Microsoft Office Forums

Go Back   Microsoft Office Forums > >

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-06-2014, 01:06 PM
SomewhereinTX SomewhereinTX is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 64bit
Novice
Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist)
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
SomewhereinTX is on a distinguished road
Default Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist)

Hi,

My second thread here (and thanks Julie, for helping me out with the first one!). This time I have a question on how MS Project picks and shows tasks on critical path.



Firstly, some background: I have an extensive schedule in Project that covers 1.5 years+ worth of preparing for and then drilling two exploration wells overseas, some place in Asia. We drilled the first well and are scheduled to start drilling the second one on 3/31/14; depending on what this second well will have produced, we'll decide whether to invest more $$$ in exploration activities, or to walk away from the project. So as of right now the Go/No Go decision is ultimately the current project goal and it is also where the schedule ends. There are quite a few tasks that are absolutely crucial for achieving the Go/No Go by planned date, e.g. securing a good rig, choosing reliable contractors, having bank accounts open/functioning in the country of operation - all completed by certain dates.

Now when I run the in-built filter for critical tasks, the only item that it returns is one task "X", and this is a joint venture meeting where the Go/No Go will be officially announced - and this is also the only task, out of total 334, that has zero floats, both free and total. I understand that Project does what it is supposed to do: picks out tasks with no time cushion left. But what my management is really wanting to see on this report are also the tasks that absolutely must be completed on time to ensure the timely completion of task "X" - and they keep asking me why Project doesn't show any of them. All my explanations that these tasks have some float in them and hence don't get picked out are to no avail.

So I guess my question is, is there an in-built report in Project that I have not discovered yet that can fit their purpose? Or perhaps a certain way to single out these crucial items? I did create several customized filters to reflect certain aspects of the project that my managers are interested in but haven't figured this one out.

Apologies for the lengthy post and thanks in advance for any helpful tips.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-06-2014, 02:19 PM
JulieS JulieS is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 32bit
Expert
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New England
Posts: 1,693
JulieS will become famous soon enough
Default

How much slack do you have in your other tasks? Are you using auto or manually scheduled tasks? How many constraints have your thrown in? Is your scheduled created with predecessors and successors?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-06-2014, 02:26 PM
SomewhereinTX SomewhereinTX is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 64bit
Novice
Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist)
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
SomewhereinTX is on a distinguished road
Default

1. Depends on a task (334 total, like I said): ranges from 1 to 298 days, as of right now.

2. All auto scheduled.

3. There are some firm constraints like "Start No Earlier Than" but not many at all, and they all are tied to events out of our control, e.g. the goverment in the country of operation only starts looking at land lease applications for 2014 after a certain date [I am just making the stuff up here, as an example].

4. Yep, all but three or four tasks have both successors and predecessors. These three or four have either a successor or a predecessor but not both.

Thanks!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-06-2014, 02:33 PM
JulieS JulieS is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 32bit
Expert
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New England
Posts: 1,693
JulieS will become famous soon enough
Default

Do you have a deadline or FNLT constraint on the last task in your project?
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-06-2014, 02:36 PM
SomewhereinTX SomewhereinTX is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 64bit
Novice
Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist)
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
SomewhereinTX is on a distinguished road
Default

Nope. PS. Never even heard of such constraint (that shows how much I still have to learn!)
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-06-2014, 02:52 PM
JulieS JulieS is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 32bit
Expert
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New England
Posts: 1,693
JulieS will become famous soon enough
Default

Sorry, FNLT constraint = Finish No Later Than. Is this a project file you can share? It's impossible to tell what is going on without actually seeing the schedule. Can you "sanitize" the file replacing task names with 1,2,3 etc?

You may be able to get closer by using Autofilters on the Total Slack field. The definition in Project is tasks are critical if slack <=0. However, you could autofilter for tasks with slack less than 5 days (for example). You can also modify the default definition of critical in File > Options, Advanced.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-06-2014, 02:56 PM
SomewhereinTX SomewhereinTX is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 64bit
Novice
Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist)
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
SomewhereinTX is on a distinguished road
Default

Oh I see. Fell better now as I do know Finish No Earlier.

Julie, could you check your PM please.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-06-2014, 03:07 PM
JulieS JulieS is offline Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Windows 7 64bit Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Office 2010 32bit
Expert
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New England
Posts: 1,693
JulieS will become famous soon enough
Default

No problem. We just love our TLA (three letter acronyms). Check your PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Critical Path Length ketanco Project 5 03-15-2013 01:12 PM
Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) analysing contractor schedule for critical path ketanco Project 1 02-07-2013 06:49 AM
critical path starting in future ketanco Project 5 07-27-2012 02:50 PM
Question about tasks on critical path in MS Project schedule (with a twist) Critical Path w/ 2 Calendars AndreT Project 6 07-27-2011 11:22 AM
Powerpoint project schedule L J Keane Project 0 09-14-2010 01:24 AM

Other Forums: Access Forums

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:24 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
MSOfficeForums.com is not affiliated with Microsoft