Steve
Tue Jan 27 10:22:05 CST 2004
Opps - wrong account
I agree completely Gary - I'm a big believer in the right tool for the job.
What I teach my classes is that the task type should be looked at for each
individual task immediately prior to changing any of the three WED values
with an eye to the question "Why am I changing this and what should happen
to the task when I do?" I view it as a control for the PM to use to direct
Project's scheduling engine's behavior toward the most accurate model and
not an attribute of the task per se. What I do see in a lot of my students
is that they have a preconceived notion of what the schedule *should* be and
then set tasks to fixed duration in an effort to prevent Project from
telling them different, even when it really should be doing so.
Steve House
MS PRoject MVP
"Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]" <garyNOSPAM@chefetzDOTorg> wrote in message
news:eMVr3KO5DHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Steve:
>
> You need to think outside the classic PM box to understand this. It's not
a
> love affair, it's a necessity to model certain business processes that do
> not fit into an "as soon as possible" scenario. It's evident that you have
a
> distinct bias toward effort-based planning, and I accept all of your
> arguments for it as valid, however that ideal-state is often not desirable
> or achievable. Thankfully, Project supports both methodologies.
>
> --
>
> Gary Chefetz [MVP]
>
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
> We wrote the book on Project Server
>
>
> "Steve House" <sjhouse.remove.this@to.send.hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4016540e$0$3719$45beb828@newscene.com...
> > Where are you seeing units without resources being assigned for your
> > Task B? How are you entering 20d for units in Task A?
> >
> > When I do your experiment with Task B in Proj 2003, it appears the
> > calculation is "on hold" until the resources are assigned. After
> > defining 2 resources and entering the task with a duration of 10 days
> > and a work of 20, nothing happens. Then opening the resource list box,
> > selecting one resource and hitting "assign" results in a 100% assignment
> > and a duration of 20 days while selecting both resources and hitting
> > assign results in both assigned at 100% and the duration remains at 10
> > days. (Task Type is the default fixed units). Instead of recalculating
> > units, when assigning resources to a task that already has a work
> > estimate, Proj 203 assumes a 100% resource assignment for all resources
> > assigned together and fixed work, then recalculates duration accordingly
> > which seems to me to be a very reasonable approach. I don't understand
> > this love affair so many people seem to have with fixed duration tasks.
> >
> > --
> > Steve House
> > MS Project MVP
> > Visit
http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
> >
> >
> > "Gérard Ducouret" <gerard.ducouret@wanadooNOSPAM.fr> wrote in message
> > news:uF9ZLnL5DHA.1816@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > > Hi Paul, hi Jan,
> > >
> > > The task type doesn't matter when you enter the Work in the Assign
> > Resources
> > > dialog box. But if you enter it in the Work column inserted in any
> > Table,
> > > the Fixed Units for example yields a strange result :
> > >
> > > Try the following : (I'm working with MSP 2002)
> > >
> > > Task A : Duration 10d, Assign resource : 20d (in the Units cell) => Ms
> > > Project Calculate : Units = 2, OK.
> > >
> > > Task B : Duration 10d, Work : 20d (in the column) => Ms Project
> > Calculate :
> > > Units = 2 *AND* the Duration jumps to 20 d !
> > >
> > > If you observe the Task Usage, there are 2 Units nowhere.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Haven't you observed this phenomenon ?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Gérard Ducouret
> > >
> > > "Jan De Messemaeker" <jandemes at prom hyphen ade dot be> a écrit dans
> > le
> > > message de news: etj3zZJ5DHA.2760@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> > > > Hi all,
> > > >
> > > > BTW, this is true for ll task types, not just for Fixd Duration.
> > > >
> > > > - You always better enter duration
> > > > You CAN then enter work
> > > > If you do, when assigning a resource, units are calculated
> > > > HTH
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Jan De Messemaeker
> > > > Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
> > > > Project Management Consultancy
> > > > Prom+ade BVBA
> > > > 32-495-300 620
> > > > "Gérard Ducouret" <gerard.ducouret@wanadooNOSPAM.fr> schreef in
> > bericht
> > > > news:uAV0R9E5DHA.2008@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> > > > > Hello Paul,
> > > > >
> > > > > Yes, you can define a task by it's Duration and it's load of Work
> > > > > Then set the Task Type to Fixed Duration.
> > > > > When you'll assign a resource to that task, Ms Project will
> > calculate
> > > the
> > > > > Units:
> > > > > Duration x Units = Work
> > > > >
> > > > > Gérard Ducouret
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > "Paul" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> a écrit dans le
> > message de
> > > > > news: 482701c3e446$625ea7c0$a001280a@phx.gbl...
> > > > > > When initially setting-up a project does it matter if you
> > > > > > add work or duration before reasources?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>