Importing tasks and subtask

[Marvin Brown]

I'm exporting task information from our task management system into M
Project 2000.

After importing, I would like to create a summary task which indicate
the start/finish dates and total durations of all the tasks that I'v
just entered.

I've tried importing the tasks then inserting a new task and the
indenting all the imported tasks thus making the imported tasks subtask
of the new inserted task. Although the new inserted task is now
summary task, it does not display the overall stats of all th
subtasks.

What are my options?

Thank yo

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Marvin,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

The summary task measures the Duration from the start of the first task to
the finish of the last task. Is yours not showing this?

Incidentally, importing dates will set constraints affecting the flexibility
of your project - not a good idea. Project's job is to work out the dates
for you showing what is possible with the Durations, Precedence links and
Resources you have allocated.

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

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

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

 

[Marvin Brown]

Is my summary task showing the start of the first and the finish of th
last?

No it is not.
It is showing the project end date from my calendar in both the star
and finish fields.

I understand that importing dates will affect the flexibility of th
project.
I'm importing a finish date and a duration and I want project t
calculate the start date. The constraint becomes either a must finish o
or a finish no later than constraint.

In the end, I would like the summary task that I created to reflect th
start date of the first task and the finish date of the last task.

Overall I would like to have a summary task for each client, just s
that the manager can see the overall picture of the tasks that ar
scheduled.

I hope the above makes sense.

Thank yo

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Marvin - comments inline:

Is my summary task showing the start of the first and the finish of the
last?

No it is not.
It is showing the project end date from my calendar in both the start
and finish fields.

[Mike] To me, this means that both dates are the same and thus the summary
is a milestone with zero Duration. It sounds as if the indenting isn't
working. Insert the Outline Number field to see what level it is at
compared with its sub-projects.

I understand that importing dates will affect the flexibility of the
project.
I'm importing a finish date and a duration and I want project to
calculate the start date. The constraint becomes either a must finish on
or a finish no later than constraint.

[Mike] Must Finish On constraints are the worst! Supposing your plan is
based on the delivery of something and it doesn't arrive, having a Must
Finish On constraint doesn't make it happen. Musch better to use a Deadline
date and let Project tell you when things can be achieved. You will then
have something realistic to manage.

In the end, I would like the summary task that I created to reflect the
start date of the first task and the finish date of the last task.

[Mike] That's precisely what summaries are designed to do!

Overall I would like to have a summary task for each client, just so
that the manager can see the overall picture of the tasks that are
scheduled.

[Mike] I would create a project for each client and use a Project Summary
set via Tools/Options.../View tab at the bottom right.

I that doesn't work, feel free to zip up a project and email it to me and
I'll try find the problem.

Mike Glen
Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

 

[Marvin Brown]

Michael,

First let me say thank you for your assistance.

I've added the outline number to the project and it appears to b
correct.
The summary task has a number of 1
The subtasks underneath have a numbering sequence of 1.1, 1.2, 1.2....

No matter what I do, when I add the summary task, it appears to tak
the calendar finsh date and place it in the summary tasks start an
finish date.

I've removed the finish date from the import process.
I've added the deadline date to the import process.

If you could review the attached project and tell me what I'm doin
wrong, that would be great.

Thank yo

 

[Mike Glen]

There's nothing attached. Please send by email: glenATmvps.org - swap AT
for @ and I'll have a look at it tomorrow.

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[Marvin Brown]

Let me say thanks to Mike for all his help.

However I'm still having an issue.

When I import data into the new/blank project I get the followin
abnomallies;

1) The manually created summary task never contains the correct star
and finish dates. Even if the subtasks have finish dates that ar
outside the current date.

2) The manually created summary task never has the proper duration i
hours. When I create it I give the duration a value of 0. I then inden
the subtasks, which have a value other than 0, the duration of th
summary task never changes.

Any suggestions

Thank yo

 

[Mike Glen]

You're welcome, Marvin

For the record, I've discovered some of the problems Marvin was having by
importing finish dates instead of deadlines and the lack of precedences.
However, I am stumped by his problem with summaries. If he creates a
summary by indenting, the summary doesn't summate the Duration correctly or
the correct Start and Finish dates. His project works fine on my machine
but not on his. He had the problem with version 2000 but now, having
installed 2003, the problem has not gone away.

Anyone else got any ideas?

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

 

[Marvin Brown]

And the answer is!!

Automatic calculation vs manual calculation.

Mine was set to manual and not automatic.

Once I set it to automatic, project tended to respond as expected.


Thank yo

 

[Mike Glen]

Duh!!!


Mike Glen
Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials