Resources see all tasks including the ones dependant on another to finish

[Mike Murray]

I am a new subscriber.

My question is that my resources can see ALL of their tasks assigned to
them, even though tasks dependant on another has not been completed yet.

I thought if a task has a predecessor attached. It will not be shown to that
resource until it has been completed.

Thank you

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Mike --

You are mistaken. Team members can see all of their tasks in Project Web
Access or they can choose to see only current tasks by selecting the
"Current tasks" option in the sidepane on the left. However, the system
never hides anyone's tasks until predecessor tasks are completed. Given
this fact, the need for good team communications is imperative, especially
if a predecessor task finishes early. In fact, the client I worked with
last week has actually set up a formal process of how team members should
respond if one of them finishes a predecessor task early so that the
successor task can also start early. Hope this helps.

 

[Mike Murray]

Thank you Dale, One last question. When a task is completed EARLY, is their
an option for the project schedule to automatically update!! reflecting the
kickoff of the other tasks sooner than their specific start date.

Second part of the question is when a task is finished early and recorded as
100%, Once it is approved by the project manager, The view summary shows the
Actual Task Completed Date to be the Finish Date when in fact the Actual
Finish date should be in "Real Time"
example: Say Task 6- shows 3 days? start: July 27th finish: July30th. Task 6
is completed on July 29th. Should'nt actual finish date say July29th?
Mine says July 30th is there a setting issue or is this just the way the
system reports??

Thanks for your help.

Mike

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Mike --

The answer to both of your questions depends on your method of tracking. It
sounds from your message like you are using the % Work Complete method of
tracking. If this is the case, then it is difficult to show an early finish
date for a task without using the Actual Start and Actual Finish fields in
each team member's timesheet. And using these fields will require some
training of your people to use them correctly. The methodology for using
these fields properly would be to ask your team members to submit progress
as follows:

1. When you actually begin work on a task, enter the date in the Actual
Start field
2. Each week, set the estimated % Work Complete for the task
3. When the task actually finishes, DO NOT enter 100% in the % Work
Complete field, but instead, enter the date in the Actual Finish field
4. If a task finishes early, then do an immediate update to the project
manager (preferably followed by a phone call as well)

The project manager should immediately approve the task update and then
republish using Collaborate - Publish - All Information. The PM should
probably call the resource on the next dependent task to notify them of an
early start on their task.

When you use the % Work Complete method without using the Actual Start and
Actual Finish fields as I detail above, here's how Microsoft Project assumes
it should work:

1. When you enter a % Work Complete value, the software assumes the Start
date is the Actual Start date (the task started as scheduled)
2. When you enter 100% complete for the task, the software assumes the
Finish date is the Actual Finish date (the task finished as scheduled)

This is the way the software works, and this is a limitation of using the %
Work Complete method of tracking progress. That is why I recommend you use
the Actual Start and Actual Finish fields as well on each user's timesheet.
To get those fields to show up on the timesheet, each project manager will
need to open EVERY project and do the following in each project:

1. Click Tools - Customize - Published Fields
2. Copy the Actual Start and Actual Finish fields to the right
3. Select the "Let resource change field" option for each field
4. Click OK
5. Click Collaborate - Publish - Republish Assignments and then click OK

Doing the above steps will "push" these fields to each user's timesheet. If
you are using Project Server 2002, the fields will appear on the far right
end of the task list. Team members should move the fields to the left side
of the page, to the immediate right of the Task Name column. If you are
using Project Server 2003, your Project Server administrator will need to
modify the Timesheet view to include these fields as well and can position
the fields on the timesheet from this view. Hope this helps.

 

[Sumit]

Dear Dale,

We are using the process as described by you with the only difference being that the team members enter values for all the fileds i.e. Actual Start, Actual Finish & %complete. As you have suggested not to enter the latter what difference would it make if they enter that as well?

Regards,
sumit

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Sumit --

When an Actual Finish date is entered, Microsoft Project Server will
automatically mark the task as 100% complete at the time the project manager
updates the actuals into the project plan. Hope this helps.

Dear Dale,

We are using the process as described by you with the only difference

being that the team members enter values for all the fileds i.e. Actual
Start, Actual Finish & %complete. As you have suggested not to enter the
latter what difference would it make if they enter that as well?