Duration problem

[estysalinas]

I have the following situation.

Resources work hours allow for:
R1- 45 hour/week
R2- 45 hour/week
R3- 40 hour/week
*45 is the base cal, 40 is a work week override.

Task 1 is assigned to R1 for 90 hours, Task 2 is assigned to R2 for 90
hours, Task 3 is assigned to R3 for 90 hours.

All the tasks show a duration of 10 days. The start and end dates show 10
days for Task 1 and 2, however for task 3, it shows an end date of +1 day of
the other tasks resources. This makes sense because he is on a 40 hour
workweek.

Why does project keep the duration of Taks 3 @ 10 days when the work time is
really 11 days, and start and finish days show 11 days. The task is actually
taking 11 days to complete and not 10 days. Am i missing something? Thanks!

 

[estysalinas]

Sorry for the duplicate..please disregard.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Durations are always recorded and tracked in minutes to the nearest 10th.
When you enter a task with a duration of "X Days," Project converts that
into minutes for storage in the database. When a duration is displayed, it
is converted back from the stored number of minutes into your desired
display units. The Tools Options Calendar page has settings for Hours per
Day and Hours per Week that sets global values for the conversion factors.
The working time calendar shows what minutes out of each 24 hour calendar
day actually count for duration. If your system settings say that a "day"
is 9 hours, that conversion applies globally regardless of the working time
calendar governing the instant task, no matter how many sunrises and sunsets
transpire between the task start and task finish. If your entry for "Hours
per Day" says your standard workday is 9 hours, when you enter a task with a
1 Day duration Project converts that into 540 minutes and does all of its
calculations using that value. If you then assign that task to a resource
whose resource calendar says he works 1 hour per day, 5 days a week, the
start and finish dates will be how ever far apart it takes for 540 working
time minutes to pass by. In this case, that would be 9 working days after
it starts because the calendar says each working day for the resource
consumes 60 minutes of duration. If the task began 02 March, our 1 hour per
day resource would finish his "1 day" task on 12 March.

 

[estysalinas]

Thanks for the reply. I apolgize for being a little thick but I don't see how
that answers my issue. If a resource works 1 hour per day on a 5 day task,
then I would expect the duration to be 5 days.

What I am seeing is that I have a resource who is on an adjusted schedule,
this task the resource is assigned to has the correct begin and end dates,
but the duration does not reflect that begin and end date, it is in fact one
day short.

I want to know if I am doing something wrong or if i need to make
modifications to my resources or task in order to have them reflect the
correct duration.

Durations are always recorded and tracked in minutes to the nearest 10th.
When you enter a task with a duration of "X Days," Project converts that
into minutes for storage in the database. When a duration is displayed, it
is converted back from the stored number of minutes into your desired
display units. The Tools Options Calendar page has settings for Hours per
Day and Hours per Week that sets global values for the conversion factors.
The working time calendar shows what minutes out of each 24 hour calendar
day actually count for duration. If your system settings say that a "day"
is 9 hours, that conversion applies globally regardless of the working time
calendar governing the instant task, no matter how many sunrises and sunsets
transpire between the task start and task finish. If your entry for "Hours
per Day" says your standard workday is 9 hours, when you enter a task with a
1 Day duration Project converts that into 540 minutes and does all of its
calculations using that value. If you then assign that task to a resource
whose resource calendar says he works 1 hour per day, 5 days a week, the
start and finish dates will be how ever far apart it takes for 540 working
time minutes to pass by. In this case, that would be 9 working days after
it starts because the calendar says each working day for the resource
consumes 60 minutes of duration. If the task began 02 March, our 1 hour per
day resource would finish his "1 day" task on 12 March.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

I have the following situation.

Resources work hours allow for:
R1- 45 hour/week
R2- 45 hour/week
R3- 40 hour/week
*45 is the base cal, 40 is a work week override.

Task 1 is assigned to R1 for 90 hours, Task 2 is assigned to R2 for 90
hours, Task 3 is assigned to R3 for 90 hours.

All the tasks show a duration of 10 days. The start and end dates show 10
days for Task 1 and 2, however for task 3, it shows an end date of +1 day
of
the other tasks resources. This makes sense because he is on a 40 hour
workweek.

Why does project keep the duration of Taks 3 @ 10 days when the work time
is
really 11 days, and start and finish days show 11 days. The task is
actually
taking 11 days to complete and not 10 days. Am i missing something?
Thanks!

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

estysalinas --

Allow me to throw my "two cents' worth" into the thread. Here is the
knowledge you lack:

Duration = Work/(Units x Hours Per Day)

You set the Hours Per Day value for the entire project by clicking Tools -
Options - Calendar. In your case, it sounds as if you have done the
following:

1. Set up a Base Calendar that shows a 9-hour work day, 5 days per week.
2. You clicked Tools - Options - Calendar and set the Hours Per Day value
to 9 hours.
3. You applied the 45-hour/week as the Base Calendar for each resource.
4. You assigned each resource to a task at 100% Units and 90 hours of Work.
5. You applied a Task Calendar on the task to which you assigned Resource
#3. That Task Calendar shows an 8-hour per day work schedule, 5 days per
week.

