my task must not span non-working time

[Martin]

Hi Group,

I'm creating a new project and have some tasks that must not span
non-working time.

This project has nothing to do with building but I'll use a building
example. I have a task to mix morta that takes 15 minutes, ms project
decides there is 15 minutes left before the start of the weekend and so
schedules the morta to be mixed. The next task laying bricks starts on
Monday morning, however, the morta is rock solid and cannot be used .
Is there any way to ensure that a task or a group of tasks stay
together without bridging non-working time?

TIA
Martin.

 

[Catfish Hunter]

If a task completes Friday at 5:00 PM and that's the end of shift and last
work day of the week then the successor task will start in the next working
day. I suggest you not schedule something that takes only 15 minutes. Instead
of mix morta as one task and a second lay brick, make it one task - Lay Brick.
Hope this helps.

 

[Martin]

Thanks, I only used the morta / laying bricks as an example. I'm
actually scheduling software upgrades of remote systems. I have one
single task that takes 4 hours and if it starts it must run within
working time, it cannot start / stop and then start again after the
weekend. So I need some way of telling project that this task cannot
span non-working time.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Can it span the night?

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Create a calendar that shows hours of work where the work can start equals
the start of your workday and the hour work ends equal to the end of your
workday MINUS this task's duration. What you're saying is if your workday
is 8 to 5, this 4 hour task must start sometime between 8am and 1pm in order
to avoid the possibility of it splitting over non-working time. Assign this
calendar to the task as its task calendar.

 

[Catfish Hunter]

The only way I know of to do this is to assign the task to a 24 hour or 7 day
a week calendar. This would mean that it would be available to start on a
week end. Good Luck.

 

[Martin]

Yes is can happen in the night, but this task affects end users
(internet) and our customer has stipulated they cannot be affected
during the weekend. I have created a new calendar that allows the task
to run in the night but I need to ensure it is not scheduled to start
just before midnight.

 

[Martin]

Thanks this might just do the trick I'll give it a go.

 

[Martin]

.... on Friday

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Sorry???
It can run in the night but not start just before midnight?
Is that Midnight on Friday or all midnights?
I think I can help you but the requirements have to be clear.
HTH

 

[Martin]

The project is to manage the upgrade of equipment that serves internet
users. Some tasks in the project are service affecting (i.e. the user
has no use of the internet during the task) so we have been given what
are called maintenance windows during which the internet user has been
informed that their service may be affected. I have created a new
calendar with working time during these maintenance windows.

So I have one task that when started cannot be stopped and takes 4
hours to complete, during this time users have no internet access. We
have maintenance windows from midnight to 7am Monday to Friday. There
are several pieces of equipment to upgrade and currently MS project
starts the 1st at midnight and the 2nd at 3am but the 2nd cannot be
completed by 7am so it spans non-working time into the next maintenance
window which violates the imposed constraint by 1 hour in this case.

I hope this makes it clear.
TIA Martin.

 

[Martin]

So I've found a workaround using a task that initiates the upgrade 45
mins and assigning it to it's own calendar (45 mins in the time frame I
want the task to start) followed by a task linked to it with elapsed
time (4 ehrs) for the duration.

Martin.

 

[Martin]

What is the procedure to have microsoft include my initial request
("prevent a task from spanning non-working time" and "prevent a task
from splitting up") in a future version of project?