Start/Finish dates manually entered (2003)

[bdesilva]

<P ID="edit" class=small>(Edited by bdesilva on 12-May-04 12:39. )</P>I've inherited a project that the previous owner entered all the start and finish dates. I like to use dependencies and resources to drive those dates. How do I firstly identify all the hand entered dates, and then remove them so Project manages them, or will that just happen based on my dependencies.

I should add that I've changed most of the contraints to ASAP so I 'think' I've taken care of this. I'm just not certain <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15>

[GARYPSWANSON]

Bryan,

When you state that the owner entered all of hte start and finish dates, are you implying actual start and finish dates or when you are updating actual data?

Or do you mean that there are no predecessors and successors in the schedule?

[SandieTHP]

I get suspicious whenever I see tasks without predecessors or successors. I check by inserting an "actual start" column. If there's no data in it, I know the author entered a hard date.

[GARYPSWANSON]

I couldn't agree more. What is the point of having a schedule if you don't link the tasks. Otherwise, you might as well use excel (No offense to the excel experts.)

[SandieTHP]

Gary, you're a kindred spirit. You'll be happy to know our favorite saying around my shop (the corporate PMO) is "if you're gonna do that, you might as well use Excel". It applies to so many things that people try to do with MS Project.

[bdesilva]

I beleive they just entered dates in the task just like they entered the task name and duration.

[bdesilva]

I'm curious why you get suspicious. I only expect that when one is dependent upon the others completion like "Prep wall" -> "Paint Wall", but if it's Paint Wall and Build Shelf unit I wouldn't expect a hard coded dependency just because I wanted one to come after the other.

[SandieTHP]

Hi Bryan,
I gave a talk on this very topic just this morning! Every task has a dependency. Otherwise, how do you arrive at your dates?

[GARYPSWANSON]

Bryan,

... however if you do not have dependencies, your schedule would instruct you to install the shelf unit before the wall was painted if the painting of the wall was delayed.

We have some schedules here that were just reviewed. Two issues occurred. Tasks with no predecessors or successors and Tasks with large amounts of Total Slack. If your task doesn't matter based on everything else in the schedule, then it really isn't necessary. But they said the task is required and must be done or else other tasks could not happen - thus they added dependencies.

Hope you are able to get your schedule to work.

[bdesilva]

Perhaps this is semantics. I'm using the terms pre and succ as fixed task dependencies such as prep for painting then painting. Thus, of course there is a dependency between installing the shelf unit and painting the wall. But there doesn't need to be a direct one between building the shelf and painting the wall. Hanging the shelfs is dependent on both of them. The timing for those would depend on the resources assigned. If the same resource, then leveling would put one after the other. If different resources, then they could be done at the same time. Thus it's not a predecessor/successor relationship based on 'dependency' (and is fixed) but one based on 'resources' which can be manipulated. Don't you agree? What am I missing here?

[bdesilva]

Please see my other response for detail... but to me dates are arrived at by a combination of task dependencies and resources. Not all tasks have dependencies. Some are scheduled later because of resource availability.

[BilasTasol]

Bryan:
Coming onto this thread (albeit 2 months later) it seems nobody actually answered your initial questions of
<<...How do I firstly identify all the hand entered dates, and then remove them so Project manages them...>>
1. The Indicators column will show a calendar icon if a date constraint has been set (start or finish date entered manually).
2. To quickly delete all manually entered dates, select the Start and Finish column headings and press CTRL/DEL.

Tony.