Project Scheduling

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Section 5
Defining the Project
Schedule





Project Scheduling

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Section objectives
Upon completion of section 5, you will be able to :
Understand four main dependency types
Define dependencies(links) between the tasks
Apply reverse order links
Apply lead and lag
Change and delete dependencies
Copy, delete, and insert tasks
Use the undo function
Add a task note
Set up a recurring task















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Understanding dependencies.
There are many different terms for defining the order of work performed. Those
alternate terms are:

Sequence
Links
Dependencies
Relationships
After defining and imputing the task names and defining an established duration, defining the
sequences or order of the work, will develop a project schedule.
Factors that impact the project schedule
Start date of the project or any individual tasks
Estimated duration of the task
Sequence of the work
Base calendar or resources calendars ( showing available work time)



Type of dependencies (sequences).
There are four main types of task sequences that can be defined. In each dependency
we refer to task s predecessor or successor tasks. The successor will is dependent on the
predecessor in some manner (either the start or the finish of the predecessor). The
dependency is indicated by the link arrow between the tasks.

Finish- to start (FS)


Successor cannot start until the predecessor is finished

Start-to-start (SS)



Successor and predecessor start at the same time
Predecessor
Successor
Predecessor
Successor
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Finish-to-finish (FF)





Successor and predecessor finish at same time

Start-to-finish (SF)




Successor will finish when the predecessor starts.
The most commonly used dependency is finish-to-start. When you use the link shortcut
button on the standard Toolbar in Microsoft project, it is the finish-to-start linkage that
is applied.

DEFINING TASK DEPENDENCIES
There are several ways you can define dependencies between tasks, in Microsoft
project.
1. Highlight the task names in the task name column
2. Click in the middle of the task bar in the bar chart, and drag to the middle of the
other task bar
Predecessor
Successor
Predecessor
Successor
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3. Define the dependency by accessing the task information dialogue box, or by using the
link task shortcut button on the standard toolbar.

The most commonly used dependency is finish-to-start, when you use the link shortcut button,
on the standard Toolbar in Microsoft project; it is the finish-to-start linkage that is applied.

Exercise:
a) Highlight (Excavation), (Approval) and (Approve Work) click on the link button on the
standard Toolbar
b) Highlight tasks 7,8,9 and click on the link button
c) Highlight tasks 11,12,13,14 and click on the link button
d) Highlight tasks 16 to 22 and click on the link button
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e) Highlight tasks 24 to 28 and click on the link button.

The Gantt chart should look similar to the following illustration(disregard the dates);

Exercise.
a)The financial department advise us that a budget cannot be developed until they have an
approved plan, therefore we need to link Approve to CleanUp as these are tasks that are
not in sequence (non-continues tasks) we need to Highlight them in a different way;
Highlight Approve
Hold the CRTL key down on your keyboard
Bring your mouse key down (dont click and drag) to Fill and click on task 7
Click on the link button (the two tasks are now linked)
B) click task Move in and CTRL click on task Approve work
Click on the link button
c) click on the task (Approve Work) and CTRL click task (Compact)
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Click on the link button
d) Click task (Excavate) and CTRL click on task (Finish)
Click on the link button
Check the illustration below, to see how the project appears with the above changes
(disregard the dates); your dates will depend on the project start that you input for the
schedule.

If you were working on a project that had several pages of tasks, it would not be easy to link
tasks by clicking on one , and then scrolling through many pages to find the other. As an
alternative method of linking tasks you may want to considering the task information
dialogue box
Important; to set up dependencies by using the task information dialogue box, you need to
know the predecessor and successor tasks in each relationship. With this knowledge you
can use the information on the following pages to establish appropriate links.
LINKING TASK USING TASK INFORMATION DIALOGUE BOX.
Double click on the successor task in the task name column( a task information dialogue
box appears)
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Linking Tasks in the Bar Chart
Move the cursor to the centre of the predecessor task (see four headed arrow)
Click and drag to the centre successor task (release the cursor)

Note when you first start using Microsoft project, this method of linking tasks is not
recommended. If you bring the cursor to the wrong point on the task bar, you could entre
actual performance, or decrease or increase the duration of the task. Exercise caution when
using this method

LINKING TASK USING THE TASK ENTRY TABLE
Hidden behind the Gantt bar chart is the rest of the task entry table, which also includes a
predecessor column.

