Project Scheduling

As a project manager, you can easily schedule and manage project plans by using the various options on the Manage Project Plan page.

You can:

• Use the Gantt chart to drag and drop capabilities to manage task dependencies, reorganize tasks, and fill down the task values to multiple tasks quickly.
• View tasks in a timeline format
• View changes to project schedule instantly
• Identify critical paths
• Display progress line
• Schedule summary tasks
• Search for tasks
• Convert tasks to milestone and vice-versa
• Autosave project plan changes
• Print the project plan
• View actual financial efforts and costs, that is, you can add the Financial Actual Effort, Financial Actual Burdened Cost in Project Currency, and Financial Actual Burdened Cost in Project Ledger Currency columns.

In addition, project managers can see the same task dates in both the financial plan and project plan on creating a financial project from the Project Financial Management work area. These dates can act as the starting point for additional work planning and scheduling.

You can use these columns on the Manage Project Plan page to schedule and manage project plans:

Note: The project currency is USD and so some columns have (USD) in their name.

Column Name	Description
Actual Effort	The actual effort spent on the task.
Actual Expense Amount(USD)	The sum of actual amounts of all expense resources assigned to tasks.
Actual Finish	The date when the work has actually finished.
Actual Labor Bill Amount(USD)	The sum of actual labor bill amounts of all the labor resources assigned to tasks.
Actual Labor Cost(USD)	The sum of actual labor cost of all the labor resources assigned to tasks.
Actual Start	The date when the work has actually commenced.
Baseline Duration	The task's planned duration in the baseline project plan. This is used to compare how the current task duration deviates from the original task duration (baseline) established for that task.
Baseline Effort	The task's planned effort in the baseline project plan. Current task effort is compared with this value to see how it deviates from the original task effort (baseline) established for that task.
Baseline Expense Amount(USD)	The task's planned expense amount in the baseline project plan. This is used to compare how the current expense amount deviates from the original task expense amount (baseline) established for that task.
Baseline Finish	The task's finish date in the baseline project plan.
Baseline Labor Bill Amount(USD)	The task's planned labor bill amount in the baseline project plan. This is used to compare how the current task bill amount deviates from the original task bill amount (baseline) established for that task.
Baseline Labor Cost(USD)	The task's planned labor cost in the baseline project plan. This is used to compare how the current labor cost date deviates from the original task labor cost (baseline) established for that task.
Baseline Start	The task's planned start date in the baseline project plan.
Billable	Indicates that transactions charged to that task can be billed to customers.
Chargeable	Indicates that something is eligible to be charged to a task.
Constraint Date	The constraint date specified for the task.
Constraint Type	The type of constraint applied on the task.
Cost Percent Complete	The percentage of cost consumed.
Deadline	The deadline of a project or task.
Deliverables	The deliverables associated with a task.
Description	The description for the task.
Duration	The total duration of the task.
Effort	The number of hours or days that a resource is assigned or has worked on a task.
Expense Amount(USD)	The sum of amounts of all expense resources assigned to tasks.
Expense Resources	The expense resources assigned to the selected task.
Finish	The current finish dates of tasks. If the tasks haven't started, they represent the planned finish dates. For in-progress tasks, they represent the estimated finish dates. For completed tasks, they represent the actual dates.
Labor Bill Amount(USD)	The labor bill amount of the task.
Labor Cost(USD)	The labor cost of the task.
Labor Resources	The labor resources assigned to the selected project task.
Percent Complete	The percentage value reflecting the progress a task is making towards completion.
Physical Percent Complete	The amount of physical work completed on a task.
Planned Duration	The planned duration of the task.
Planned Effort	The total planned effort of the task in hours or days.
Planned Expense Amount(USD)	The sum of planned amounts of all expense resources assigned to tasks.
Planned Finish	The date when the task is scheduled to finish.
Planned Labor Bill Amount(USD)	The planned labor bill amount of the task.
Planned Labor Cost(USD)	The planned labor cost of the task.
Planned Start	The date when the task is scheduled to start.
Predecessors	The predecessors of the selected task.
Primary Resource	Indicates whether the resource is the primary labor resource for the task.
Priority	The priority of the task.
Progress Status	The progress status of the task.
Remaining Effort	The effort remaining on the task.
Remaining Expense Amount(USD)	The sum of remaining amounts of all expense resources assigned to tasks.
Remaining Labor Bill Amount(USD)	The remaining labor bill amount of the task.
Remaining Labor Cost(USD)	The remaining labor cost amount of the task.
Requirement	The name of the requirement that's associated with the project task.
Schedule Mode	Indicates whether the task is scheduled manually or automatically by the application.
Schedule Type	The schedule type of the task.
Show Timeline	Indicates whether you can view project and task timelines.
Sprint	The name of the sprint.
Start	The current start dates of tasks. If the tasks haven't started, they represent the planned start dates. For in-progress tasks, they represent the actual start dates. For completed tasks, they represent the actual dates.
Successors	The successors of the selected task.
Task Name	The name of the task.
Task Number	The number assigned to the task.
Total Actual Cost(USD)	The actual cost of the task. Shows the sum of actual expense and actual labor costs.
Total Cost(USD)	The total cost of the task. Shows the sum of expense and labor costs.
Total Planned Cost(USD)	The total planned cost of the task. Shows the sum of planned labor and expense costs.
Total Remaining Cost(USD)	The remaining cost of the task. Shows the sum of remaining expense and labor costs.
WBS	Indicates the position of the tasks in the work breakdown structure.

Real-time Scheduling

Real-time scheduling takes place as you edit the project. You can also reschedule projects to a new project start date using the Project Details dialog box. Rescheduling considers only the Not Started tasks, but not the In Progress or Completed tasks. You must manually schedule the In Progress or Completed tasks.

If the schedule mode of a task is Automatic, task dates are automatically updated based on dependencies and constraints on the task and its summary tasks. If there's a conflict between dependencies and constraints, constraints determine the dates.

If the schedule mode of a task is Manual, you must manage the task dates manually or convert the schedule mode to automatic.

When you create a task, if the Define Common Financial Task Dates Across Work and Financial Planning check box is selected, then the start and finish dates default from their parent task. However, if the check box isn't selected, then dates default from the project start date unless the parent task has constraints or dependencies to be honored.

If a task hasn't started and doesn’t have dependencies or constraints, here’s how the task start date is determined when you change its schedule mode from Manual to Automatic, change the project start date, or update the project plan by clicking the Update action:

• If the task has summary tasks with dependencies or constraints, then the constraints and dependencies of the closest summary task are applied to the task. For example, if the summary task has Start on or after constraint without any dependency, then the summary task constraint date is set as the task start date.
• If the task doesn’t have any summary tasks with dependencies or constraints, then the project start date is set as the task start date.

You can schedule tasks using the project calendar or resource calendars regardless of the number of resources on a task. Partial day scheduling happens when a task takes up only a partial duration of the last working day, its successor task will start on the same day and use the remaining part of the day.

Dependencies

A dependency is a relationship between two tasks in which the start or end date of a task depends on the start or end date of another task. The four types of task dependencies are Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish, and Start-to-Finish. You can also add a time lag when you add dependencies.

After you create tasks, you can add dependencies and constraints to summary tasks, milestones, and gates.

Note: Team members can also add to-do tasks from the Manage Tasks page and convert them into project tasks. However, they can't assign dependencies or constraints.

Here's how you can add dependencies:

• Using the drag and drop capability on the Gantt chart

• Using the link icon in the toolbar

• Specifying the successor or predecessor values in the respective columns or in the Task Details dialog box

Here's a table that lists the short codes for dependencies.

Dependency Type	Short Code
Finish-to-Start	FS or None
Start-to-Start	SS
Finish-to-Finish	FF
Start-to-Finish	SF

For example, if you want to add the task whose serial number is 5 as a successor with Finish-to-Finish dependency, then enter 5FF in the successor column.

Note: If you don't enter a short code, it's considered as a Finish-to-Start dependency.

You can also add a lag in the predecessor or successor column. For example, if you enter 5FF+10 or 5FF-6, then the successor will finish 10 days after the predecessor or 6 days before the predecessor respectively.

Constraints

A constraint is a restriction on a task to control its start or finish date. Leaf tasks support the following constraints:

• Finish by

• Finish on

• Finish on or after

• Start by

• Start on

• Start on or after

Summary tasks only support the Start on or after and Finish by constraints.

Examples of Tasks with Dependencies

When a task or its summary tasks have dependencies and the schedule mode of the task is automatic, task dates are automatically updated based on dependencies on the task, dependencies on its summary tasks, dependency type, predecessor task dates, and lag.

Note: If a task has multiple predecessor tasks, the application ensures that all the dependencies are met.

The following tables show how dates are determined for tasks with dependencies. In this example, the start of T2 is determined from the start of T1 as it has the Start-to-Start dependency.

Task Name	Task Type	Start	Finish	Duration	Predecessor	Successor
T1	Summary	2/13/23	2/14/23	2	NA	T2
T1.1	Leaf	2/13/23	2/13/23	1	NA	NA
T1.2	Leaf	2/13/23	2/14/23	2	NA	NA
T2	Summary	2/13/23	2/14/23	2	T1SS	NA
T2.1	Leaf	2/13/23	2/14/23	2	NA	NA

In this example, although T2.1 doesn't have any direct dependencies, its summary task T2 has a dependency on T1. So, the dependency is also applied to T2.1 and the dates reflect the same.

Task Name	Task Type	Start	Finish	Duration	Predecessor	Successor
T1	Summary	2/13/23	2/16/23	4	NA	T2
T1.1	Leaf	2/13/23	2/16/23	4	NA	NA
T2	Summary	2/17/23	2/17/23	1	T1	NA
T2.1	Leaf	2/17/23	2/17/23	1	NA	NA

Note: T1FS is the same as T1, you don't need to add a suffix in this case.

Milestone M1 has the Start-to-Start dependency on T1 and so it starts when T1 starts but since the milestone has zero duration, it starts and ends on the day T1 starts.

Task Name	Task Type	Start	Finish	Duration	Predecessor	Successor
T1	Summary	2/13/23	2/16/23	4	NA	T2
T1.1	Leaf	2/13/23	2/16/23	4	NA	NA
M1	Milestone	2/13/23	2/13/23	0	T1SS	NA

In this Finish-to-Finish example, task T2.1 has a dependency on T1.1. Both finish on the same date.

Task Name	Task Type	Start	Finish	Duration	Predecessor	Successor
T1	Summary	2/13/25	2/18/25	4	NA	NA
T1.1	Leaf	2/13/23	2/18/25	4	NA	T2.1FF
T2	Summary	2/18/25	2/18/25	1	NA	NA
T2.1	Leaf	2/18/25	2/18/25	1	T1.1FF	NA

Examples of Tasks with Constraints

When a task or its summary tasks have constraints and the schedule mode of the task is automatic, task dates are automatically updated based on constraints on the task, constraints on its summary tasks, and constraint type.

The below tables show how task dates are determined for tasks with constraints. In this example, because of the start constraint, the summary task T1 starts on 2/2/23 and the end date 2/6/23 rolls up from it's leaf task T1.1.

Task Name	Task Type	Start	Finish	Duration(In Days)	Constraint Type	Constraint Date
Project1	NA	2/13/23	NA	NA	NA	NA
T1	Summary	2/2/23	2/5/23	3	Start on or after	2/2/23
T1.1	Leaf	2/2/23	2/5/23	3	NA	NA

In this example, the Start on constraints on the leaf tasks T1.1 and T1.2 roll up on the summary task.

Task Name	Task Type	Start	Finish	Duration(In Days)	Constraint Type	Constraint Date
Project1	NA	2/13/23	NA	NA	NA	NA
T1	Summary	2/14/23	2/17/23	4	NA	NA
T1.1	Leaf	2/14/23	2/15/23	2	Start on	2/14/23
TI.2	Leaf	2/16/23	2/17/23	2	Start on	2/16/23

Examples of Tasks with Dependencies and Constraints

When the schedule mode is automatic, and when there are both constraints and dependencies, the application tries to populate successor task dates such that both the constraints and dependencies are met. However, if there's a conflict, the constraint determines the dates.

In this example, T1.1 has the Start on constraint which rolls up the dates to T1. T2 has the Start to Start dependency on T1 that causes the start date to sync up with T1. When a Finish by constraint is added to the successor task, it shows a warning to ensure there is no constraint-dependency violation.

Task Name	Task Type	Start	Finish	Duration(In Days)	Predecessor	Successor	Constraint Type	Constraint Date
Project1	NA	1/31/23	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
T1	Summary	2/1/23	2/2/23	2	NA	NA	NA	NA
T1.1	Leaf	2/1/23	2/2/23	2	NA	NA	Start on	2/1/23
T2	Leaf	2/1/23	2/3/23	3	T1SS	NA	Finish by	2/7/23