Help!! on - work hour, % complete, Gantt Chart.. etc!

[LY]

Hello!!

I am very new to ms project (just started using it last week!) and I am
scratching my head on some problems facing… I have listed down a few
questions that I am hoping to get help. I am currently using MS project 2000.

1) Each time I change a date in a task, date for some other task that are
not linked or related change as well. I have to keep readjust the dates for
every single task. What did I do incorrectly? How do I prevent it?

2) The project I am working on only consumes few hours for a day for each
task. For example

Task 1 - work 5 hour. It spreads out into different days in the time range
to be completed.

When I put down 100% complete, it will then change to show 40 hours work
day. Actually is t is only about 10 or less. How do I make it show the exact
hour I want and let the 100% complete line stays in Gantt Chart?

Also, when I enter the work hour in the Gantt chart view, (for example, 5
hours), the Gantt chart shrinks down to a small line! How do I make the bar
stretch across the bar?

3) How do I make the Gantt chart shows a task finish early than scheduled in
different color.. Or finish late as scheduled?

4) Is there a way to have a summary that shows task that need to pay
attention to or in alert stage?

Any tips / advise / solutions will be very appreciated!!!!!!!

L.Y

 

[randyf]

Sounds like your work is effort driven? try changing it to fixed duration
and uncheck the "effort driven" box

Also, you can cahnge the appearance of the bars in the gantt chart by right
clicking on the chart and selecting "bar styles."

Do you know how to save additional baselines using Project 2000?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

1. Tools, Level Resources, put to "Manual" instead of "Automatic"
(And don't change dates of tasks unless you mean actuals. Let Project
propose the dates)

2. Could you be more precise? Putting a task to 100% complete does not
modify anything, it just changes work intop actual work. Besides, once a
task is 100% compelte, you can change about everything without Project
recalculating much.

3. Be sure to save a baseline before entering actuals (because entering an
actual finish will also change the finish date). Then use Tracking Gantt to
visualise the differences;
As for creating custom bars, see
http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm
faq 31. Customizing Gantt Bars

4. That depends on your definition of alert etc.

HTH

 

[John Sitka]

Welcome LY, to get off to a good start spend some time thinking
about the fact that PROJECT is a date generating piece of software.
The only date it Needs from you once you have an understanding of proper calendar usage
is the Project Start Date. All other task start and finish dates are calculated values.
This is contrary to what the software appears to do as there are all kinds of places to enter dates.
This fact leads you to believe that would be a good place to start entering values. It isn't.
There are other things that aren't as they appear as well. 100% complete means duration
so if a task will take 10 days, it is 70% done on the end of day 7. If the reality is that no one has
even started to work on it...in your mind is it still 70% complete!. These are the concepts that need to
be known to have fun.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi LY,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

If you're that new to Project, you might like to have a look at my series on
Microsoft Project in the TechTrax ezine at this site:
http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the articles before leaving the site,
Thanks.)

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[LY]

Thank you all!!! I've been swamp and don't have a chance to touch the project!

Yes, it is by effort driven..

How do you set a baseline in Project 2k? What do you need to consider when
setting it? Please advise!

Thank you!!

 

[LY]

Hi Jan - thank you for your feedback!!

Problem I have is the Actual Work hours I key in and how it affects the
progress line on the Gantt Chart. Also, when I put "100%" as completed, the
hours that I key in got changed.

I set a task that start from Aug 22, finish Aug 24. It is considered
completed but the hour in the “Actual Work†column, changes itself to 48
hours which is not the total hours I need. The task was completed inn 15hrs
only.

How do I make it 100% done and still have the completed picture appeared on
the Gantt bar and the hours I want stay on the Actual Work column?

Did I use the correct task field????

Thank you!

 

[LY]

Ohh... Hmm.. that then it really doesn't have a way to show it eh?
Thanks!