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MILESTONES-LATE DATES

4 replies [Last post]
Mon, 2009-03-23 15:58
Kumar I
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WHILE USING MILESTONES TO INDICATE COMPLETION OF MAJOR STAGES LIKE COMPLETION OF SUBSTRUCTURE,STRUCTURE ETC ,THE EARLY START DATE INDICATES REALISTIC DATES,IF THESE MILESTONES ARE NOT LINKED TO ITS SUCESSORS, THEN THE MILE STONES HAVE UNREALISTIC LATE DATES.

IF OTHER THAN PROJECT COMPLETION,THERE IS NO CONTRACTUAL MILESTONES,AND THE ABOVE MENTIONED MILESTONES ARE ONLY TO INDICATE COMPLETION OF MAJOR WORKS, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO INDICATE REALISTIC LATE COMPLETION DATES FOR MILESTONES
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Tue, 2009-03-24 04:06
#1
Mike Testro
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Hi Kumar

Mr Safak’s advice requires the use of end constraints which I would not advocate. Mr Safak does acknowledge that using restraints can cause problems unless thay are carefully monitored.

You are using p3 software which is the least flexible in this common situation.

I would advise setting up a "Hammock" task that bridges the end of the section and the end of the contract.

In Powerproject this is very easy and the critical path is maintained.

in p3 a similar result can be achieved by setting up 2 dummy milestones - 1 linked to the end of the section and 2 linked to the end of the contract.

A summary bar can then be set over the two milestones and labelled - "Contractor’s Contingency Time Risk Buffer".

It will not show any criticality but it will show the float in a visual format and you will have claimed it for the contractor.

Best regards

Mike Testro
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Tue, 2009-03-24 01:41
#2
Safak Vural
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Dear Kumar,

You need to have at least a Lvl1 CCMS on your CONTRACT which will represent the major project completion (or LVL1 disciplines completion dates). Link all your minor milestones to a general ones that represents the completion dates of the schedule in the CONTRACT. After this point there are 2 ways to monitor.

1- You can check the finish date variances with the target
2- You can put a finish constraint to the milestones and monitor the floats (you will have more realistic end dates but you need to be careful when updating progress avoid some improper dates or so low floats).

Both ways will give you same results when you schedule only difference will be the floats (in 1 float will be 0 for longest path and + for others, in 2 floats can be -)

If you can look to the "Float belong to the owner" topic you can see my ideas about usage of early dates. On the other hand you can use some constratints to arrange your late dates. Every job has a must finish dates other than contractual (handover, paperwork, commissioning, inspections or pure crewing).

Regards,

Safak

(Edit for upcoming Mike’s comments: Late Finish Constraints will not change your critical path and will not fix your end dates. The end dates will be same as they scheduled but you will have - floats. You can read the topic about Abominations to have more information about subject)
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Tue, 2009-03-24 01:02
#3
Kumar I
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Thanks Mr Mike,
I am using primavera p3 version.
The milestones indicate major work completion and are not contractual milestones.
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Mon, 2009-03-23 17:50
#4
Mike Testro
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Hi Kumar

This is a very good question.

If there are contractual section completeion dates with LAD’s attached then the activities in each section drives a completion milestone that should be a stand alone critical path.

If there are a number of these milestones in the same programme then only the last one will show criticality.

At all costs avoid putting "must end by" constraints on the finish milestones as this will distort any criticality and will conflict with later progress updates.

It all depends on the how your software will cope with this problem.

Please let me know what system you are using and I will try to take my advice further.

Best regards

Mike Testro
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