Fix Duration based on Input Start/Finish Dates from Other Tasks

[Meir Cabaltera]

Project Version - Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 SP2

I have two milestone tasks that are dependent on each other (Task A - - ->
Task B)

Start date of Task A is set by sequence of preceding tasks. Start date of
Task B is input by the user on project start-up. Start date of Task B
defines the finish date of Task A. In one sense, it appears that on project
start-up, duration of Task A is variable, based on start of succeeding task.
Once Task B is known and duration is figured out, the duration should be
fixed.

As project progresses and actual start and completion dates for preceding
tasks are known, I would like to have actual start date of Task A directly
affect actual start date of Task B.

Understandably, Microsoft Project uses a fixed formula to determine
duration, based on work and resources. If Microsoft project can't directly
perform the above, I would like to know some creative ways to make this
happen.

 

[Jim Aksel]

Do I detect some cirular logic? You state:

********
Start date of Task B defines the finish date of Task A...
and ...
I would like to have actual start date of Task A directly
affect actual start date of Task B.
********
You are saying Start of B drives finish of A and you want the Start of A to
drive the Start of B that drives the Finish of A?

Project will not let the same task drive both the start and finish of
another task. What you need to do is plug in a fake milestone and link off
that as a work around. So the start and finish of A can drive the start and
finish of B if you link the FInish of A to a MilestoneC. THen use teh finish
of "C" to drive the finish of B.



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Jim Aksel, MVP

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