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Hi all
There is a very big project with its starting date and finishing date. However, I do not want the critical path to go till the end. Along the project there is a milestone which I want to be the end of the critical path. What happens after that milestone can be flexible but the end of the critical path (that milestone) is binding.
If I am to show the critical path for my project, I only want to show critical activities up to that milestone.
What setting would me allow to do that?
Thanks,
Frances.
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Hi Marcell
I would never use a must finish by constraint as that distorts the natural logic and produces negative float.
My suggestion is that you add an activity linke FS to your milestone labelled Forced Critical Dummy and extend it to beyond the completion date.
It will give you extra float in the none critical later tasks but that should not be a massive problem.
Best regards
Mike Testro
Try using a "mandatory finish" instead of "Finish on or before" for the milestone you want to be the end of the critical path.
NB: Only do this as a temporary measure to see the critical path -take the mandatory constraint off the programme once you have finished doing your CPA, as it will disrupt the early dates for the downstream activities.
Actually that is what I did. I set a constraint 'Finish On or Before' on the milestone I want to be the end of the critical path. After your message I have also changed the date 'Must Finish By' for the project.
The only thing happening is that now the float is now calculated on that Must-Finish-By date.
Let's say that I have three activities (A1, A2 and A3) and one milestones between each activity (M1 and M2). I want M2 to be the end of my critical path. If the end of A3 is delayed does not matter.
The reason why I want to do that is because I want to see the critical path throught M2 and up to M2.
Does P6 allow to do that?
Marcel,
In the construction industry, we typically think of your last critical milestone as, "Substantial Completion." Place a Finish On or Before (Finish No Later Than) constraint on you milestone and then apply a Project Must Finish By constraint somewhere out later than the current earliest computed project finish date (to ensure that non-related activities after the Substantial Completion Milestone do not register as critical.) Good luck!
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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