Problem with critical path MS Project2000

[bexley]

Please can anyone help me?

I have a master programme with at least 8 inserted sub projects. I have
been asked to create a critical path with the wizard but it is hardly
throwing me with critical tasks.
The problem is that even with doing the critical path on individual
project you have one line if you are lucky.
All plans have been created by different people and most dates have
been dictated so even though you do at times have start as soon as
possible it is really rare. Also not all tasks have predecessors or
successors.

I am not sure if I make sense but this seems to be proving impossible
to make unless I do a critical path manual with tasks that I think will
be critical to the end of the project.

I forgot to say that all subprojects work in parrallel and some tasks
are interdependent with another subproject.

Sorry for the confusion.

Any help would be appreciated even if to tell me that it is not
possible to achieve what I am after.

 

[JulieS]

Hi bexley,

If you have a project file with missing predecessors/successors and
manually entered dates, I wouldn't expect a critical path. By
manually entering dates but omitting successors, tasks may be
delayed without impacting the schedule of any other task in the
project.

You may get a bit of useful information (not a lot) by adding the
Total Slack field to a table to show the amount of time a task can
be delayed before it passes the end date, but if you cannot
significantly revise the schedule, I'd give up on a meaningful
critical path analysis.

See Mike Glen's very good article on Network Analysis and critical
path at:
http://project.mvps.org/networkanalysis.htm

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

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[salgud]

Please can anyone help me?

I have a master programme with at least 8 inserted sub projects. I have
been asked to create a critical path with the wizard but it is hardly
throwing me with critical tasks.
The problem is that even with doing the critical path on individual
project you have one line if you are lucky.
All plans have been created by different people and most dates have
been dictated so even though you do at times have start as soon as
possible it is really rare. Also not all tasks have predecessors or
successors.

I am not sure if I make sense but this seems to be proving impossible
to make unless I do a critical path manual with tasks that I think will
be critical to the end of the project.

I forgot to say that all subprojects work in parrallel and some tasks
are interdependent with another subproject.

Sorry for the confusion.

Any help would be appreciated even if to tell me that it is not
possible to achieve what I am after.

As Julie said, by having so many constraints, and missing predecessors, you
practically guarantee not having a CP. In addition to what Julie said, you
can search this group for "Schedule Continuity", which means that virtually
every task (other than summary lines and possibly meetings) has at least
one predecessor and at least one successor. Do that, and remove your
constraints, and you'll have a critical path.

Hope this helps in your world.

 

[bexley]

Many thanks to both of you JulieS and Salgud.
I had an incline to think what you said but I was told that I wasnt
using MS Project correctly.
I dont think it would be possible to end up with a slack of 0 seeing
that there are too many things happening in parrallel and people are not
too fussed on a definite constraint date.Plenty of contingency time has
been allowed throughout the programme.
I now have one foot to stand on to explain why this is not possible.

Many thanks once again

 

[JulieS]

You're welcome. Glad to have helped and thanks for the feedback.

Julie