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How to create a Task whose end date is dependent on the start date of the next task

4 replies [Last post]
arif khan
User offline. Last seen 12 years 38 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Posts: 5
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Hi,

I have two tasks, Task A and Task B. Task A starts on 1/Sep/2011 and Task B starts on 1/Dec/2011. Task A's Finish is dependent on Task A's start i.e. it finishes 20 days (exact) after Task B starts. In case Task B's start date moves to say 15/Dec/2011, Task A's finish should automatically move to reflect the new finish date.

How do I represent this relationship in MS project?

Thank you

Arif

Replies

arif khan
User offline. Last seen 12 years 38 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Posts: 5
Groups: None

Hi Mike,

I have sent you my Project file at the email addr. you indicated in your earlier response. The "Suspect Date" was identified by MS Project (I am running Project Professional 2010) by underlining the Finish date with a RED line (similar to what MS Word would do if you misspelt a word.

Thanks

Arif

Mike White
User offline. Last seen 6 years 30 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Jan 2004
Posts: 6

Hi Arif

 

It sounds like you did everything correctly

I don't understand why you should be getting an error message - i.e Finish date of A as suspect

I am not getting that

When I change the start date of B to 15DEC11 the finish date on A changes to 11JAN12 with no problem and no suspect date

Where do you see this "Suspect date" ?

Quite naturally the start date of A will be the same as its finish date as your duration is zero

If you change the duration on A to say 10 days the start date will calculate 10 days back from the finish date of A, so would become 29DEC11 (depending on the calendar of course)

If you send me your project I can look at it

mike.white3@snclavalin.com

Regards

MikeW

arif khan
User offline. Last seen 12 years 38 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Posts: 5
Groups: None

Thanks MikeW

As per your suggestion, this is what I did:

Created Task A and Task B with the two start dates i.e. 1/Sep/2011 and 1/Dec 2011, all other fields I left them as blank (i.e. duration and finish date)

For Task A in the Predecessors field, I put in 2SF+20days and without altering the start dates of the two tasks, MS Project automatically calculated duration and finish date for Task A.

The problem comes in when I change the Start date of Task B from 1/Dec/2011 to 15/Dec/2011, I was expecting Task A to automatically change the finish date from 28/Dec/2011 to 11/Jan/2012, but all it did was mark the Finish date of Task A as suspect. How do I setu it up such that automatically the Finish date would change without affecting the Start date of Task A.

Mike White
User offline. Last seen 6 years 30 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Jan 2004
Posts: 6

 

Start-to-finish (SF) Start-to-finish dependency

The dependent task (B) cannot be completed until the task that it depends on (A) begins.

The dependent task can be completed anytime after the task that it depends on begins. The SF link type does not require that the dependent task be completed concurrent with the beginning of the task on which it depends. 

Hi Arif

 

The SF relationship should work with a lag of 20 days

 

In MSP under help - search,  type in "relationships" and you will get an explanation of SF

 

Regards

 

MikeW