Project should allow for "computer times" (ex. microseconds)

[Bill Waters]

I would like to do software scheduling (tasks) in Project, but I don't see
that there is a way to set the schedule to "computer times" (ex.
microseconds)??

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...88af-55a6c943aeb6&dg=microsoft.public.project

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

You can't. Project is designed to schedule human workers. While for
accuracy it maintains times to a 1/10 minute level internally, for all
practical purposes an hour is about the smallest meaningful time interval in
most human endeavors. In fact, seeing a schedule with many tasks that
require less than about 8 man-hiours of effort usually excessive
micromanagement with the accompaning delusions of effectiveness. Software
scheduling doesn't really fit the generally accepted definition of a project
as being a time limited undertaking resulting in a unique product. Sorry

 

[Bill Waters]

This would be a very useful feature and grow the number of Porjuect users
significantly (picking up engineers that don't manage any sort of "project").
Seems like an easy thing to add...

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

It seems like it would be, and mathematically it probably would be trivial,
but consider how data is stored, what the data represents, and the
implications of such a change would be for scheduling projects such as MSP
is presently intended for. Project is storing its time values with an
integer counter register tracking 6 second "ticks" of a master clock. The
register stores sufficient ticks to cover the date range of 1/1/1984 thru
12/31/2049. If each "tick" were to represent a microsecond instead of a
deciminute, the register would max out and overlow with a date range one
six-millionth as long as present. In other words, the longest project it
could accomodate would last a little over 1 hour from start to finish.

Your basic error is in thinking that Project is some sort of time management
or calendaring tool. It is not. It is a tool designed to model the various
tasks required to complete the deliverable and schedule the work defined by
the model that is to be done by resources in projects that have observable
start and end points and result in a unique outcome.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs