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8/10/2019 msproject 6
1/14
Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
SECTION 6
Refining the Project
Schedule
8/10/2019 msproject 6
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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
Select Critical path
Click on the NEXT button
Click the NEXT button
Click the format it button
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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
Click the exit wizard button.
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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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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PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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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Refining the scheduling
PAN-AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. Email: [email protected]
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