Late Start Schedule in MS project ??

[Manan]

How to develop late start schedule in MS project

Eg; if we know that we have to finish the project by a certain date.....and we want to find out the max. time we can allocate to a specific time, how can we accomplish this using MS project....
i.e how to go reverse while project planning ?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Manan,

MS project does that for you all the time, it's just a matter of showing the
results.
In a Gantt Chart (or other task driven) View insert columns such as Late
Start and Late Finish.
Moreover if you want these late dates to show as "Start" and "Finish" in
Project, Project Information, set Schedule From to Project Finish Date.
But I would never ever do that (starting the latest possible moment
inevitably leads to slippage) and there is much, much better.
If yu want to know which time you have left before the task become critical,
do not display Latest Start, just display that value as such: it is called
TOTAL SLACK
What really helps you managing is the combination Early Start (can I do it
now... why not?) and Total Slack (what is my degree of freedom, what is more
urgent).
HTH





--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620

How to develop late start schedule in MS project ?

Eg; if we know that we have to finish the project by a certain

date.....and we want to find out the max. time we can allocate to a specific
time, how can we accomplish this using MS project.....

 

[JackD]

Good advice from Jan. I often create a barstyle (Format menu / Barstyles)
which starts from "Early Finish" and goes to "Late Finish" This displays the
total slack in graphical form. If there is none, then the task is critical.
It often helps people understand what the priorities are.

-Jack