Using a 1 hour duration gets changed when adding the same start and finish date

Question

I have a baselined project plan.  When I specify a task with a 1 hour duration and the same actual start and finish date project changes the duration to 8 hours.  I have removed the effort driven indicator and tried fixed duration, fixed units, and fixed work for the task but, project still changes the duration to 8 hours.  How can I keep it to 1 hour when I add the actual finish date?

Thanks,

Peter

Answer 1

Yes, use the Critical Path Method.

Answer 2

Hi,

I think I understand what you are saying.  I use project to manage large IT projects that will involve 400 to 500 specific tasks.  Because of external unknowns I usually define a constraint type of "as soon as possible" and do not add a constraint date but will specify a duration for the task based on past experience.  A deliver date or deadline is usually given by my management and used as a performance measurement - if you deliver ahead or on-time you meet your deliverable and if you do not deliver on time you are expected to explain why - this is typical Management By Objectives, MBOs.  Would you suggest a better approach?

Thanks,

Peter

Answer 3

Hi,

Mostly because the outcome of this action depends on the sequence of entering the events, and of which action (constraint...) you might already have performed on the task. It is ____ to explain, and leads often to questions. I advise everyone to not, never, enter anything in a finish field.

Answer 4

Thanks Jan,  I have changed the view date option to include the time.  I only had the date view set before.

I am not to sure why you say that specifying the start and end dates for planned dates is bad.  Would you elaborate please.

Peter

Answer 5

Hi,

This is quite simple. If you want the precision of 1 hour, when entering the dates also enter the time of day (like 5/2/11 9:00) then Project will know the difference between actual Start and finish; when you just enter a start date, Project completes it with the default start time fram the Calendar options, and when you neter a finish date, Project completes it with the default finish time from the Calendar options. So it is you who tells Project the duration is the difference between default start and default end times. Project always, inevitably, absolutely, works with date/time in minuites, even if (as you will have defined in Option, View, Date Format) ask it to only show the day.

Or (which I prefer) enter Actual Start and actual duration (1 hr).

It is always bad (sometimes very bad) to enter BOTH a start and a finish date/time in Project, whether for planned or actual dates. You may expecty curious behaviour sometimes.

Greetings,