Start No Earlier Than (SNET) constraints in Microsoft Project are helpful for modeling external constraints, such as delivery of material. But you may want to add a constrained milestone to properly assign accountability for delivery related schedule slippage. External dependencies are dependencies that are outside your control. The classic example of an external dependency is […]
Color-Coded Task Roll-up Summary Gantt Bars in Microsoft Project
Many new Microsoft Project users find it difficult to distinguish between Gantt bar tasks rolled up at the summary level. If this is something that you’re experiencing, then you may want to use color-coded task roll-up bars. It is a simple process to roll-up tasks at the summary level in Microsoft Project. The challenge occurs […]
Documenting Positive Lag in Microsoft Project
In previous blogs we’ve discussed positive lags which should be only used in a limited way. And, if used, should come with a note of explaining it’s use. Here we look at how to add graphics and text to the Gantt chart to document a positive lag in Microsoft Project. Yes, Microsoft Project has basic […]
Managing Weather Stoppages in Schedules
Managing Weather Stoppages in Schedules “How do I account for weather stoppages in my project schedule?” This question comes up a lot. Particularly from folks who work in a business where weather conditions can reap havoc upon your beautifully crafted schedule. The answer to mitigating weather stoppages can be a choice among several approaches. Which […]
Roll-up Gantt Bars in Microsoft Project
Many times stakeholders want to view high level summary reports that display outlines of the underlying tasks. Good news…Microsoft Project 2013 has roll-up Gantt bars. In Microsoft Project, it is possible to roll-up tasks so that a projection of the respective task’s Gantt chart bar is displayed at the summary level. These roll-up Gantt bars provide […]
Microsoft Project and Schedule Milestones
Microsoft Project and schedule milestones explained. Schedules are a valuable tool that support project time and cost optimization and tracking efforts. Additionally, schedules also guide stakeholders through the complexities of the project. Milestones, in particular, are a scheduling feature that helps navigate stakeholders through the schedule by highlighting important events in the life of the […]
Microsoft Project Status Date Primavera P6 Professional Data Date and Updating Schedules
Updating schedules and the differences between the Microsoft Project Status Date the Primavera P6 Professional Data Date. Recently I wrote a blog on the advantages of Primavera P6 Professional over Microsoft Project. Although not definitively listed as an advantage, I mentioned in passing Primavera P6’s more structured interface for schedule progression. In this article I […]
Microsoft Project Row Height Adjustment Quick Tip
It may seem like a minor point, but adjusting the task table row height in Microsoft Project schedules is not readily apparent. At some point in the planning and/or execution stage of the project the schedule is reported to stakeholders. The look and feel of the schedule report is more than just aesthetics; stakeholders must […]
Microsoft Project and the As Late As Possible (ALAP) Constraint
Microsoft Project and the As Late As Possible (ALAP) constraint explained. The goal of good project managers is to complete the project in as little time as possible. To help achieve this goal, project managers may occasionally constrain tasks in forward scheduling to begin As Soon As Possible (ASAP). While this may be an exception, […]
Translating 24-Hour Calendar Lag from Primavera P6 to Microsoft Project
Translating a Primavera P6 Professional schedule to Microsoft Project may come with a few headaches depending on the P6 feature you want to translate. Here we look at the issues involved with translating a Primavera P6 24-Hour Lag to Microsoft Project. Translation of Primavera P6 Schedules to Microsoft Project is not recommended, but since we’ve […]