How do I set up an MS Project where resources are working on the .

[Alan Eisenberg]

I need to set up an MS Project where multiple resources are working on the
same tasks, but in very different ways. For instance, I work on task A for 8
weeks, Danny works on it for 12 weeks. Paul works on it for 3 weeks. The task
will be gated by Danny especially since we do not collaborate - our
individual work is completely separate. I can only see how Project will
handle a task being reduced with mutiple resources. In our case, we cannot
work on eachother's parts.
I have set up the Project to show my tasks, Danny's tasks and Paul's tasks
separately with the same task names that are not linked in any way. But then
the task complete dates must be manually determined by he who works on it the
longest (assuming we all start at the same time). There's gotta be a better
way!

Alan Eisenberg
(e-mail address removed)
or (e-mail address removed)

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Alan,

There is an other way but definitely not a better one.
Your tasks are essentially different and I would not try to make it one
task.

Even if you put your three resources on one task (and in the task usage view
you can upodate each resource's work, even in time) you will have to update
the three efforts individually.

To the contrary, task lasting several weeks seem very hard to monitor, I
would split these tasks even further to allow a closer management.

HTH

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

How about setting it up as a summary task describing the whole activity with
the three instances as subtasks indented underneath it. The subtasks would
not be linked to each other. Each resource is assigned to their specific
subtask. While usually people advise not to link summay tasks, in this case
I think there is an exception and any links coming TO the set of tasks or
From it would go through the Summary task, not the subtasks. The duration
of the summary will be from whenver the earliest starting subtask begins to
where the latest finishing subtask ends, thus automatically setting the end
of the group to whichever subtask finishes last.