Making a task start the next day.

[ice_cold]

I am using MS-Project 2007. I want to schedule a task t2 to start th
next day after task t1. Task t1 is a predecessor of task t2 and tas
t1's duration is 0.2 days.

Regards,
Ashish

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Make a new Calendar with working time somewhere in the middle of the night
Make a new task lasting say 1 minute (let's call in NT)
Linkk T1 to NT and NT to T2
now attach the night calendar just made to NT

That's it.

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[Pratta]

Hi Ice-C
Try a filler task with ED (Elapsed Duration) of .8 days (0.8ed) after task
1. T2 will then start on the next day - if all are linked f-s.

Best Regards..........Pratta

 

[Pratta]

Hi Ice-C
I just checked my earlier response- use a duration of 7.4 elapsed hours (7.4
ehrs) and it will end at 5:00pm - assuming 8 hr working day).
T2 will always then start on next working day.

Regards..........Pratta

 

[amakar]

I would simply add a .8d lag to the predecessor.

FS+.8d in the T2 predecessor column is a simple way to add a lag

 

[gianluca.colangelo]

Hi all,

the problem with adding a filler task is that you have always to adjust
the lag as soon as for some reason the predecessor task is shifting best
would be a solution for which the lag is calculated automatically, so
that no matter the position in the day of the predecessor task the
successor starts always at the beginning of the next day. Does anyone
have a solution for this?

Thanks,
Gianluca

 

[amakar]

My viewpoint on the problem is to provide a lag as a buffer OR add a
buffer task for the initial project schedule development.

Once the project is defined, and if you notice the predecessor task is
extending its finish date, the project manager should adjust the lag on
the following task as appropriate.

If the intent of the lag was to provide more time, then in actual
implementation the time buffer is being spent. Therefore, you would
need to record the actuals against the predecessor task and adjust the
lag.

The schedule is a model and in execution the model would be adjusted
based on actual performance.

Thanks

Andy
http://www.tacticalprojectmanagement.com
'MS Project Tutorial'
(http://www.tacticalprojectmanagement.com/tactical-techniques/schedule-development.html)
Learn how to EFFECTIVELY develop a project schedule

 

[Jim Aksel [MVP]]

Not all of this thread is visible to me, let me guess at the question: I
want to force a task to start at 8AM. If the predecessor task completes at
11:00AM today, I still want my successor task to start at 8:00AM tomorrow.

Tasks can be forced to start on any desired day though the use of a special
calendar and a fake milestone.
First, create a calendar that has exactly one minute of work available
outside of normal work hours. For example, the calendar may have work
available only at 5:01PM to 5:02 PM every day of the week.

Assume A is a predecessor to B and I want to force "B" to start at 8AM the
day following the completion of A (even if A finishes at 9:15AM). Create a
new task as a milestone (or a 1 minute task) between A and B. Link like
this: A-NewTask-B. Assign your special calendar to task NewTask.

If you think about it, you can make the special calendar with only 1 minte
of work available on Friday at 5:01PM. Then, this would force task B to
always start on the following Monday at 8AM of when A completed.

Make sense?
HTH

Jim Aksel
see my blog for more information www.msprojectblog.com

 

[amakar]

Wouldn't adding a lag be easier vs. creating a new calendar?

Thanks!

Andy

'
MS Project Tutorial - Schedule Development
(http://www.tacticalprojectmanagement.com/tactical-techniques/schedule-development.html
: Learn how to EFFECTIVELY develop a project schedule
http://twitter.com/andymakar
http://www.tacticalprojectmanagement.co

 

[Jim Aksel]

You only need t make the extra calendar once, then apply it once when you
create the task.

Here's a scenario, where my solution works every time and a lag does not
work without a manual update every time.

Tasks A, B and C are linked. Each take 1 day. However, task C must start
at 8AM on any weekday morning. When you first start, you created a special
calendar and fake milestone "Fake" between B and C. So, with this method C
will always start a 8AM on a weekday no matter what happens with A and B. NO
further action required on your part.

With a Lag... Task A starts on Monday but you are told will not finish until
Tuesday at noon instead of Monday at 5PM. So you add a lag between "B" and
"C" of 0.5 days because B now runs Noon Tuesday to Noon Wednesday and you
can't start C until 8 AM on Thursday.

Then owner of Task B says, well if I can't start until noon on Tuesday, I
have a meeting so I really can't start until 3PM and will run until 3PM the
next day. If he finishes at 3PM, your lag is 0.5 days (4 horus) and your
task C will start at 10AM not 8 AM. You need to remember to change it
manually.... every time something in the predecessor chain changes.

Suppose 8AM comes around for "B" and he tells you..."Oh! I figured out a
better way to do it. I'll be done at 9AM." Now you have to run back to your
schedule and adjust the lag between B and C to 7 hours becuase C must start
at 8 AM. With the method I described you don't have to remember to do
anything once you set the initial schedule.

So to summarize the "Special Calendar" method ... you need to Create the
calendar only once when you create your schedule. You create the fake
milestones only once and enter them to the schedule only once. You apply the
special calendar to the fake milestone tasks only once -- when you create the
tasks. After that, it becomes "launch and forget." It takes about 5 minutes
(max) to create a new calendar. Creating a milestone with a specific calendar
applied and linking it between two tasks tasks seconds and you only do it
once.

Hope that makes it more clear.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

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

 

[Paul Billings]

You only need t make the extra calendar once, then apply it once when you
create the task.

Here's a scenario, where my solution works every time and a lag does not
work without a manual update every time.

Tasks A, B and C are linked.  Each take 1 day.  However, task C must start
at 8AM on any weekday morning.  When you first start, you created a special
calendar and fake milestone "Fake" between B and C.  So, with this method C
will always start a 8AM on a weekday no matter what happens with A and B.NO
further action required on your part.

With a Lag... Task A starts on Monday but you are told will not finish until
Tuesday at noon instead of Monday at 5PM.  So you add a lag between  "B" and
"C" of 0.5 days   because B now runs Noon Tuesday to Noon Wednesday andyou
can't start C until 8 AM on Thursday.

Then owner of Task B says, well if I can't start until noon on Tuesday, I
have a meeting so I really can't start until 3PM and will run until 3PM the
next day.  If he finishes at 3PM, your lag is 0.5 days (4 horus) and your
task C will start at 10AM not 8 AM. You need to remember to change it
manually.... every time something in the predecessor chain changes.

Suppose 8AM comes around for "B" and he tells you..."Oh! I figured out a
better way to do it.  I'll be done at 9AM."  Now you have to run backto your
schedule and adjust the lag between B and C to 7 hours becuase C must start
at 8 AM.  With the method I described you don't have to remember to do
anything once you set the initial schedule.

So to summarize the "Special Calendar" method ... you need to Create the
calendar only once when you create your schedule.  You create the fake
milestones only once and enter them to the schedule only once. You apply the
special calendar to the fake milestone tasks only once -- when you createthe
tasks.  After that, it becomes "launch and forget."  It takes about 5minutes
(max) to create a new calendar. Creating a milestone with a specific calendar
applied and linking it between two tasks tasks seconds and you only do it
once.

Hope that makes it more clear.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

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

An additional scenario where this is useful is to avoid splitting a
task (e.g., a 2-day meeting, a 3-day training session, etc.) across a
weekend (avoiding excess travel expenses, etc.). The calendar
creation is quick (< 1 minute) if you haven't already done it, and
application takes only seconds. The best part is that I don't have to
worry about manually calculated lags ever again.