How to entering a task with multiple periods of inactivity?

[Michael H.]

Can someone please advise best practice on how to enter a task in MS
Project that encounters multiple periods of inactivity?

Here's the scenario...

- Task has an estimate of 16 hours total effort to complete.

- Effort is spread across three days.
Day 1 = 8 hrs
Day 3 = 4 hrs
Day 5 = 4 hrs

- Days 2 and 4 are days spent waiting (no activity).

Is there a way to define the above on a single task, without setting
constraints?

Advice / thoughts greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

Select View, Task Usage and edit the hours for each day. This does not add a
constraint. You will see that in the Gantt Chart, each day with 0h of work
will show as a split in the task bar.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

NEW!! Project VBA Book now in stock, for details visit:
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[Joe]

Go into Task Usage and manually allocated the hours you need for the specific
days in the "work" field.

 

[Michael H.]

Thankyou!

This works great. The only downside is that once I apply hours in this
manner, if I go back and revise them to a earlier date date (ie, remove
the inactive period/day), the plan is no longer dynamic. Subsequent
dependent tasks do not adjust back, even though no dependencies have
been set.

 

[Rod Gill]

What doesn't move? I've over-written a 0d value with 4h. Can you provide
steps to re-create your issue?

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

NEW!! Project VBA Book now in stock, for details visit:
www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Michael H.]

Thankyou very much for taking interest in this.

While starting to document the steps to replicate the issue, I realized
my error. My tasks were set to task type "Fixed Duration". (This is
my "standard" setting when developing a project schedule.) By flipping
the effected task back to "Fixed Work", all dependent tasks rippled
back to an earlier start time.

Thanks again the help.

- Michael H.

 

[Rod Gill]

I find that Fixed Units is the most flexible setting, though of course I use
Fixed work or duration when needed for assignment edits.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP
Visit www.msproject-systems.com for Project Companion Tools and more

NEW!! Project VBA Book now in stock, for details visit:
www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Michael H.]

Hello Rod, just to clarify...

When I'm drafting a schedule I define most (practically all) as fixed
duration/non-effort driven.

Once the plan is approved, I'll flip all the tasks to fixed units in
order to execute the plan. I'll also flip any back to effort driven if
applicable.

By doing this I end up executing against a schedule with tasks that ebb
and flow based on the actual/remaining work reported.

I suspect my method is somewhat similar to your own.

Thanks again for all your help.

Michael H.