Task finish early still impede schedule

[Jim]

Working on a project schedule, I have a task which has a predecessor. The
task is set to Finish to start. The predecessor task actual is a series of
sub tasks. The longest sub task finished early by several weeks and is
marked 100% complete but new task is still not changing its beginning start
time.

example: using current date of 6/14
Develop code
Pgm 1 start 6-1 finish 6-3 100% complete
pgm 2 start 6-3 finish 6-20 80 % complete
Pgm 3 start 6-7 finish 6-29 100% complete

system test (predecessor develop code)
test 1 start 6-29 finish 7-3 set as F-S

What do I need to do to have MS Project change the start date to 6-20 or
when ever pgm 2 finishes

 

[John]

Working on a project schedule, I have a task which has a predecessor. The
task is set to Finish to start. The predecessor task actual is a series of
sub tasks. The longest sub task finished early by several weeks and is
marked 100% complete but new task is still not changing its beginning start
time.

example: using current date of 6/14
Develop code
Pgm 1 start 6-1 finish 6-3 100% complete
pgm 2 start 6-3 finish 6-20 80 % complete
Pgm 3 start 6-7 finish 6-29 100% complete

system test (predecessor develop code)
test 1 start 6-29 finish 7-3 set as F-S

What do I need to do to have MS Project change the start date to 6-20 or
when ever pgm 2 finishes

Jim,
First of all, it sounds like you have a link (predecessor or successor)
on a summary line. This is not recommended. Go to our MVP website at,
http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm, and take a look at FAQ 48 -
Summary task linking.

If the system test is solely dependent on when pgm 2 finishes, then pgm
2 should be the only predecessor of the system test task (assuming it is
not also a summary line).

John
Project MVP

 

[Jim]

John,
I only have the sub tasks as pred/successor. I removed all summary task
links and placed the individual subtasks as successor but it still does not
change.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

If Program 3 doesn't play any part why mention it?
If it is a predecessor to testing the matter cannot start before june 29
If it finished early you have to tell Project by altering the actual finish
date. Project dcannot guess the actyual dates!
Hope this helps

 

[Steve House]

It is impossible for your task PGM3 to be 100% complete with the data you
presented. % Complete refers to duration and you're posting on 14 June.
You posted that PGM3 starts 06 June and finishes 29 June. That works out to
a duration of 18 days. Unless you have a time machine handy, any work
scheduled for any time between 14 June and 29 June simply cannot have been
done yet. If it started on time on the 6th, as of today the most that task
can be is 33% Complete (worked as scheduled through yesterday) UNLESS you
revise the duration. What has happened, if the task really is completed, is
that the duration changed from the original estimate and now in some time <6
days all work has been done. So instead of just marking the task complete,
you need to use the Tracking table to enter an Actual Start Date when the
first bit of work was performed and an Actual Finish Date when it wrapped up
and let Project recalculate the duration that was required so as to reflect
reality. That revised end date is the one that will drive your link.

Project has % Complete, % Work Complete, and % Physical Complete and they
each measure very different aspects of project progress. You must be VERY
careful to insure you're clear on which one you're talking about when you
refer to completion percentages and you must be vigilant you don't
accidently mix apples and oranges.