How to choose the right task type in Microsoft Project?

SHAREPOINT AND PROJECT CONFERENCE ADRIATICS 2013

ZAGREB, NOVEMBER 27-28 2013

How to Choose the Right Task Type in Microsoft Project?

NEVENA KRAJCAR, PERPETUUM MOBILE D.O.O.

sponsors

Content• Introduction to measures and task types …• Remember the magic formula …• Show me how this works …• When to use …• Remember the magic formula …

Measures• Any task can be adjusted using three measures:

UNITS, DURATION, OR WORK

UNITS• the number of resources assigned to work on a task (%).

DURATION• the length of a task (days).

WORK• the amount of time needed to actually do the task (hours).

REMEMBER THIS!!!

DURATION UNITS WORK

Task Types• Measures are dependent on each other

Which measure should be automatically recalculated?

• Task types:FIXED UNITS, FIXED WORK, FIXED DURATION

Field that you change: FIXED UNITS FIXED WORK FIXED DURATION

WORK Duration is recalculated

Duration is recalculated

Units are recalculated

DURATION Work is recalculated Units are recalculated Work is recalculated

UNITS Duration is recalculated

Duration is recalculated Work is recalculated

Task Types

FIXED UNITS – Non Effort Driven• Change UNIT DURATION changes

• Change WORK DURATION changes

• Change DURATION WORK changes

U = 50% FIXED; W = 24hrsD * U = WD * 0,5 = 24 hrsD = 48 hrs (8 hrs/day) = 6 days

U = 100% FIXED; W = 40 hrsD * U = WD * 1 = 40 hrsD = 40 hrs (8 hrs/day) = 5 days

U = 100% FIXED; D = 4 days = 32 hrs; D * U = W32 hrs * 1 = WW = 32 hrs

FIXED UNITS – NON EFFORT DRIVEN

FIXED WORK – Non Effort Driven• Change UNIT DURATION changes

• Change WORK DURATION changes

• Change DURATION WORK does not change

W = 24 hrs FIXED; U = 50%D * U = WD * 0,5 = 24 hrsD = 48 hrs = 6 days

W = 40 hrs FIXED; U = 100%D * U = WD * 1 = 40 hrsD = 40 hrs = 5 days

W = 24 hrs FIXED; D = 5 days; U = 100%D * U = W?24 hrs work in 5 days = 24/5 = 4,8 hrs/day

FIXED WORK – NON EFFORT-DRIVEN

Important!• Did you notice?

FIXED WORK IS ALWAYS EFFORT DRIVEN!

FIXED DURATION – Non Effort Driven• Change UNIT WORK changes

• Change WORK DURATION and UNITS do not change

• Change DURATION WORK changes

D= 3 days FIXED; U = 50%D * U = W24 hrs * 0,5 = WW = 12 hrs

D = 3 days FIXED; U = 100%; W = 40 hrs; D * U = W?!40 hrs in 3 days = 40/3 = 13,33 hrs/day

D = 5 days FIXED; U = 100%D * U = W40 hrs * 1 = WW = 40 hrs

FIXED DURATION – NON EFFORT-DRIVEN

Effort driven vs. Non Effort Driven• Where is the difference?• In redistributing Resources!

• Example:

Book reading is non effort driven!Walls painting is effort driven!

Effort driven vs. Non Effort Driven• Fixed Units

Effort driven vs. Non Effort Driven• Fixed Work (always Effort Driven)

Effort driven vs. Non Effort Driven• Fixed Duration

EFFORT DRIVEN VS. NON EFFORT DRIVEN

When to use …• Fixed Units

• the number of resources you have for the task is the first or main thing you know.• you can’t get more resources to do the work - your resources are fixed.• you want to change the duration or the work on a task while keeping the number of

people working on the task the same (assignment units).• you want to keep the resource working on a task at a certain percentage of his or her

available hours.

• Fixed Work• the effort required is the first thing you estimate.• the effort required is the easiest thing to estimate. • your resources give you task estimates in work hours.

• Fixed Duration• the duration is the first thing you estimate.• the duration stays the same when adding resources.• tasks that always have a group of resources assigned.• the deadline is so tight that it’s the primary driver for the duration of the task.• the workload isn’t your problem.

AND - REMEMBER THIS!!!

DURATION

(PEAK)UNITS WORK

CALENDAR (hours/day)x

ASSIGNMENT UNITS (%)DURATION (days) ASSIGNMENT WORK

(hours)

questions?

BLOG.PERPETUUM.HR

@NEVENAKRAJCAR

thank you.

SHAREPOINT AND PROJECT CONFERENCE ADRIATICS 2013

ZAGREB, NOVEMBER 27-28 2013