msproject 6

8/10/2019 msproject 6

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Refining the scheduling

PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]

SECTION 6

Refining the Project

Schedule


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Section Objectives

Upon completion of section 6, you will be able to:

Understand the definition of a critical Path

Calculate the Critical Path Understand slack

Identify slack in your Project

Apply Date Constraints

Avoid unwanted constraints

Understand deadlines

Remove deadlines


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Critical Path

The critical path is the path of longest calendar duration that leads to the earliest finish date

(EFD) for the project. If the duration of a critical task is decreased or increased, the change will

have a direct impact on the project schedule.

You would not want your project to be totally made up of critical task, as there would be no

flexibility in your project. They may also be non-critical task. This does not mean they are

optional. They still have to be completed, because they are just as important as the critical task,

but have some flexibly with their timing. That flexibility is called slack, and you will read more

about slack later in this section.

Be default, Microsoft Project shows all tasks as ordinary task bars in the Gantt chart, and they

appear as blue task bars. In large project, running across multiple projects, it would not be easy

to look at the various path and determine which is the critical path.

Slack

If a task is not on the critical path, it is said to have slack. There are two types of slack:

1. Free slackAmount of time a task can be delayed before it impacts the start of the

successor task.

2. Total slack Amount of time a task can be delayed before it impacts the project

schedule.


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Displaying the Critical Path

A Wizard can be activated to re-format the Gantt Chart to show the critical path tasks. Critical

path tasks will appear red; non-critical path tasks will remain blue.

To Display the Critical Path

Click on the Gantt Chart Wizardon the Formatting Toolbar

A Gantt Chart Wizard dialogue box appears

Click the NEXT button


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Select Critical path

Click on the NEXT button

Click the NEXT button

Click the format it button


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Click the exit wizard button.


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The Gantt Chart is now formatted to show the critical path tasks. On your screen the critical

task are the red task bars. Non critical tasks are the blue bars.

Identifying the Slack in Your Project

Knowing if there is slack in your project and where that slack is, will assist you in resourcemanagement, and managing the plan. The Detail Gantt view will identify slack in the project

The Detail Gantt View

Choose View on the command line

Select More Views

Choose the Detail Gantt View Apply

A Detail Gantt View appears, and shows a green line to the right of an task or phase that has

project slack. You are also told the number of days slack beside the green line.


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Shortening the Schedule

Many times in project management you are asked to shorten the overall project schedule, or a

specific phase. The client may simply want the project sooner than planned.

To shorten the schedule there are many options you could choose, however you must know the

critical path tasks, to zero in on changes that will impact the project schedule.

Some of your option could be:

1.

Reduce scope (product or project)

2. Change the task sequence, by performing task in parallel that are normally done in

sequence.

This is referred to as Fast Tracking the project and you must be careful as Fast Tracking will raise

the risk. How many parallel tasks can you manage at any one time, without losing track of

some, or forgetting some details?

1.

Assign more resources to the task, and if the task is effort driven, the duration will

be shorter.

2. work overtime

3. work extended days, or weekends

Slack line and

number of days


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Shorten the Schedule by Changing the Sequence (Dependency)

In the second bullet of the above list, you could choose to change a finish-to-start dependency

to a start-to-start or a finish-to-finish dependency. You could also choose to overlap task using

lead.

As you learned in a previous section, to change the dependency between two tasks, Double

click on the link arrow between them, and use the drop down arrow in to select a new

dependency.

Task Constraints

When dependencies are established between tasks, Ms Projects ability to re-schedule the start

or finish of a task, dependent on the predecessors start or finish, will be defined by theconstraint that you choose to set on the task. If there is no constraint, then the Wizard has

complete freedom to re-schedule task based on any change you make to the project.

There are three categories of constraints you can choose in Ms Project. They are:

Flexible Constraints

Semi-flexible constraints

Inflexible Constraints

You want to be very selective when applying constraints, because it will cause the Wizard to

provide more prompts if you are adjusting the schedule. You would not want to constraint

every task, or you will get frustrated very quickly when updating the project.

Look to see where the most important dates are, and constrain those, in order to have the most

impact and control on your project schedule.