. Choose the predecessor tab
.Type the ID or task name in the task name column
Click the down arrow in type column & choose type of
dependencies from the list

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Changing a Task Dependency
There may be times when a task dependency will have to change, because of new
knowledge, or quite often when the customer /client asks for the project to finish sooner
than originally requested. Although there are several ways to reduce the schedule, quite
often our first thoughts are to change a finish-to-start relationship to start-to-start or to
have two task overlap.
Changing a Dependency in the Bar Chart.
An easy way to change a dependency is to double click on the link or arrow, between the
predecessor and successor tasks in the Gantt chart. A task dependency dialogue box will
appear.

Click the drop down arrow, and choose another type of dependency from the drop
down list.
Click the OK button
You could enter the ID
number of the predecessor
task in this column.
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EXERCISE:
a) Click on the link line between task Cure and task (Reinforcing)
b) Click the down arrow in the type entry bar
c) Choose start-to-start
d) Click the ok button (the link arrow has changed)

e) Click on the link line between task and task supervise
f) Click on the drop arrow in the dialogue box
g) Choose finish-to-finish.
h) Click the OK button (the link arrow has change)
Lead
Overlapping two tasks is referred to as lead. If those tasks are on the critical path, the overall
project schedule will be shortened. Lead is entered in the lag field, but is entered as negative
lag.
Finish-to-start with lead



Predecessor and successor are overlapped



Predecessor
Successor
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Lag
Lag is display or waits time between two tasks. You may be waiting on approvals, for equipment
to arrive, or for resources to become available. You want to use lag to show that wait time on
the schedule.
Finish-to-start with lag

Successor is displayed in starting (see extended link arrow)
Exercise:
a) Click on the link line between task 11(recruit staff) and task 12 (Hire staff).


b) Input a lead time of 10 days (-10)
c) Click the ok button( the task dependency now show the overlap of 10 days)

d) Input a la time of 3 days between task 21 ( order furniture) and task 22( furniture
delivered).
e) Click the OK button
Predecessor
Successor
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This lead time indicates that we are waiting 3 days on the delivery of the furniture.
REVERSE ORDER LINKAGE OF TASKS.
If you click on a task lower in the task name column first, and then click on a task furniture up in
the list, when you click in the link button, you will see a reverse order linkage.
You have now entered the task names, the duration, set up dependencies, changed
dependencies, and added lead and lag time. Your schedule should look similar to the illustration
on the next page (discharge the dates).




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PROJECT SUMMARY TASK AND WBS CODES.
A project summary task can also be shown to define total project duration, costs, and work
depending on the view that you are in at the time.
In addition, there are WBS codes associated with each task that do not appear by default in the
Gantt view. The WBS numbers are much more specific numbers in identifying tasks, and
provide clear information on the phase that the task is part of.
TO SHOW THE PROJECT SUMMARY TASK AND WBS CODES.
Choose Tools on the command line
Select the options
Select the view tab
Activate the boxes for show outline number and show project summary Task.



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The project summary bar, in dark gray, and the WBS codes to the left of each task name now
appear on the Gantt chart view.


REFINING THE TASK INFORMATION
Edit the information
As planning never stops and change is bound to happen, the project manager may find that
information needs to added, deleted, copied, or cut in the various resource or task tables.







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Undo changes
You can undo and redo changes that you have made in project by simply using the undo
command button on the standard Toolbar.

In the above illustration you will observe that the arrow to the undo button when pressed,
changes appear in the drop down list, and you can select which change you wish to Undo.
CHANGING THE NUMBER OF UNDO LEVELS
Choose Tools and option(on the command line)
Click on the General Tab
Enter the number of undo levels in the undo levels box( see dialogue box on next page)



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Note: you cannot undo changes you make to the organizer, changes to custom fields. Saving a
project closing the one project that is open, or one of multiple projects open with inter-project
links.
REDO CHANGES.
To Redo changes after performing the undo command, you can click on the Redo command
button on the standard Tool Bar.
Inserting Tasks
Tasks can be inserted into the project any time after the original list was established.
Remember tasks are inserted before the insertion point that you have selected.
Click on the number to the left of the task, that is the insertion point in the list
Press inert on the keyboard, or choose insert, new task on the command line.
If inserting a new task between two task that are already linked, project will maintain the link
chain. The indent level will also be maintained when inserting a task between other task.
Undo levels
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If inserting a new task at the beginning of a phase sequence, there is no assumption that a
linkage will be maintained, so you will have to ensure the new task at the beginning of a phase
is linked appropriately to another task.

Inserting Multiple Tasks.
If you wish to insert multiple lines of text( for example , if you wish to insert 6 new rows)
Click on the row number, of the task that is the insertion point in the list
Highlight that row plus the 5 rows following the task(for a total of 6 row)
Press insert on your keyboard , or insert, new task on the command line ( if you have 6
row Highlighted, then 6 rows will be inserted).
Copying and Cutting Tasks
Select the row by clicking on the number( clicking on the task name cell only will not
copy or move the other information in the row with the task)
Use the copy or cut button on the command line
Select the insertion point where the text is to be copied or moved
Select the paste button on the command line.



