how do I schedule 5 hr task over 5 days in Project?

[Lori O]

I read a message thread for this very problem. Basically I want an 8hr task
to to have a duration of 5 days. (Why, because resource is only given a small
window of time each day to work on the task.) The answer given was to change
the task type to fixed duration. When I go into the task and set it up for
8hr with the start and end dates over 5 days and change the task type to
fixed and click ok, the start date still changes to the same day as the end
date. In other words it is making my duration only one day. HOW do I make
the start and finish days "stick"?

 

[Jason]

Lori,
You were half right in what you read. General rule of thumb, when you
are changing remaining work and you are happy with your dates as they appear,
you need to be in fixed duration and if you are happy with your remaining
work, but want to change your dates, you need to be in fixed work. You can
get to where you want in one of two ways. Update the task's remaining work
to 8 hours, while in fixed duration (regardless of what it appears as at the
moment). Once this is done, change the task to fixed work, move the dates as
you see fit, over a one week duration.

You can also flip that sequence, move the dates while in fixed work, change
to fixed duration, and set the number of hours you want on that task.

Hope that helps

Jason

 

[John M.]

Sounds like you modified the start and finish dates manually. This actually
sets a constraint on the task (such as start no earlier than). You should
avoid adding these constraints when the task is not really constrained to
the date. What you should do is set the duration for the task.

Create the task, enter 5 days in the Duration field, enter 1 days in the
Work field, assign your resource. If you're only assigning one person, the
task type and effort driven will make no difference at this point as the
resource will be assigned at 20% across the 5 days. If you are assigning
more than 1 resource, you will want to be fixed duration effort driven.

John.