Problems from linking summary tasks to activities?

[DCsr]

I have tried to discourage planners from linking summary tasks either to each
other or to subordinate tasks under other summary tasks. Do these links
affect the critical path negatively? What is the potential negative impact if
changes are made to subordinate tasks? Is it safer to simply insist that
tasks only link to tasks and to let Project establish the summary tasks?

 

[Rick Roszko]

1. Don't assign resources to Summary tasks!

2. Linking Summary tasks to anything is wrong.

This is how it works:
-Tasks get linked.
-Tasks feed into Milestones.
-Milestones act as the "jump off" point to the next set of tasks.

Linking Summary tasks to anything is just being lazy.
-It is prone to huge huge huge errors
-Your Gantt Chart View looks like spagetti
-You can't follow the logical progression of tasks at all

Therefore:
-Use milestones.
-Feed tasks into milestones.
-Did I mention use milestones instead?
-And maybe re-training...

 

[John]

I have tried to discourage planners from linking summary tasks either to each
other or to subordinate tasks under other summary tasks. Do these links
affect the critical path negatively? What is the potential negative impact if
changes are made to subordinate tasks? Is it safer to simply insist that
tasks only link to tasks and to let Project establish the summary tasks?

DCsr,
Go to our MVP website at: http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm
and read FAQ 48 - Summary task linking.

The bottom line, insist that planners do not link to summary lines.

John
Project MVP