Microsoft KB Archive/68754

Scheduling a Project Based on a Task Start Date in Project

PSS ID Number: Q68754 Article last modified on 10-20-1995

1.00 3.00 4.00 4.10 | 1.10 3.00

WINDOWS | MACINTOSH

= SUMMARY =

At times, it is necessary to have a project’s start and finish dates calculated by entering a date for a particular task in the middle of the project. For example, you may have a task that requires a delivery of material before the task can begin, and you would like the entire project start and finish dates to be calculated around this delivery date. It is possible for Microsoft Project to calculate such a schedule by manipulating the Schedule From option in the Project Info form.

= MORE INFORMATION =

To schedule a project around a task in the middle of the project, do the following in Microsoft Project version 3.0:

  From the Options menu, choose Project Info.   Set Schedule From to Start.   Choose OK. The project start date will default to the current date.   Enter all task descriptions and durations, and establish appropriate relationships between the tasks. Do not assign any resources at this time.   Select the task that has a known start date. In the Task Form, change the constraint to Must Start On and enter the date in the Date box.   Choose OK to accept the changes. (If the date you entered was earlier than the date originally calculated, you will receive an alert about a “Late date before scheduled date…” Choose OK to remove the alert.) At this point, Project has calculated your new project finish date.   From the Options menu, choose Project Info.   Set Schedule From to Finish. </li>  Choose OK. This will calculate your new project start date. </li>  From the Options menu, choose Project Info again. </li>  Set Schedule From to Start. </li>  Choose OK. </li></ol>

Your project start and finish dates are now based on the start date you set for a particular task. To provide Project with maximum flexibility (if it has to recalculate the schedule in the future), the constraint for that task should be changed from Must Start On to Start No Earlier Than, using the same date.

Once this has been done, resources can be assigned and the schedule altered as needed.

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory:

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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1995.