Website Upgrade Incoming - we're working on a new look (and speed!) standby while we finalise the project

Tips on using this forum..

(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?

(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.

As late as Possible or reverse predecessors?

6 replies [Last post]
Mon, 2010-04-26 22:39
Craig Adams
User offline. Last seen 13 years 2 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 71
Groups: Accreditation Editors
Hello Planners,

Am working on a template schedule to be used for property developments.

Want to compartmentalise each section/division and be able to expand and put more detail as the schedule is deployed for each project.

Have a couple of tasks that divisional heads can’t give me a specific predecssor for and would prefer these sections driven backwacks from events in the overall process that I do have proper links for.

Tried changing sections to “As late as possible” in front of a tasks that are properly linked – however in this case these tasks are sales related and can go on till the last day of the project. End result is section goes back to the last day.

Then changed all the tasks in the sales office construction to have their successor tasks as the predecessor with a start to finish relationship – in front of the one good task, this works but I’m not sure what the implications are for the actual running of the project – would I change everything back to normal once the sales office works were actually started?

Is it OK to manipulate like this just to make schedules do what you want or is this breaking planning taboos?
Top

Replies

Fri, 2010-04-30 11:11
#1
Trevor Rabey
User offline. Last seen 2 years 5 days ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 530
Groups: None
MSP only does one thing with ALAP and that is that it sucks all of the float out of the entire path that the task is on. This is a bit unexpected since usually people expect to see it go only as late as for it to use up only its own float. But ALAP is not a "zero free float" constraint as in P3. ALAP makes sense but is rarely used except in special situations because:
It is too strong for what is usually intended.
It is not consistent with the critical path method.
Top
Thu, 2010-04-29 16:24
#2
Graham Dix
User offline. Last seen 13 years 40 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 28 Jan 2010
Posts: 4
Groups: None
Hi Guys, Alexandre how are you going? Microsoft Project apparently does some funny things with ALAP. I can demonstrate to all of you how Asta Powerproject does it if this would be useful?
Top
Wed, 2010-04-28 17:48
#3
Craig Adams
User offline. Last seen 13 years 2 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 71
Groups: Accreditation Editors
Alexandre,

These tasks are under therir own summary, and the schedule works for the planning stage am thinking to change the links once the work starts and have ithem driven the normal way then.

Can send you the file if you would be kind enough to review and give me comment.

Kind regards,

Craig Adams
Top
Wed, 2010-04-28 17:43
#4
Craig Adams
User offline. Last seen 13 years 2 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 71
Groups: Accreditation Editors
Mike,

Thank you for your reply, can you imbed an example or email to me, not sure about how to use hammock tasks or how they work.

Kind regards,

Craig
Top
Wed, 2010-04-28 05:13
#5
Mike Testro
User offline. Last seen 36 weeks 1 day ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 4418
Groups: Building Information Modelling, Content Moderators, GPCCAR Editors
Hi Craig

Sometimes it is better not to link tasks that have no relevance to linked tasks.

Operations such as "Sales" can be set up as a hammock task covering the programme tasks that are relevant.

A hammock can be set up by placing milestones in a section of the chart and linking them ASAP to the relevant tasks and then indenting them into a summary.

The Sales hammock will then shadow the the programme.

Best regards

Mike Testro
Top