(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.
Hi All,
I've got a small programme in MS Project 2010, and am using 'Group By' function to summarise various phases.
The summary value for 'duration' is not calculating correctly. Is showing the maximum duration within the group, rather than the latest finish minus earliest start. The start and finish dates for the summary bar are showing correctly though.
I have all my durations entered as weeks, and have tried changing the setting for "duration is entered in..." box in the options menu, with no success.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Hugh.
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Ok, I have received a suitable answer in another forum: Use the 'Scheduled Duration' field rather than the 'Duration Field'. Still doesn't explain why 'Duration' field won't calculate correctly, but at least it's an easy workaround. It may have something to do with the stupid 'manual scheduling' feature that has been introduced in MSP2010. Btw, this is specifically when using the 'Group By' feature to summarise activities, as opposed to 'indenting' to get summary bars (which I absolutely hate!). For the record, the 'indenting' method calculates 'Duration' and 'Scheduled Duration' correctly. Cheers, Hugh.
Definitively Spider Phases roll up as expected, even when working on different shifts on different activities on the same phase.
I wonder how the following is rolled up in MSP. I wonder if shift work is performed on a single activity if MSP would get it right for the single activity because of how different shift and resource calendars determine the work hours on the activity.
Evgeny,
I think that an information on the work duration on each project phase is useful. Besodes, I don't see the reason why an approach to calculating activity duration shall be different with the approach to calculating phase duration. Phase of detailed schedule may be converted to an activity of less detailed schedule (Levels 4-3-2) and its duration shall not change.
It is easy to apply formula and calculate duration between any dates if necessary but is it real phase duration? The same may be applied to activities that have performance interruptions.
In MS Project resources may be assigned to summary tasks and have hourly cost. Does it mean that phase cost include resource cost at times when it does not work on this phase? Or resource considered busy and is not used on other activities when summary task is not performed?
Vladimir,
I would expect the duration of the group to be equal to be the duration of the virtual summary task, pulled above all tasks, included in the group.
In this context, I see, that MSP 2007 calculates it more correctly, then MSP 2010.
The duration of a summary task is calculated by both versions of MSP identically.
By the way, I now noticed, that duration of the phase in Spider is calculated differently, than the duration of the summary task in Microsoft Project, you indeed calculate the time, when there is some work ongoing in this phase . Does it not conflict with the intuitive understanding of the duration of the Phase / summary task? I would personally think that the duration of the phase shall be equivalent to the duration of the hammock, which runs over the same period.
Regards.
Evgeny
Thanks Evgeny Z,
Glad to see you're able to replicate the problem, so I know it's not just me!
I'll post the same question in those forums you suggested.
Cheers,
Hugh.
Evgeny,
usually duration is measured in work days.
In your example second phase has 10 days duration (another 10 days is idle time).
So you calculated some special duration that shows the number of work days (if you considered calendars) between phase start and finish.
I could reproduce this in MSP 2010, however in MSP 2007 it works how you would expect it to work (see below)
I suggest post your question on MSP spesific sites:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us
http://www.msofficeforums.com/
If you get an answer, please post it here as well.
Regards.
Evgeny
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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