MS Project 2000

[hammering4u]

Working in construction, we need to track overall calendar days for the
client, 7 days a week. We need to enter working days in a regular 5-day work
week. I can't find a way to adjust the calendar to allow this. We are now
entering 9 days of time for a task that takes 7 in order to allow for
non-working weekends. We would like Project to do this adjustment
automatically

 

[JulieS]

Hi hammering4u,

I'm not sure I follow your scenario exactly. What I assume you are looking
for is to show how many calendar days (including non-working time during the
weekend) have passed from the start of the task to the finish of the task.
You can use a custom duration (Duration1, Duration2, etc.) to calculate the
number of calendar days. If I am incorrect, please let us know and we'll
try again. Based on the above assumption:

Create a new calendar (Tools>Change Working Time). Copy the Standard
calendar, name it (I used 7Day) and make Saturdays & Sundays working days.
Then insert a custom duration field ([Duration1] for example) in the task
table. Choose Tools>Customize Fields and select the [Duration1] field.
Click the Formula... button and use the following formula:

ProjDateDiff([Start],[Finish],"7Day")

In the Customize fields dialog box, click the Use Formula option for the
task and group summary rows.

This will calculate the number of calendar days between the start of the
task and the finish of the task using the 7Day calendar.


I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

 

[hammering4u]

JulieS
Thank you for your response, it looks involved. I simply want to track the
overall length of the job by calendar days, say 180 days time of completion
of your new building.
When we have Sat and Sun as non-working times and we enter a task, say
"pouring foundations" 8 days, Project automatically calculates the length of
time of the total project as 8 days but in the owner's mind counting calendar
days we have used up 10 days. If we mark Sat and Sun as working we will now
get the correct count of calendar time, however we have to add in the weekend
time that most contractors do not figure on. Any suggestion for a solution
to the problem?

Hi hammering4u,

I'm not sure I follow your scenario exactly. What I assume you are looking
for is to show how many calendar days (including non-working time during the
weekend) have passed from the start of the task to the finish of the task.
You can use a custom duration (Duration1, Duration2, etc.) to calculate the
number of calendar days. If I am incorrect, please let us know and we'll
try again. Based on the above assumption:

Create a new calendar (Tools>Change Working Time). Copy the Standard
calendar, name it (I used 7Day) and make Saturdays & Sundays working days.
Then insert a custom duration field ([Duration1] for example) in the task
table. Choose Tools>Customize Fields and select the [Duration1] field.
Click the Formula... button and use the following formula:

ProjDateDiff([Start],[Finish],"7Day")

In the Customize fields dialog box, click the Use Formula option for the
task and group summary rows.

This will calculate the number of calendar days between the start of the
task and the finish of the task using the 7Day calendar.


I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

Working in construction, we need to track overall calendar days for the
client, 7 days a week. We need to enter working days in a regular 5-day
work
week. I can't find a way to adjust the calendar to allow this. We are
now
entering 9 days of time for a task that takes 7 in order to allow for
non-working weekends. We would like Project to do this adjustment
automatically

 

[JulieS]

Hi hammering4u,

The duration field in MS Project calculates the number of *working* days
between the Start and Finish. So, although your customer may say it's 10
days, it is only 8 *working* days. Changing the calendar to show Sat. &
Sun. as working days will show the information for the customer correctly,
but the amount of work (and therefore the cost) calculated when you assign
resources will be inflated.

Although the directions I noted below may appear complicated, they really
aren't. It only needs to be done once in the project.

Sorry, I hope this helps explain things a bit better.

Julie

JulieS
Thank you for your response, it looks involved. I simply want to track
the
overall length of the job by calendar days, say 180 days time of
completion
of your new building.
When we have Sat and Sun as non-working times and we enter a task, say
"pouring foundations" 8 days, Project automatically calculates the length
of
time of the total project as 8 days but in the owner's mind counting
calendar
days we have used up 10 days. If we mark Sat and Sun as working we will
now
get the correct count of calendar time, however we have to add in the
weekend
time that most contractors do not figure on. Any suggestion for a
solution
to the problem?

Hi hammering4u,

I'm not sure I follow your scenario exactly. What I assume you are
looking
for is to show how many calendar days (including non-working time during
the
weekend) have passed from the start of the task to the finish of the
task.
You can use a custom duration (Duration1, Duration2, etc.) to calculate
the
number of calendar days. If I am incorrect, please let us know and we'll
try again. Based on the above assumption:

Create a new calendar (Tools>Change Working Time). Copy the Standard
calendar, name it (I used 7Day) and make Saturdays & Sundays working
days.
Then insert a custom duration field ([Duration1] for example) in the task
table. Choose Tools>Customize Fields and select the [Duration1] field.
Click the Formula... button and use the following formula:

ProjDateDiff([Start],[Finish],"7Day")

In the Customize fields dialog box, click the Use Formula option for the
task and group summary rows.

This will calculate the number of calendar days between the start of the
task and the finish of the task using the 7Day calendar.


