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Increase duration when project is late?

3 replies [Last post]
Thu, 2017-09-07 14:59
Emma Lang
User offline. Last seen 2 years 12 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 9 Aug 2016
Posts: 45
Groups: None

Is it possible in MSP for activity durations to extend when the project runs late?

I'm trying to show the Project Management activity extending when the project is delayed, and showing an increase of hours required. 

I've tried using a Finish - Finish link from the Finish milestone to the Project Management activity but the duration / hours didn't increase. 

This is to demonstrate how all disciplines can be affected when the project is late, without having to update it manually.

Thanks

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Replies

Mon, 2017-09-11 01:07
#1
Rafael Davila
User offline. Last seen 9 hours 58 min ago. Offline
Joined: 1 Mar 2004
Posts: 5240
Groups: Spider Project Team

We call it Hammer's Rule - If it wont fit, hit it with a hammer until it fits.

LOL.

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Sat, 2017-09-09 14:21
#2
Mike Testro
User offline. Last seen 28 weeks 2 days ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 4418
Groups: Building Information Modelling, Content Moderators, GPCCAR Editors

Hi Emma

Decrease the work pattern hours from 8hrs per day to 7.5 hrs per day and the duration will increase.

Best regards

Mike Testro

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Fri, 2017-09-08 02:17
#3
Tom Boyle
User offline. Last seen 3 weeks 2 days ago. Offline
Joined: 28 Nov 2006
Posts: 304
Groups: None

Hi Emma, 

It seems that you are looking for a hammock task (like an LOE activity in P6).  MSP doesn't officially have one.  The recommended workaround has been to copy|paste-link the start and finish dates from a single start-governing task and a single finish-governing task to the start/finish dates of the task that you want to turn into a hammock.  Obviously, this task shouldn't have any other logic attached to it.  The duration will automatically adjust to the linked dates, and a fixed-units task should automatically increase or decrease the work as dictated by the new duration.

Note: although this workaround is widely recommended, it's pretty flaky, difficult to audit, and seemingly more subject to corruption.  It was never a reliable long-term solution for me, and I gave up on "MSP hammocks" years ago as a result.  The main option is manual (or macro-driven) adjustment of task duration.  I've tried playing around with using two logic-driven dummy milestones to drive a dummy summary task (resource loaded), but I haven't used it enough to recommend an approach.

Good luck, tom

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