Inter-summary task dependencies

[Gil]

Hi all,
In my plan I have few summary tasks, and few tasks within each one of
these summary tasks.
I do not care which task will be the first one the resources work on,
but once a resource start working on a task, I want him to finish
working on ALL the rest of the tasks within the same summary task,
BEFORE moving to a task from another summary task.
After completing all the tasks in a summary tasks, once again I don't
care which task the resource moves to.

How can I achieve that with as few links as possible (only those which
are logically needed, to keep the plan flexible)?

Thanks for any help,
Gil

 

[Jim Aksel]

In the subtasks start with a milestone "Work Commences"
At the bottom of the stack, another milestone "My Work Here is Complete"

All the "real work tasks" have a Start to Start predecessor relaltionship
from the "Work Commences" Milestone. There are also multiple predecessors to
the "My Work Here is Complete" milestone... the predecessors are all FS and
are the "real work" tasks.

Is there are 5 tasks the worker has to get done in 5 days, assign the worker
as 20% to every task, make all the task durations 5 days. In effect, you are
saying he works them all in parallel.

If there are true logic relationships amongst the real work tasks, you need
to think that through first.

--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[Gil]

In the subtasks start with a milestone  "Work Commences"
At the bottom of the stack, another milestone "My Work Here is Complete"

All the "real work tasks" have a Start to Start predecessor relaltionship
from the "Work Commences" Milestone.  There are also multiple predecessors to
the "My Work Here is Complete" milestone... the predecessors are all FS and
are the "real work" tasks.

Is there are 5 tasks the worker has to get done in 5 days, assign the worker
as 20% to every task, make all the task durations 5 days.  In effect, you are
saying he works them all in parallel.

If there are true logic relationships amongst the real work tasks, you need
to think that through first.

--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:http://www.msprojectblog.com







- Show quoted text -

Hi Jim,
Thanks for your answer.
I couldn't achieve the desired result with your solution.
After creating and linking all real-sub tasks to "work commences" and
"work done", and then leveling resources, the result is loyal to the
links but still the resource is scheduled to work on a task from one
summary task, then to work on a task from another summary task, even
when not all sub tasks from the first summary task are complete.
Also, I don't want the resource to work in parallel on few tasks from
the same summary tasks, I want him to finish one and move to another.

Maybe it will be easier to understand with an example:
I have summary tasks A,B,C, and sub tasks a1,a2,a3,b1,b2,b3,c1,c2,c3
(the a's are in A, b's are in B etc.)
I don't mind on which task the resource start to work on, but if - for
example - he started to work on c2, I want c1 and c3 to be completed
before he moves to tasks from A or B summary tasks.
Any ideas?

 

[Dave]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for your answer.
I couldn't achieve the desired result with your solution.
After creating and linking all real-sub tasks to "work commences" and
"work done", and then leveling resources, the result is loyal to the
links but still the resource is scheduled to work on a task from one
summary task, then to work on a task from another summary task, even
when not all sub tasks from the first summary task are complete.
Also, I don't want the resource to work in parallel on few tasks from
the same summary tasks, I want him to finish one and move to another.

Maybe it will be easier to understand with an example:
I have summary tasks A,B,C, and sub tasks a1,a2,a3,b1,b2,b3,c1,c2,c3
(the a's are in A, b's are in B etc.)
I don't mind on which task the resource start to work on, but if - for
example - he started to work on c2, I want c1 and c3 to be completed
before he moves to tasks from A or B summary tasks.
Any ideas?

If you don't want your resources to work in parallel, then assign them
100% to each of the tasks. Then level.

If work under individual summary tasks is not being completed in its
entirety before work under another summary task starts then you need to
set the priority (add the priority column) of the work under each of
those summary tasks and then ensure that the levelling engine uses
priority as the levelling criteria.

To a degree Project can't know of your desire to complete work under
individual summary tasks before moving to the next so you have to force
it to respect that.

 

[Gil]

If you don't want your resources to work in parallel, then assign them
100% to each of the tasks.  Then level.

If work under individual summary tasks is not being completed in its
entirety before work under another summary task starts then you need to
set the priority (add the priority column) of the work under each of
those summary tasks and then ensure that the levelling engine uses
priority as the levelling criteria.

To a degree Project can't know of your desire to complete work under
individual summary tasks before moving to the next so you have to force
it to respect that.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks!