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Hello MSProject Community Members,
I have been having this issue for a long time now.
I am using Microsoft Project via Microsoft 365.
Eventhough my Settings are to always honor constraint dates (can be seen in screenshot),
Whenever I want to update a tasks in progress with a new constraint date (type: Start No Earlier Than), the task does not respect the constraint and does not move the task at all. But, It respects the constraint dates if the task has no progress.
With this issue, I have to move the task manually by going through Task Ribbon - Then Move Task Forward and use available options like: move by 1 Day, 2 Week, 4 Weeks, Custom days.
Does anyone know how to fix this issue or is it a software functionality issue?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
"It respects the constraint dates if the task has no progress."
You answered the question in the question.
"No progress" means no actuals. That is, no actual start, no actual duration, finish, work or cost.
A task in progress can have an actual start and nothing else actual, but an actual start is the minimum that a task in progress can have.
Actuals trump everything. If there is an actual start, and perhaps also whatever else actual, no date constraints or predecessors have any effect.
Also, resource leveling cannot delay a task (which has over-allocated resources) if the task has an actual start.
Marking a task as actually started and actually finished can lock in over-allocation and leave you with a person (resource) with apparently 10 hours work on a day on which she only had 8 hours availability.
Why are you trying to move a task which has progress?
If you are trying to change the actual start, you need the tracking table.
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MS Proj User,
It's not an issue that needs to be "fixed", it's the way Project works, and should work. Once a task has started all predecessor or direct constraints are null-and-void. An entry in the Actual Start field represents what really happened so whatever driver previously determined the task start date is no longer applicable.
If a task has progress (i.e. already started), why would you want to apply or change a constraint date? It doesn't make any sense. If there is a "break in the progress" then what you really want is a task split.
John
John and Trevor have fully answered your question. In addition, be advised that "Tasks will always honor their constraint dates" is only effective for constraints that directly create negative slack. That is SNLT and FNLT constraints (in forward scheduling.)
Thanks.
Thanks.