Assuming all of the above are true, then the Duration calculation for every
task is correct. Microsoft Project calculates the Duration for every task
in a project, even the task on which you applied the Task Calendar, using
the Duration Equation above. So, in this case, the Duration is calculated
for each task as:

Duration = Work/(Units x Hours Per Day)
Duration = 90/(100% x 9)
Duration = 90/9
Duration = 10 days

Your confusion lies in the fact that you see an inconsistency between the
Duration of Task #3 (10 days) with the schedule of Task #3 (it actually
spans 11 working days). This is one of the little inconsistencies that you
have to live with. Do know this, however: the schedule is always accurate,
even if the Duration does not look correct. Hope this helps.

 

[estysalinas]

Thanks Dale. I got it that time .

estysalinas --

Allow me to throw my "two cents' worth" into the thread. Here is the
knowledge you lack:

Duration = Work/(Units x Hours Per Day)

You set the Hours Per Day value for the entire project by clicking Tools -
Options - Calendar. In your case, it sounds as if you have done the
following:

1. Set up a Base Calendar that shows a 9-hour work day, 5 days per week.
2. You clicked Tools - Options - Calendar and set the Hours Per Day value
to 9 hours.
3. You applied the 45-hour/week as the Base Calendar for each resource.
4. You assigned each resource to a task at 100% Units and 90 hours of Work.
5. You applied a Task Calendar on the task to which you assigned Resource
#3. That Task Calendar shows an 8-hour per day work schedule, 5 days per
week.

Assuming all of the above are true, then the Duration calculation for every
task is correct. Microsoft Project calculates the Duration for every task
in a project, even the task on which you applied the Task Calendar, using
the Duration Equation above. So, in this case, the Duration is calculated
for each task as:

Duration = Work/(Units x Hours Per Day)
Duration = 90/(100% x 9)
Duration = 90/9
Duration = 10 days

Your confusion lies in the fact that you see an inconsistency between the
Duration of Task #3 (10 days) with the schedule of Task #3 (it actually
spans 11 working days). This is one of the little inconsistencies that you
have to live with. Do know this, however: the schedule is always accurate,
even if the Duration does not look correct. Hope this helps.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

I'm sorry, but your expectation that it is 5 days is simply not the way
project scheduling works. The only hours that are included in the duration
numbers are the hours that are defined by the calendar as working time
hours, the hours during which work might be scheduled. Non-working hours
don't count. As I just mentioned in another reply on a similar topic, if
your calendar is the default 8 working hour per day, a task that begins on
Monday at 8am and finishes Friday at 5pm has a duration of 40 hours, not the
105 hours a stopwatch running continuously during the task would read. For
that matter, a 1 day task starting at 8 and ending at 5 with an hour for
lunch has a duration of 8 hours, not the 9 hours of elapsed time that goes
by on the clock on the wall. A task that starts Wednesday at 8am and
finishes the following Tuesday at 5pm has a duration of 5 days, not 7,
because the non-working days Saturday and Sunday are not counted in the
duration number.

You need to look at the number of minutes defined as working time in the
calendar that controls the task (normally the resource's calendar) between
the date & time when the task starts and the date & time when it ends.
That's the task's actual duration. Divide that by 60 to arrive at duration
expressed in hours. Then if your preferred duration display unit is days,
divide duration hours by the Hours Per Day setting on the Tools Options
Calendar page to finally arrive at the number of days that will be displayed
in the duration column.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Thanks for the reply. I apolgize for being a little thick but I don't see
how
that answers my issue. If a resource works 1 hour per day on a 5 day
task,
then I would expect the duration to be 5 days.

What I am seeing is that I have a resource who is on an adjusted schedule,
this task the resource is assigned to has the correct begin and end dates,
but the duration does not reflect that begin and end date, it is in fact
one
day short.

I want to know if I am doing something wrong or if i need to make
modifications to my resources or task in order to have them reflect the
correct duration.

Durations are always recorded and tracked in minutes to the nearest 10th.
When you enter a task with a duration of "X Days," Project converts that
into minutes for storage in the database. When a duration is displayed,
it
is converted back from the stored number of minutes into your desired
display units. The Tools Options Calendar page has settings for Hours
per
Day and Hours per Week that sets global values for the conversion
factors.
The working time calendar shows what minutes out of each 24 hour calendar
day actually count for duration. If your system settings say that a
"day"
is 9 hours, that conversion applies globally regardless of the working
time
calendar governing the instant task, no matter how many sunrises and
sunsets
transpire between the task start and task finish. If your entry for
"Hours
per Day" says your standard workday is 9 hours, when you enter a task
with a
1 Day duration Project converts that into 540 minutes and does all of its
calculations using that value. If you then assign that task to a
resource
whose resource calendar says he works 1 hour per day, 5 days a week, the
start and finish dates will be how ever far apart it takes for 540
working
time minutes to pass by. In this case, that would be 9 working days
after
it starts because the calendar says each working day for the resource
consumes 60 minutes of duration. If the task began 02 March, our 1 hour
per
day resource would finish his "1 day" task on 12 March.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

I have the following situation.

