Multi-Phase Tasks in Project

[benneyb]

I'm a new Project user, and want to creat multiple phase tasks, without
re-entering the task for each phase. For IT related projects, for ex. I'd
like "Item A" to cut across Definition, Construction and Validation phases,
without entering "Item A" for each phase, or 3x in total.

Is this possible?

 

[salgud]

I'm a new Project user, and want to creat multiple phase tasks, without
re-entering the task for each phase. For IT related projects, for ex. I'd
like "Item A" to cut across Definition, Construction and Validation phases,
without entering "Item A" for each phase, or 3x in total.

Is this possible?

You could create a task outside of the outline structure (not indented
undar any of the phases) that would stretch across them all in time. This
is often done for something that goes for as long as the project itself,
like "Project Management".

However, in this case, it would be considered a bad practice for a number
of reasons. The main reason would be the tasks duration would be many weeks
or months (assuming each phase is weeks or months). A good rule of thumb is
that a single task's duration should be between 1 and 10 days. Otherwise, a
task can get way behind schedule without you knowing it. Unless there is
some extraordinary reason for not doing so, I'd break it up into at least 3
tasks, one for each phase. If the phases are longer than 10 working days,
I'd break it up even more.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Benny,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

I suggest you want to use the summary system in Project. For example, enter
a task to represent the Phase and then its first task. Select that task and
indent it using the right arrow in the toolbar. This will turn the Phase
task into a summary. Enter whatever tasks necessary underneath and the
Summary will summarize its tasks. You can then close down the summary by
clicking on its minus sign, click on its ID number, select Copy. Move to
the next empty line and Paste. Repeat for the third phase.

However, I'd thoroughly recommend you attend at least a 2-day introductory
course on Project to get you up and running quickly. Meanwhile, you might
like to have a look at my free series for beginners on Microsoft Project in
the TechTrax ezine, particularly #2 & #3, at this site:
http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the articles before leaving the site,
Thanks.)

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

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

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[vanita]

Hi

As Mike has suggested for each phase create a Summary task and have tasks of
each phase under its Summary.

'Item A' of each phase would be dependent on different tasks of each phase.
Thus, you can't have a single task stretching to different phases.

I hope it helps.
Vanita