Putting a hold on tasks

[jp]

Hi,

I have a project with many tasks and the developer has moved on to get the
most important tasks done -- because of time. How do I place previous tasks
on hold?
That's because based on the project some things should've been done this
week but instead other tasks have taken priority.

-jp

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

A couple of options to try out:

1) Just add dependencies from the higher priority tasks to the lower
priority tasks.
2) Set task priorities and level your project.
3) Not sure how you're updating your project, but you could open the Gantt
Chart view and expose the Stop and Resume fields. Then manually plug dates
into the Resume fields.

I haven't quite used that approach manually, but I have played with a macro
that does just that.

If you can't enter dates into the Resume field, check Tools > Options to
ensure that Splitting Tasks is allowed.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Try this:
Tools
Tracking
Update Project
Reschedule uncompleted work to start after..
OK

HTH

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

That's probably simpler than the other options I threw out....go with Jan's
suggestion.


- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[jp]

oh ok. So there is no way to suspend tasks in MS-Project 2003?

I have to try Andrew's option of exposing the fields he suggested. I will
try your suggestion too. The funny thing about MS-Project is that you can
always plan it but it rarely follows a "single yellow line" and that's where
we neeed a button to suspend things.... Thansk Jan, Andrew for your
suggestions.
;-)

-jp

 

[jp]

I went to the task and inserted the "Stop" and "Resume" fields.
These tasks were supposed to get started 2/3/10 and did not (now 2/24/10).
I am also having difficulty splitting tasks unless they have at least 1%
started. If
it's 0% it won't allow me to do anything with the "Stop" and "Resume" fields.
Can u explain the rules on "Stop" "Resume" fields and what they can and cannot
do? Many thanks.

-jp

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

I'm probably too old to understand this.
WXhat else that "putting on hold" does the reschedule work button do?
It either delays or SPLITS task as you want.
BTW there is the option "For selected tasks" if you want to limit its
influence.
HTH

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi jp,

Try, in the Task Usage view, entering zero work between the stop and re-start dates.

Mike Glen
Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials



oh ok. So there is no way to suspend tasks in MS-Project 2003?

I have to try Andrew's option of exposing the fields he suggested. I will
try your suggestion too. The funny thing about MS-Project is that you can
always plan it but it rarely follows a "single yellow line" and that's where
we neeed a button to suspend things.... Thansk Jan, Andrew for your
suggestions.
;-)

-jp

 

[Steve House]

Not sure what you mean by "suspend tasks." Remember that project is not
designed to reflect dates you determine elsewhere but rather compute the
schedule that you ought to be working. In aviation they say you plan your
flight then fly your plan. Project works on the assumption that that is the
way you'll work on your projects as well - that you'll plan when tasks ought
to be done using Project and mandate that your resources work according to
the schedule you've developed. If you were supposed to do a task last week
but didn't follow the plan and do it, all you can do is reschedule to the
earliest date you can do it - hence the advice to use the "reschedule
uncompleted work" tool. "Suspend" seems to imply that work will be done on
the task at some indeterminate date in the future but if that's the way
you're actually going to work scheduling is pretty much meaningless and all
you have is a to-do list.

 

[Steve House]

If the task was supposed to start on the 3rd but nothing has been done so
far, why do you want to leave any of it showing on the 3rd? You don't have
a time machine that would let you go back and do some of that work on its
originally scheduled date, do you? The earliest you can actually do any
work on it now is swometime in the the future, hence rescheduling it to
start after the date you think you'll be able to get back to it is the only
logical thing to do. Splitting would mean you got some of the work done but
stood down before it was completed. The work that was done stays on the
days you did it and the balance of the task needs to move to reschedule for
the date you'll get back to it.

 

[jp]

Thanks Steve,

So is rescheuduling simply changing the "Start" date of the task or is there
some
other elaborate way of doing it?

-JP

 

[jp]

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your reply. Is the reschedule button the one labeled
"Reschedule work"? I have highlighted the task and click on the "Reschedule
work" and it changed the start date. Is it the same as if I had done it
manually (enter the start date based on my logic?). Thank you Jan.

-JP

 

[jp]

Hi Mike,

Sorry, could you repeat that?
I went to the "Task View" screen and inserted the "Stop" and "Resume" columns.
I could not find the "Re-start" field. Next, where does the zero go again?
Is it in
the "Details" or....Thanks Mike

-jp

 

[jp]

Steve,

Thank you. I understand exactly what you mean. All I can say is, some
projects
are crazy....

;-(
-jp

 

[Mike Glen]

I referred to the Task Usage view.

Mike Glen
Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials



Hi Mike,

Sorry, could you repeat that?
I went to the "Task View" screen and inserted the "Stop" and "Resume" columns.
I could not find the "Re-start" field. Next, where does the zero go again?
Is it in
the "Details" or....Thanks Mike

-jp

 

[Steve House]

Reschedule works slightly differently depending on whether the task has any
work done on it ir not. If there is no work done, it applies a "Start No
Earlier Than" constraint to the task of the designated resume work date,
effectively rescheduling the task to start on that date. IF there has been
some work done - say, for example, there's a 5-day duration task that was
supposed to begin last Monday and it's now late Friday afternoon. Work was
done Monday and Tuesday but then stopped, the resource called in sick, so it
has an Actual Start of Monday, an Actual Duration of 2 days, and a Remaining
Duration of 3 days. Reschedule Work (to after today) will split the task at
Tueday, leaving Monday and Tuesday's work where it is, and shift the
remaining 3 day out to resume on next Monday, with those 3 days scheduled to
run on Mon, Tue, and Wed of next week. For the first task, the one with no
work at all, the Stop and Resume fields will be empty and the rescheduling
is accomplished through the constraint, same as manually entering a start
date. For the second task, the date marking the end of the work performed
populates the Stop field and the date the remaining work begins populates
the Resume field. In both cases your Baseline (you do have a baseline,
right?) will retain the originally scheduled start and end dates for
progress reporting and comparison purposes.

 

[jp]

Got it Steve. Yes, I have a baseline.
;-)
-JP

Reschedule works slightly differently depending on whether the task has any
work done on it ir not. If there is no work done, it applies a "Start No
Earlier Than" constraint to the task of the designated resume work date,
effectively rescheduling the task to start on that date. IF there has been
some work done - say, for example, there's a 5-day duration task that was
supposed to begin last Monday and it's now late Friday afternoon. Work was
done Monday and Tuesday but then stopped, the resource called in sick, so it
has an Actual Start of Monday, an Actual Duration of 2 days, and a Remaining
Duration of 3 days. Reschedule Work (to after today) will split the task at
Tueday, leaving Monday and Tuesday's work where it is, and shift the
remaining 3 day out to resume on next Monday, with those 3 days scheduled to
run on Mon, Tue, and Wed of next week. For the first task, the one with no
work at all, the Stop and Resume fields will be empty and the rescheduling
is accomplished through the constraint, same as manually entering a start
date. For the second task, the date marking the end of the work performed
populates the Stop field and the date the remaining work begins populates
the Resume field. In both cases your Baseline (you do have a baseline,
right?) will retain the originally scheduled start and end dates for
progress reporting and comparison purposes.
--
Steve House
MS Project Trainer & Consultant




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