Resources work hours allow for:
R1- 45 hour/week
R2- 45 hour/week
R3- 40 hour/week
*45 is the base cal, 40 is a work week override.

Task 1 is assigned to R1 for 90 hours, Task 2 is assigned to R2 for 90
hours, Task 3 is assigned to R3 for 90 hours.

All the tasks show a duration of 10 days. The start and end dates show
10
days for Task 1 and 2, however for task 3, it shows an end date of +1
day
of
the other tasks resources. This makes sense because he is on a 40 hour
workweek.

Why does project keep the duration of Taks 3 @ 10 days when the work
time
is
really 11 days, and start and finish days show 11 days. The task is
actually
taking 11 days to complete and not 10 days. Am i missing something?
Thanks!

 

[nathan b]

hey guys, very glad i came accross this thread. Hopefully this isnt too feble minded and makes some sense, however the problem i am getting with duration is as follows

this is how my project is laid out:

Main heading = Demolition

indented is: 1.1 internal

indented from that is 9 subtasks, 8 of which are 2 days duration, one is 3 days duration.

I have set up my base calander according to the working day which is 7-12, 12:30-3:30, for a total of 8 hour working days. When this calander is seleced and applied to the tasks it changes the 2 day duration to 1.88 and the 3 day to 2.88.

the problem is that duration shows 20.88 (duration shown next to the 1.1internal heading) however when working this out (1.88x8) + (2.88x1) = 17.92

any help would be much appreciated

I have the following situation.

Resources work hours allow for:
R1- 45 hour/week
R2- 45 hour/week
R3- 40 hour/week
*45 is the base cal, 40 is a work week override.

Task 1 is assigned to R1 for 90 hours, Task 2 is assigned to R2 for 90
hours, Task 3 is assigned to R3 for 90 hours.

All the tasks show a duration of 10 days. The start and end dates show 10
days for Task 1 and 2, however for task 3, it shows an end date of +1 day of
the other tasks resources. This makes sense because he is on a 40 hour
workweek.

Why does project keep the duration of Taks 3 @ 10 days when the work time is
really 11 days, and start and finish days show 11 days. The task is actually
taking 11 days to complete and not 10 days. Am i missing something? Thanks!

On Sunday, February 08, 2009 3:11 PM estysalina wrote:
Sorry for the duplicate..please disregard.

"estysalinas" wrote:

On Sunday, February 08, 2009 3:50 PM Steve House [MVP] wrote:
Durations are always recorded and tracked in minutes to the nearest 10th.
When you enter a task with a duration of "X Days," Project converts that
into minutes for storage in the database. When a duration is displayed, it
is converted back from the stored number of minutes into your desired
display units. The Tools Options Calendar page has settings for Hours per
Day and Hours per Week that sets global values for the conversion factors.
The working time calendar shows what minutes out of each 24 hour calendar
day actually count for duration. If your system settings say that a "day"
is 9 hours, that conversion applies globally regardless of the working time
calendar governing the instant task, no matter how many sunrises and sunsets
transpire between the task start and task finish. If your entry for "Hours
per Day" says your standard workday is 9 hours, when you enter a task with a
1 Day duration Project converts that into 540 minutes and does all of its
calculations using that value. If you then assign that task to a resource
whose resource calendar says he works 1 hour per day, 5 days a week, the
start and finish dates will be how ever far apart it takes for 540 working
time minutes to pass by. In this case, that would be 9 working days after
it starts because the calendar says each working day for the resource
consumes 60 minutes of duration. If the task began 02 March, our 1 hour per
day resource would finish his "1 day" task on 12 March.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs


news:[email protected]...

On Monday, February 09, 2009 6:53 AM Steve House [MVP] wrote:
I'm sorry, but your expectation that it is 5 days is simply not the way
project scheduling works. The only hours that are included in the duration
numbers are the hours that are defined by the calendar as working time
hours, the hours during which work might be scheduled. Non-working hours
don't count. As I just mentioned in another reply on a similar topic, if
your calendar is the default 8 working hour per day, a task that begins on
Monday at 8am and finishes Friday at 5pm has a duration of 40 hours, not the
105 hours a stopwatch running continuously during the task would read. For
that matter, a 1 day task starting at 8 and ending at 5 with an hour for
lunch has a duration of 8 hours, not the 9 hours of elapsed time that goes
by on the clock on the wall. A task that starts Wednesday at 8am and
finishes the following Tuesday at 5pm has a duration of 5 days, not 7,
because the non-working days Saturday and Sunday are not counted in the
duration number.

You need to look at the number of minutes defined as working time in the
calendar that controls the task (normally the resource's calendar) between
the date & time when the task starts and the date & time when it ends.
That's the task's actual duration. Divide that by 60 to arrive at duration
expressed in hours. Then if your preferred duration display unit is days,
divide duration hours by the Hours Per Day setting on the Tools Options
Calendar page to finally arrive at the number of days that will be displayed
in the duration column.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs



news:[email protected]...