General Task Question Please Help

[Keith Chadwick]

I have been asked to set up the project schedule for an upcomming project and
I am running into some frustration.

Simply put I have a task that will take 8 hours between 2 resources, so 50%
allocated to each. But the task will be completed over a week. How do I
show this is one task. Do I use the Lag feature? Or sub tasks one for each
developer?

I have searched through the help and this basic information is not provided.
Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers
Keith

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Create a task w/ a duration of 1 week.
Change the task type to fixed duration, w/ effort driven off. (Dbl click
on the task, Advanced tab)
Split the screen (Windows > Split)
Assign the two resources, w/ 4 hours each
Hit the OK button
That should achieve the results you want....

When you start tracking your project, you may wish to change the task to
Fixed Units, or Work. It depends on whether you expect work, units, or duration
to change when you get into the actual development. Typically, in my world,
that would be duration (hence, change the task type to Fixed Units).

-A

 

[JulieS]

Hello Keith,

I think some of the frustration you may be having is some difference in
terminology that Project uses versus how you are using it. I assume you
are saying the following:
1 task which you will allow 2 resources 1 week to complete. The total
amount of work (effort) for the resources is 8 hours and you want each
resource to perform half of the work -- or 4 hours each.

So, to Project:
1 task with a *duration* of 1 week
2 resources each assigned at 10% assignment units to allow them to
spread his/her 4 hours of work out over the one week. Total *work* 8
hours.

I suggest taking a read through fellow MVP Mike Glen's excellent series
of "how-to" articles on MS Project at:

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

I think you'll find them a terrific resource for getting you up and
running in the correct way with Project. The time you invest in some
upfront reading will pay off

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

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

 

[Keith Chadwick]

Thanks so much and I am going to rant a little which something I painfully
avoid!

I have been working with MS Software since way way back to the days of
office 1 on the mac and use just about everything that MS has put out since
as I am a software developer. Never and I mean NEVER hase Window\Split
provided a view onto a different interface in any other application in the
history of MS. Window\Split ALLWAYS shows another copy of the existing
window. What the Hell where they thinking by hiding this basic functionality
under the title of something that allways means something else.

arrrggggggg, thanks very much.

Cheers
Keith

 

[Keith Chadwick]

Actually I did spend some significant time yesterday reading through help and
other tutorials. Andrew gave me the breakthrough with the Window\Split in
the Ghantt chart view. As I replied to his post never have I seen
Window\Split provide such a key piece of functionality. It goes completely
against the grain of a well established Microsoft functional point.
Window\Split never supplies an new interface but rather another view on the
existing interface. Very counter intuitive and should be available through
the right click menu on the Ghantt Chart itself.

I will have a look at mikes tutorials though.

Cheers
Keith

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Keith,

It is!!

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials

 

[JulieS]

Hi Keith,
Couldn't agree with you more. If you dig back deep enough in early
releases of Project, I think the Task Entry view (Gantt over Task Form)
was the default view. I rely on that view heavily when working with
resource assignments.

Julie
Project MVP

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

 

[davegb]

Thanks so much and I am going to rant a little which something I painfully
avoid!

I have been working with MS Software since way way back to the days of
office 1 on the mac and use just about everything that MS has put out since
as I am a software developer. Never and I mean NEVER hase Window\Split
provided a view onto a different interface in any other application in the
history of MS. Window\Split ALLWAYS shows another copy of the existing
window. What the Hell where they thinking by hiding this basic functionality
under the title of something that allways means something else.

arrrggggggg, thanks very much.

Cheers
Keith

Keith,

I think you'll find that Project breaks a number of standard Windoze
"rules" in it's interface. You want to really be amazed? Go to the
Resource Histogram, with a resource loaded, and move the horizontal
slider bar under the resources name! Be sure you're sitting down.
They're gradually cleaning them up with each new version, but there
are still some very strange things in Project. Part of it's charm!