how do you run a view that shows an Outlook style order of day?

[Eric H]

hi all

Sometimes i want to switch from Gantt chart to looking at a calendar view of
day that is like the Outlook layout -- with time running horizontally down
side in hourly increments and tasks in boxes down the middle. is that
possible? thanks -- that would be huge -- i find the calendar view to be
hard to deal with.

also - for a particular task in Gantt view -- is there a way to enter in the
time it will take place rather than having to drag the handles around?

thanks

 

[JulieD]

Hi Eric

just want to deal with your last question ....

Project's purpose in life is as a scheduling tool .. .you tell it the inputs
(what needs to be done, in what order, how long they will take, who you have
to do the jobs and when they're available) and Project tells you the
schedule - ie based on the inputs this can be done then!

If you're telling Project the dates & times things have to happen at, then
you're doing its work and the benefit you'll derive from using it will (in
most cases) be limited to a pretty little gantt chart picture to hang on the
wall.

Having said that, you can do what you want ... choose tools / options / view
and select a date format that shows the time ... then move the centre bar in
the gantt chart to the right and you can enter & edit times in the start &
finish column ... but, be warned, this will cause you heartache if you ever
decide you want Project to do or give you anything other than the blue lines
on a chart.

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

The Outlook calendar view by hours is not available in Project.

Select Tools, Options and under the View tab select a date format that shows
time as well. Enter date Time in Start and Finish columns at will. However,
by entering a date time/ you will disable most of Project's added value
which is to calculate when things can be done or when you need to get them
done by to achieve a specific End date. Sticking to durations and linking
tasks together is much more productive.

 

[Eric H]

Thanks all for the info re: putting in specific hours. Very helpful -- both
the specific route to doing so and the commentary on how I should try to
avoid constraining Project. That leads to a larger issue: the boss
doesn’t get this concept of a software program telling him why something was
"late". He doesn’t want to look at fancy Gantt charts, etc. He says
Project/ Shmoject --he says just have deliverable ready on such and such
a date, and show him how I spent his money – down to the last dollar – and
my time – down to the 15 minute interval. The last thing he says he wants
to look at is some fancy program telling him how his request can’t be
done.He sets deadlines every few days. These deliverables cannot float
around just because Project says they need to -- they have to be done.
Period. At an exact time. Also -- meetings with upper management I have to
put into the project schedule and I have to be there at exactly that time –
not 5 minutes late, but exactly at that time. I'm probably crazy but i'm
trying to use MS Project for all of my project management needs -- from
the planning to the reporting of real, actual, precise numbers of where
real time and money were spent -- again down to the 15 minute interval and
to the last dollar Plus i don't want my life schedule in different places
-- MS PRoject for this one project , OUtlook for my appointments and phone
calls. Ideally I want one place for all my project and time management
needs. am i crazy?

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Project is not intended as a personal calendaring tool - it is a project
planning tool. Using it to try to schedule events the way you enter
appointments in the Outlook calendar is bound to give you headaches and IMHO
is far more trouble than it is worth.

How does your boss handle the situation when something requires some prior
event be completed - some special software has to be installed so you can do
a certain report, for example - and it doesn't happen in time? Your boss
gives you a deadline of this coming Friday for the report but IT can't get
in to install the required software for you for at least 2 weeks - what
then? That's why the dates of tasks in Project move around - it's telling
you and your boss when things are possible IF the required prior events
happen as they've been scheduled so far. If that doesn't meet his
requirements, you can't just wave a magic wand and move the event someplace
else in the calendar like you move an appointment in Outlook, you have to
actually change the events leading up to the problem event so they get done
sooner.