Variable Successors

[Jim Aksel]

Sorry for being long winded...
We have a software development program with many "functionalities." When a
functinoality is complete, it is placed into a release cycle for the month in
which the functionality is complete. Therefore, we do monthly releases...
the content of that monthly release is negotiable and includes what is
complete for that month. {I have opinions here, but let's just say the
Customer is King}

For now, we are tying functionalities to specific monthly releases.
However, if "Functionality 12" is supposed to be in June and this
functionality runs late we could have the "June Release" sometine August.
That will not work.

What I would like to do is create a successor for "Functionality 12" such
that the successor will automatically flow into the correct month release.
So, when "Functionality 12" gets an [Actual Finish] then I want to place it
into the release for that month... whenever that happens to be. For now, we
just rehook the successors manually. But I'm lazy....

Using VBA, I would think it is similar to using a Switch or Select Case type
statement based on the [Finish] or [Actual Finish]

{Just in case you are wondering... the scope of the project is variable, the
budget and timeline are fixed. So, we do releases until we run out of
time/budget, if it doesn't get done, the customer funds additional time ...
or we reach the day the bad guys have circled on their calendar}

 

[John]

Sorry for being long winded...
We have a software development program with many "functionalities." When a
functinoality is complete, it is placed into a release cycle for the month in
which the functionality is complete. Therefore, we do monthly releases...
the content of that monthly release is negotiable and includes what is
complete for that month. {I have opinions here, but let's just say the
Customer is King}

For now, we are tying functionalities to specific monthly releases.
However, if "Functionality 12" is supposed to be in June and this
functionality runs late we could have the "June Release" sometine August.
That will not work.

What I would like to do is create a successor for "Functionality 12" such
that the successor will automatically flow into the correct month release.
So, when "Functionality 12" gets an [Actual Finish] then I want to place it
into the release for that month... whenever that happens to be. For now, we
just rehook the successors manually. But I'm lazy....

Using VBA, I would think it is similar to using a Switch or Select Case type
statement based on the [Finish] or [Actual Finish]

{Just in case you are wondering... the scope of the project is variable, the
budget and timeline are fixed. So, we do releases until we run out of
time/budget, if it doesn't get done, the customer funds additional time ...
or we reach the day the bad guys have circled on their calendar}

Jim,
Sure, VBA could probably be written to automatically look at the
necessary requirement and do the re-linking but unless you have a ton of
tasks to re-link, I think you SHOULD do it manually. Algorithms are
great but they can also do unexpected things under some conditions. What
you describe is part of managing the project and normally that's
something best done by the project manager.

My opinion.
John
Project MVP