Adding a Task Note
Throughout the life cycle of a project, there will be a many details that you will want to
remember in order to make decisions, and reports. Dont rely on memory, as you have as
excellent whenever you need a reminder. This could include information about materials,
resources, reasons for adding lag and lead or any number of bit s of information that could be
helpful to the project manager.
Exercise:
Add a task note to task Supervise to remind yourself that you have to hire 1 Supervisor, and 3
Engineers.
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a) Click on the task Supervisor
b) Click on the Note Button on the command line( looks like a yellow post-it-note)

The task information dialogue box appears, and you are already on the Note tab.
c) Type the information as you see in the Note Area Below.

d) Click the OK button.
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Inserting an Object.
While in the Note areas, you may also wish to insert an object , such as a spreadsheet, a
diagram , the plan etc. you can do so by clicking on the insert object icon above the Notes area.

After clicking on the insert object button, an insert object dialogue box will appear

Click on create from file:
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Click on Browse (and find the file you wish to insert in your directory)



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Click on the file name , and click the insert button ( you could also double click on the
file name to insert it)
Note : clicking on the display as icon button in the insert object dialogue box, will bring
the file in with the appropriate icon for the type of file ( if you dont select display as
icon the whole file will appear as text.)

Click the OK button.

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Now you will see the icon in the notes areas, and by double clicking on the icon the file
will be displayed in the appropriate application


Click the OK button , to save the changes
Recurring Tasks.
A recurring task is a special type of task that will re-occur at regular intervals. The most
important part of that definition is the world regular. The most common recurring tasks are
status update recurring tasks such as regular maintenance to equipment or vehicles. It is
important that they are truly regular tasks, from the perspective of Microsoft project. For
instance, you could hold status update meetings each week Tuesday, and so on. That is not
regular to Microsoft project. Regular means: every Monday; every second Monday, the third
Friday of every month and so on.








Setting up a Recurring Task.
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Click on the insert button , on the command line
Choose Recurring Task

A Recurring Task Dialogue Box Will.



Duration: Define the duration of the recurring task(using the same increments as
defined in the duration section of the work breakdown section.)
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Recurring Pattern: you have four selections: daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly ( with
monthly pattern(i.e. second Wednesday of every month ) and let MS Project find the
dates

Range of Occurrence: you could choose to start on a date and end on a date or you can
choose a start date, and have the task end after a number of occurrence( i.e you want to
set up 6 meetings then you could define that the meetings would end after 6
occurrences)

Calendar: if you wish to choose a special calendar for this task, then you could click in
the dropdown list and choose the calendar. If you choose a calendar, you will then see
scheduling ignores resources calendar become activated and you could choose that
option so that any resource calendar would be ignored.

Exercise
a) Click on row ( empty row following Finish Project)
b) Choose insert on the command line
c) Chose Recurring Task
d) Type post implementation meeting in the name entry bar
e) Change the duration to 2 hours(2h)
f) In the recurrence pattern, choose weekly and select Mondays
g) Start the meetings on the day after the project end milestone
h) Choose to end the pattern after 12 occurrences
i) Click Ok to save the changes


Note: in the background, MS project is looking at the base calendar to see if there are
any dates for the recurring task that will fall on a non-working dates. If there are the
planning wizard will appear and ask you to make a choice.


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If you choose YES in the dialogue box, you will see the task rescheduled to the next working
day.if you choose NO the task will not be created for that day, or you can CANCEL the whole
operation. if you choose YES , the project will look like the following illustration.
A revolving cycle will appear in the indicator column. A series of task will appear in the
Gantt chart.

The recurring task is a summary Task. By clicking on the + sign to the left of the task
name, you will expand the list and see all the meetings.
The duration that appears in the duration column, simply defines that from the first
meeting to the meeting, x number of workdays have elapsed. It is not defining the
number of days you spent in meetings.

You will also see a special calendar icon in the indicator column. Because you have defined the
dates for the meetings the calendar indicates that a start No Earlier Than constraint has been
applied. If this series of meeting had a predecessor task, and if the predecessor task finished
earlier than planned, the planning wizard would not move the meeting to an earlier timeframe,
because the constraint has been applied.




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Delete a Recurring Task
Click on the row number to the left of the recurring task
Press Delete on your keyboard (or Edit, Delete Task)
The planning wizard dialogue box appears
Click OK