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MS-Project - Deleting Tasks with predecesosrs

Anonymous
2016-05-27T18:54:53+00:00

I need your help answering the following challenging Q :-) - how to keep track of project task with predecessors when deleting the tasks?    As you know large projects may have 100's of tasks and as one build predecessors, managing them is extremely difficult as MS-Project does not yet keep the relationships between the Task and its predecessor as one start deleting irrelevant tasks while managing the project; am I missing a feature, or how would you approach that, Thanks!

My expectation: When a task is deleted, MS-Project should have indexed the project, and renumbers ALL Tasks with predecessors to reflect the change; then highlight any tasks that was linked to the deleted task.

I really thought MS thought of that long ago.

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-05-28T03:26:09+00:00

    Look at Tools, Options, Schedule, AutoLink inserted or moved tasks.

    If this is off, turn it on but for more complex projects it is better to have off.

    Remember that a computer has an IQ of zero, so if you blindly say automatically link predecessor and Successor if I delete the task, then it will. Sometimes you won't want that to happen and you end up with flawed logic.

    I sometimes have this on when developing a schedule, but once under way I always turn it off. I want to know about any and all links that are created and I want to be the only one to do them. So your suggested blindly add links when tasks are deleted would be very unwelcome by most schedulers of complex projects. (Be careful of what you wish for.)

    So Project can do what you want, but thankfully that option can be turned off so schedulers can have good control of their links.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-05-28T00:35:15+00:00

    What you say is true and basic understanding to project management; it is clearly you are missing my point.

    Please take this as an example:  We have a project that is 1340 tasks; I came in after the project was developed to take over a failed project - the tasks are already setup with predecessors, then I found in every Summary few tasks that are not related and therefore I need to delete them, but I couldn't due to their location - So I make these tasks "Inactive" and ended up with 120 inactive tasks (that is unacceptable in my book). Now if I delete just one, every task that follows would have the wrong predecessor and that is definitely inefficient way to manage projects.

    Therefore, MS-Project Team needs to build an index for each task and their predecessors; and I believe they will understand what I am talking about, Thanks!

    I am open for practical alternative suggestion.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-05-28T13:38:53+00:00

    I thank you for understanding my point - and the new development standards, when adding a feature, it is set off by default (no one hard code features anymore); and yes we need "Indexing Tasks" once it is an added to MS-Project, it is turned Off by default. As you can see indexing tasks is a great option and time saver when it comes to pre-developed project; I just hope MS is reading this.

    Thank you for your input.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-05-27T23:17:23+00:00

    Your expectations and what you think MSP should do are incorrect and clearly irrelevant compared to what actually happens.

    If task A is a predecessor of task B and task B is a predecessor of task C, and if you then delete task B, then you have broken the chain and will have to make task A a predecessor of task C. That's how it works.

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  5. Dumba_M3 7,200 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2016-05-27T19:39:26+00:00

    I would ask that Question there:

    https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-us/home

    it is more technical, and this is an End-User Community here.

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