Unusual question, see if this helps.
First, you should allow your project dates to float ---the project logic
should drive the dates. It should be very rare for you to ever key a date.
Always keep that in mind.
Second. Become familiar with Task Types. Tasks can be of type Fixed Work,
Fixed Duration, Fixed Units. The default is fixed units. Units are workers.
The default behavior allows you to assign 1 woman to task "Have Baby" with
duration of 9 monthes. If you add resource (units), more women decrease the
duration of "Have Baby" which is not realistic with babies but does make
sense for any task that you can "man load' to finsih earlier. You may want
fixed duration. Task types can be changed by double clicking on the task and
pulling the advanced tab.
Generally, making tasks fixed duration will address your issue. THe
start/finish dates stay in place as you add workers.
You can also set your project to schedule from the finish date (the default
is from the start date). Project/Project Information... select from the
Scehdule From drop down. This will keep your finish dates as alate as
possible and move tasks to start earlier (left) as you increase their
duration. Scheduling in reverse is not recommended because it leaves you 0
slack to your project finish dates.
Some people key in a finish date for a task and change the task constraint
type (double click the task, pull the advanced tab, change the constraint
type) to must finish on or Finish No Earlier Than, or Finish No Later Than.
All of these choices are a bad idea --- they prevent MS Project from
calculating a correct path through your project.
All things considered, if you want to "freeze a finish date" you would
probably want to schedule from the finish date. However, I think if you use
fixed duration tasks and schedule "forwards" you will be better off in the
long run.
One last thing, consider using the "Deadline" feature (also on the advanced
tab of the task information dialog). If a task is supposed to finish May
2nd, then give that as a deadline. Your schedule logic is not impacted. If
the May 2nd date is exceeded, you will see a red diamond in the indicators
column (usually the one most to the left). If you insert the Total Slack
column, it will become a negative number and the task will be on your
critical path. Your schedule should never show negative values in the total
slack column.... the negative value shows the number of days you must move
the tasks left in order to truly make your deadlines and finish dates. That
is the subject of a diffent post.
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If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.
Jim
Visit
http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information
about Microsoft Project
