duration times?

[Alex]

Hello,

Im just beginning to use MSP and so far...ive entered in 2 headings and each
have a number of tasks. The first heading has worked well and has a total
duration of 5 hours.

The second heading has 2 tasks. The first has a duration of 2 hours and the
second has a duration of 30 mins, totalling 2.5 hours. The total duration
says it takes 18 hours to complete because it moves the second over to the
next working day. These tasks can both be completed in 1 working day, with 30
mins to spare. Ive tried to change the start and finsih dates manually, but
nothing happens.

Can you help me?

Regards,
Alex

 

[Jim Aksel]

Are you sure the headings are summary tasks? If they are, they should appear
as black lines on the right side. The two tasks should be indented under the
heading.

Might you have resources assigned to the summary level?
Normally,you never want to key in a date...use predecessors.

You may have some luck with Mike's Tutorials. He's one of the Most Valued
Professionals (MVPs) on this site and has taken the time to put some online
lessons together. Try here:

http://project.mvps.org/mike's_tutorials.htm

--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim
It''s software; it''s not allowed to win.

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project

 

[DavidC]

Hi,

This sounds like a calendar issue either with the task or resources (if you
have assigned resources to the tasks). Check the calendar assigned to the
two tasks and make sure that it is for a day reflecting the work day you are
using. Make sure that your resources have the correct calendar assigned to
them. Have you got a link betwen the first "heading" and the second
"heading"? If you have the "autolink" option still selected in the
"tools/Options" then Project will likely have linked the tasks in a way which
does not reflect what you are looking for.

Hope this helps


regards


DavidC

 

[Alex]

DavidC,

Thanks for your help. I set the calendars to the one I wanted it to use and
it has reduced to total duration to only 5 hours, which is a lot better but
not the 2.5 hours like it should be.

Where can i find this 'autolink' button? im using the Project 2003 version

Regards,
Alex

 

[DavidC]

Hi,

So far so good.

The setting is under "tools/options" and select the schedule tab, and the
box is on the lower left corner.

Another thing to do is to insert the columns "predecessor" and "successor"
and make sure that there are no predecessor and successor tasks for the
summary tasks.

One more thing, check the start date and time of the first task under the
second summary task, then check the finish date and time of the second task.
make sure that the start date of the summary task matches the start date of
the first task, and the summary finish matches the finish of the second task.
Also make sure that the start of the second task is the finish of the firts
task. To see this will mean setting the date format under "Tools/options"
view tab, to include the time as well as the date. It is easy to find under
the drop down box.

Hopev this helps you further.

regards

DavidC

 

[Alex]

That was great help. Thanks a lot, it worked very well. My project has become
just what I wanted it to be.

Very happy

Regards,
Alex

 

[DavidC]

Pleased to have been of help

That was great help. Thanks a lot, it worked very well. My project has become
just what I wanted it to be.

Very happy

Regards,
Alex

 

[Steve House]

One vital point - the duration of a summary task is not the sum of the
durations of its children - it can easily be, and most often is, more or
less than that sum. The summary duration is the duration time between when
the earliest child task starts and the time the latest finishing child ends.

Take a look at the time of day the first task start and ends. If that 2
hours happens to be near the end of the workday, the follow-on task won't be
able to start until the next day. Are you scheduling from start date
forward or finish date backward?