Timeline with unknown durations

[JenEx]

Hi,

We are currently using Project Standard 2003.

Does anyone know if there is away to more accurately track a project and
send notification to team members when external triggers (milestones) and
unknown durations exist in the timeline?

For Example.

I have a block of work that begins and goes on for a few weeks, however,
before the next set of tasks can begin, I have to wait for componentry from
an external source and I've been given approximations between 2 weeks and 6
months. Unfortunately, I can't control the amount of time it will take for
items to arrive from external sources, but I also have deadlines and tasks
that follow these external sources. It happens that I am always waiting for
items I can't control about 4 times during a one year project. Is there
anyway to get an accurate timeline that I can use to trigger my team and let
them know when they really need to start and complete tasks?

By putting a duration of 0 days (milestone), it throws off my entire
timeline and makes it think that I can start the next task much sooner than I
can in reality, but my team needs to know 1 - 2 weeks in advance when they
need to start something.

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Use lag times in the links between tasks and/or Start No Earlier Than
constraints to model those waiting times.