D
David Pedersen
This question relates to managing projects with Project 2007 Standard Edition.
Bear with me on this one...
I manage several small software development projects at a time. Each
project has its own schedule that is based on a standard project schedule
template. I insert each of these schedules into a master project file so I
can see them all at once and use a shared resource pool for managing
resources.
In my work environment, there are events (unrelated to the development of
software) that prevent us from deploying applications to the production
servers for several weeks at a time. These events have a tendency to be a
little unpredictable (the event is scheduled, but often delayed). During
these events, we can continue work on any of the tasks that make up the
development schedule EXCEPT the deployment of the applications to the
production servers.
I decided that the way to handle these events was to create a task calendar
which I attach to the task that is related to deploying the applications to
the production servers. The task calendar has the scheduled time for the
event marked as non-working time, so that the deployment is automatically
delayed until after the event is over, but all other tasks can be worked.
When I add such a task calendar to a schedule, it works perfectly. Also,
when I insert the project into my master schedule, it works perfectly. The
concern I have is related to managing the task calendar. If I have five
software projects going on at the same time, this means I have five task
calendars to manage. If the event is delayed (which it often is), I have to
go update five task calendars.
What I'd like to do is to add the task calendar to the schedule template,
but have it look for the task calendar in the master schedule file (if that
is where calendars are kept), so that when I insert a new project into my
master schedule, it can find the task calendar automatically and delay the
deployment date if the deployment task falls within the event. This would
allow me to manage one task calendar for the event at the master schedule
level. If the event is delayed, I only have to change one task calendar, not
five.
My questions are:
Is this the best way to handle a non-working event that affects only one
task in a schedule?
Can I set up the standard schedule template to look for the task schedule at
the master schedule level instead of the individual schedule level to reduce
the maintenance burden? How do I do this?
And the $64,000 question...
How can I combine the scenario mentioned above with a standard lag from a
predecessor task (13 days), so that I get the GREATER of the two remaining
delays, NOT the SUM of the two delays. For example, if I have a 13 workday
lag from a predecessor and a 25 workday event mentioned before, but they both
happen to begin on the same day, I want to experience only the 25 workday
delay. When I use the task calendar with the event marked as non-working
time, it doesn't count toward the 13 day lag, so I end up delaying the task
by the sum of the individual delays.
Whew!
If I'm making this harder than need be, please let me know how to make it
easier!
Thanks,
David
Bear with me on this one...
I manage several small software development projects at a time. Each
project has its own schedule that is based on a standard project schedule
template. I insert each of these schedules into a master project file so I
can see them all at once and use a shared resource pool for managing
resources.
In my work environment, there are events (unrelated to the development of
software) that prevent us from deploying applications to the production
servers for several weeks at a time. These events have a tendency to be a
little unpredictable (the event is scheduled, but often delayed). During
these events, we can continue work on any of the tasks that make up the
development schedule EXCEPT the deployment of the applications to the
production servers.
I decided that the way to handle these events was to create a task calendar
which I attach to the task that is related to deploying the applications to
the production servers. The task calendar has the scheduled time for the
event marked as non-working time, so that the deployment is automatically
delayed until after the event is over, but all other tasks can be worked.
When I add such a task calendar to a schedule, it works perfectly. Also,
when I insert the project into my master schedule, it works perfectly. The
concern I have is related to managing the task calendar. If I have five
software projects going on at the same time, this means I have five task
calendars to manage. If the event is delayed (which it often is), I have to
go update five task calendars.
What I'd like to do is to add the task calendar to the schedule template,
but have it look for the task calendar in the master schedule file (if that
is where calendars are kept), so that when I insert a new project into my
master schedule, it can find the task calendar automatically and delay the
deployment date if the deployment task falls within the event. This would
allow me to manage one task calendar for the event at the master schedule
level. If the event is delayed, I only have to change one task calendar, not
five.
My questions are:
Is this the best way to handle a non-working event that affects only one
task in a schedule?
Can I set up the standard schedule template to look for the task schedule at
the master schedule level instead of the individual schedule level to reduce
the maintenance burden? How do I do this?
And the $64,000 question...
How can I combine the scenario mentioned above with a standard lag from a
predecessor task (13 days), so that I get the GREATER of the two remaining
delays, NOT the SUM of the two delays. For example, if I have a 13 workday
lag from a predecessor and a 25 workday event mentioned before, but they both
happen to begin on the same day, I want to experience only the 25 workday
delay. When I use the task calendar with the event marked as non-working
time, it doesn't count toward the 13 day lag, so I end up delaying the task
by the sum of the individual delays.
Whew!
If I'm making this harder than need be, please let me know how to make it
easier!
Thanks,
David