the summary level should be 2 days because
the "set tile" task starts as early as the other two but finishes the
latest of all 3 tasks.

However as Trevor pointed out for your particular subtasks, subtasks 1,
2 and 3 should be linked finish-to-start since that is the way they must
be performed. And in that case, the duration at the summary level should
be 4 days.

John
Project MVP

 

[Bonnie]

Thank you! I had not linked the tasks which is what the problem was. It is
working just fine now

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Bonnie,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

You might like to have a look at my series on Microsoft Project in the
TechTrax ezine at this site: http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the articles 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