I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

Working in construction, we need to track overall calendar days for the
client, 7 days a week. We need to enter working days in a regular 5-day
work
week. I can't find a way to adjust the calendar to allow this. We are
now
entering 9 days of time for a task that takes 7 in order to allow for
non-working weekends. We would like Project to do this adjustment
automatically

 

[John]

JulieS
Thank you for your response, it looks involved. I simply want to track the
overall length of the job by calendar days, say 180 days time of completion
of your new building.
When we have Sat and Sun as non-working times and we enter a task, say
"pouring foundations" 8 days, Project automatically calculates the length of
time of the total project as 8 days but in the owner's mind counting calendar
days we have used up 10 days. If we mark Sat and Sun as working we will now
get the correct count of calendar time, however we have to add in the weekend
time that most contractors do not figure on. Any suggestion for a solution
to the problem?

hammering4u,
If I may, here's my take on your problem. The construction business can
get really complicated with respect to scheduling. Although the "normal"
scenario might be for a 5 day work week, depending on many factors it is
not uncommon for one or more trades to work "off" hours. For example,
for concrete work, once a pour is started, it must continue regardless
of time of day or day of week to ensure a monolithic consistent
structure.

With Project there are various ways to approach this type of scheduling
challenge. One is to assign customized calendars to individual tasks
and/or resources. For example, a standard (8 hour day/5 day week) can be
applied to most tasks and a 24 hr calendar to those tasks that must be
worked continuously until completed.

The Duration field in Project normally shows working time. However it
can be configured to show elapsed time by entering values as "xxed" (for
elapsed days).

If on the other hand you simply want to have a separate column that
shows elapsed time instead of working time, then Julie's approach is
appropriate although there is no need to change the calendar and the
formula should be:
Duration1= DateDiff("d",[Start],[Finish])*480+480
Note: the 480 factors appended to the end "re-calibrate" the Duration1
field which has a built-in conversion).

John
Project MVP

Hi hammering4u,

I'm not sure I follow your scenario exactly. What I assume you are looking
for is to show how many calendar days (including non-working time during
the
weekend) have passed from the start of the task to the finish of the task.
You can use a custom duration (Duration1, Duration2, etc.) to calculate the
number of calendar days. If I am incorrect, please let us know and we'll
try again. Based on the above assumption:

Create a new calendar (Tools>Change Working Time). Copy the Standard
calendar, name it (I used 7Day) and make Saturdays & Sundays working days.
Then insert a custom duration field ([Duration1] for example) in the task
table. Choose Tools>Customize Fields and select the [Duration1] field.
Click the Formula... button and use the following formula:

ProjDateDiff([Start],[Finish],"7Day")

In the Customize fields dialog box, click the Use Formula option for the
task and group summary rows.

This will calculate the number of calendar days between the start of the
task and the finish of the task using the 7Day calendar.


I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

Working in construction, we need to track overall calendar days for the
client, 7 days a week. We need to enter working days in a regular 5-day
work
week. I can't find a way to adjust the calendar to allow this. We are
now
entering 9 days of time for a task that takes 7 in order to allow for
non-working weekends. We would like Project to do this adjustment
automatically

 

[DavidC]

Hi,

I also work in construction and understand entirely your problem. The way I
overcome the problem is to set the project calendar to a seven day week, 56
hours per week and 31 days per month. That way Project sees every day as
working. Create a new calendar and call it 'seven day week', then assign
this calendar to the project under 'Project'/'Project Information'.

Then I set the calendar for the tasks to a 'standard' five day week calendar.

Now a five day duration activity will say start on Thursday and finish on
Wednesday. The task duration will be five days, but the summary task under
which the task lies, will show seven days.

Hope this helps you.

Regards

DavidC

JulieS
Thank you for your response, it looks involved. I simply want to track the
overall length of the job by calendar days, say 180 days time of completion
of your new building.
When we have Sat and Sun as non-working times and we enter a task, say
"pouring foundations" 8 days, Project automatically calculates the length of
time of the total project as 8 days but in the owner's mind counting calendar
days we have used up 10 days. If we mark Sat and Sun as working we will now
get the correct count of calendar time, however we have to add in the weekend
time that most contractors do not figure on. Any suggestion for a solution
to the problem?

Hi hammering4u,

I'm not sure I follow your scenario exactly. What I assume you are looking
for is to show how many calendar days (including non-working time during the
weekend) have passed from the start of the task to the finish of the task.
You can use a custom duration (Duration1, Duration2, etc.) to calculate the
number of calendar days. If I am incorrect, please let us know and we'll
try again. Based on the above assumption:

Create a new calendar (Tools>Change Working Time). Copy the Standard
calendar, name it (I used 7Day) and make Saturdays & Sundays working days.
Then insert a custom duration field ([Duration1] for example) in the task
table. Choose Tools>Customize Fields and select the [Duration1] field.
Click the Formula... button and use the following formula:

ProjDateDiff([Start],[Finish],"7Day")

In the Customize fields dialog box, click the Use Formula option for the
task and group summary rows.

This will calculate the number of calendar days between the start of the
task and the finish of the task using the 7Day calendar.


I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

Working in construction, we need to track overall calendar days for the
client, 7 days a week. We need to enter working days in a regular 5-day
work
week. I can't find a way to adjust the calendar to allow this. We are
now
entering 9 days of time for a task that takes 7 in order to allow for
non-working weekends. We would like Project to do this adjustment
automatically