See the following for the types of constraints that are available to use.

Categories of Constants

Category of Constraints Constraints Name Characteristics


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Flexible As soon as Possible (ASAP) Schedules the task as early

as possible. You do not have

to enter a start/finish date

for this task (the default

constraint type when you

schedule the project from astart date forward)

As Late as Possible

(ALAP)

Schedules the task as late as

possible, without impacting

the finish date of the project

(the default task when you

schedule the project from

finish date backwards).

Semi-flexible Start No Earlier Than (SNET) Ensures a task does not start

before a specific date. The

task will start on or after theselected date.

Start No Later Than (SNLT) Ensures a task does not start

later than a specific date.

The task will start on or

before that date

Finish No Earlier Than

(FNET)

Ensures a task does not

finish later than a specific

date. The task will finish on

or before the date.

Inflexible Must start On

(MSO)

Sets the start date and

anchors it in the schedule

Must Finish On (MFO) Sets the finish date and

anchors it in the schedule


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Setting a Constraints

Select the taskthat you wish to constrain, in the Task Name column

Double clickon the task (a Task information dialogue box appears) Select the Advance Tab.

Click the drop down arrow in the Constraint Type: entry bar

Choose the type of constraints from the drop down list

Click the OK button (a planning Wizard Dialogue box appears if you have chosen a FNLT,

SNLT, MSOL or MFO Constraints)

If you do not cho

a constraint date

project will read

date from the

schedule.


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Choose the third selection circle to set the constraints

In the indicator column of the Entry table, a calendar icon appears. If you scroll your mouse

over the icon, the type of constraint and date will appear in a pop up box.

Note: if you selected a FNLT, MSO, MFO, Or SNLT constraint, the icon will have a red date inbox.

Making Changes that are impacted by the Constraints

If you make a change to the start/finish, or duration of a task that is in the sequence leading up

to the constrained task, you will receive a prompt from the planning Wizard.

In real life you would examine of this constraint is still valid and make the necessary decision tocancel the change or continue and allow the conflict.

Remove a Constraint

Double click on the constrained task

Choose the Advance Tab

Change the Constraint Type to As Soon as Possible

Exercise:

a) Highlight Task (Finish Project) in your project

(b) Set a must finish date on this task(do not select a date in the constraint date entry bar)

c) Change the durationof Forming to 15 days


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d) Allow the scheduling Conflict, when prompted by the Planning Wizard

You should see task Finish Project remains at the same date, but now Forming goes past the

milestone date for the Finish Project. This doesnt make sense in real-life so you would have tore-consider if Forming should be extended or not, and make the changes accordingly.

e) Remove the Must Finish On constraint from task Finish Project

Many users, especially those who are self taught, get frustrated with constraints that seem to

appear for no reason at all. MS Project does not randomly apply constraints, unless you tell it

to, through the constraint function. So why are constraint showing up in the project, and how

do I avoid these unwanted constraints, which activate the planning Wizard every time I make

even a simple change to the project. The secret is the way you are entering the information.

Read the following information to avoid unwanted constraints.

Avoiding Unwanted Constraints

Many users who are familiar with spreadsheet programs, like to enter information directly into

the cells of the table. You want to be careful when you enter start dates, and/or finish dates in

the entry table columns.

If you enter a Start Date-you will set a Start No Earlier Than constraint.

If you enter A Finish Dateyou will set a Finish No earlier than constraint.

Deadline Dates


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Using a deadline is a good way of defining a very important date, without constraining the task.

If a change is made that drives the finish date beyond the deadline date, you will be prompted

and red diamond with an exclamation mark will appear in the indicator column.

Setting a Deadline Date

Double click on the appropriate task

Click the Advanced Tab

Select a Date in Deadline entry bar

Click the Ok button

A special arrow marker will appear in the Bar Chart

If a change is made that will change the finish date of the task, to a date that is later than the

deadline date, you will be prompted with a red diamond in the indicator column.

You will also see that the Task Bar now goes beyond the Deadline arrow

Removing A Deadline

Double click on the task name

Choose the Advanced Tab

Highlight the Deadline date, and delete it

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