Task duration in project web access

P

Patrizia

Hi all,

can a resource modify the task duration (or start date)
in project web access? If yes, how?

Thank you
Patrizia
 
D

Dale Howard

Patrizia --

Resources are not allowed to change the Duration of a task assignment in
Project Web Access. The assumption behind this is that estimating Duration
is the responsibility of the project manager.

On the other hand, resources can enter an Actual Start date for a task. In
order for them to do so, however, you need to "push" the Actual Start field
(and perhaps Actual Finish, as well) to each user's timesheet. To do this,
complete the following steps:

1. Open the project in question
2. Click Tools - Customize - Published Fields...
3. From the list on the left, select the additional fields you want and
copy them to the list on the right
4. For each field you select, make sure you have selected the "Let resource
change field" option
5. Click the OK button
6. Click Collaborate - Publish - Republish Assignments and click OK
7. Repeat these steps for every project which is already published in which
you want to use this method of tracking

Hope this helps.

--
Dale A. Howard
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
Denver, Colorado
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"
 
P

Patrizia

Dale,
I already had tried with Actual Start and Finish, but
these fields have not modified Start and Finish Dates in
the task. Why?
Thanks
Patrizia
 
D

Dale Howard

Patrizia --

Let me ask a few questions to confirm what is going on:

1. Have you "pushed" the Actual Start and Actual Finish fields to PWA by
clicking Collaborate - Publish - Republish Assignments?

2. Are you using either the "% Work Complete" or "Actual Work Done and Work
Remaining" as your method for tracking progress?

3. Are your people entering an Actual Start date on tasks that do not
already have Actual Work entered in them? Or have they already entered and
submitted Actual Work values, and then attempted to enter an Actual Start
date?

4. Do you have more than one resource assigned to each task?

Let me know the answers to these questions and I'll try to troubleshoot the
problem "from a distance."
 
G

Gary Chefetz [MVP]

Patrizia:

If your resources are reporting hours by day, then the resource indirectly
does control the actual start date which the system will set to the first
date and time on which work hours were reported by any resource with an
assignment on the task. A resource has similar control of the duration which
the system continuously calculates based on the value entered in remaining
work.
 
P

Patrizia

Sorry for the delay in the answer.
1. Have you "pushed" the Actual Start and Actual Finish fields to PWA by
clicking Collaborate - Publish - Republish Assignments? Yes

2. Are you using either the "% Work Complete" or "Actual Work Done and Work
Remaining" as your method for tracking progress? I am
Click to expand...
using "Actual Work Done and Work Remaining"
3. Are your people entering an Actual Start date on tasks that do not
already have Actual Work entered in them? Or have they already entered and
submitted Actual Work values, and then attempted to enter an Actual Start
date? The tasks not have the actual work entered in them
Click to expand...
4. Do you have more than one resource assigned to each
Click to expand...
task? In every task there is only one resource

Many thanks
Patrizia
 
P

Patrizia

Gary,
I know this method, but my resources can insert only the
total hours at the end of activity. To beginning activity
they must be able to modify, from pwa, the start and the
duration of the job regarding that one set up from the
manager. How it can be made?
Thanks
Patrizia
 
S

Steve House

One other thought - if there's more than one resource on a task and they
don't necessarily work together, the duration is from when the earliest
starting resource begins work until the latest finishing resource is done.
We have two guys each doing 40 man-hours on a task scheduled to bebin on
Monday. Task duration is 5 days. One guy starts on time but the other
doesn't start until the following Mondayfor some re ason. Meanwhile
resource 1 has done his 5 days and leaves. Now the total work, etc, hasn't
changed but the task duration has 10 days. That could be affecting some of
your schedule as well.
 
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