Unit 3: Tasks

I. Orientation — Tasks in Project Scheduling

A task is a defined item of project work with a start, finish, duration, and required resources. In Microsoft Project, tasks form the schedule’s Work Breakdown Structure (WBS); their relationships, calendars, constraints, and progress data determine how the project is planned and tracked.

• Core properties: A task may contain a name, duration, start and finish dates, predecessors, successors, resources, cost, priority, and completion status.
• Scheduling relationship: Project generally calculates task dates from duration, dependencies, constraints, calendars, and resource assignments.
• Summary structure: Indenting tasks creates subtasks and summary tasks; this organizes work into phases without converting the summary task into separate executable work.
• Task modes: A task can be manually scheduled or automatically scheduled, affecting how much of its schedule Project calculates.
• Tracking principle: Baseline values preserve the approved plan, while actual and remaining values describe current performance.
• Common duration units:
  • m: elapsed working minutes.
  • h: working hours.
  • d: working days.
  • w: working weeks.
  • ed: elapsed calendar days, including nonworking time.
• Default calendar assumption: With an eight-hour working day, 3d normally represents 24 working hours, subject to the project and resource calendars.

II. Creating the Task List — Defining Project Work

A. Entering Tasks

Entering tasks converts the project scope into identifiable and manageable units of work.

• Task Name field: Enter a concise verb–object description, such as “Design database schema,” on a separate row in the Gantt Chart.
• Work breakdown: Decompose deliverables until each task can be estimated, assigned, monitored, and given a clear completion condition.
• Logical order: Initially list tasks in a practical sequence; dependencies can then express the actual workflow.
• Task IDs: Project assigns row-based IDs automatically, while WBS codes reflect hierarchy and are more stable for structured reporting.
• Avoid vague entries: “Development” is difficult to track; “Implement login validation” identifies a specific result.

B. Entering A Task Duration

Task duration is the amount of working time scheduled between a task’s start and finish.

• Entry method: Type a value such as 4h, 3d, or 2w in the Duration field.
• Estimated indicator: A value such as 5d? marks the duration as estimated; the question mark can be removed when the estimate is confirmed.
• Working-time calculation: A 2d task assigned to an eight-hour calendar represents 16 working hours, normally excluding weekends.
• Elapsed duration: Use 2ed only when work continues through nonworking periods, such as concrete curing or an automated server migration.
• Zero duration: Enter 0d for a milestone rather than ordinary work.

C. Estimating Durations

Duration estimation predicts how long a task will occupy the schedule under stated assumptions.

• Expert judgment: Use experience from specialists who understand the technology, complexity, and working environment.
• Historical information: Compare the task with similar completed work and adjust for scale, resources, and risk.
• Three-point estimate: Combine optimistic (O), most likely (M), and pessimistic (P) estimates:

Expected duration = (O + 4M + P) / 6

• Concrete example: If O = 3 days, M = 5 days, and P = 9 days, the expected duration is (3 + 20 + 9) / 6 = 5.33 days.
• Assumptions: Record factors such as staff availability, review time, productivity, and technical uncertainty.

D. Understanding Milestones And Phases

Milestones mark significant events, while phases group related tasks into major portions of the project.

1. Milestones: A milestone normally has 0d duration and represents an event such as “Requirements approved.”
2. Phases: A phase is represented by a summary task containing indented subtasks, such as analysis, design, implementation, and testing.
   • Summary calculations: Project derives a phase’s start, finish, duration, cost, and progress from its subtasks.
   • Control points: Milestones can identify approvals, contractual dates, releases, or transitions between phases.
   • Important distinction: A milestone records achievement; it does not itself represent the work required to achieve it.

III. Repeating and Revising Work — Maintaining the Task List

A. Using Recurring Tasks

A recurring task represents work repeated at regular intervals, such as weekly status meetings.

• Creation: Use the recurring-task command, enter the task name and duration, and select a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly recurrence pattern.
• Range: Specify a start date and either an end date or number of occurrences.
• Calendar basis: Occurrences follow the selected scheduling calendar and recurrence settings.
• Generated structure: Project creates a recurring summary task with an individual subtask for every occurrence.
• Suitable use: Recurring tasks are useful when each occurrence consumes time or resources and must appear in the schedule.

B. Using Recurring Tasks Continued

Recurring tasks must be managed as a generated series while preserving control over individual occurrences.

• Individual changes: A single occurrence can be assigned, rescheduled, or updated independently when an exception arises.
• Series changes: Editing recurrence settings can regenerate occurrence dates; existing exceptions should therefore be checked afterward.
• Resource impact: Assigning the same person to every occurrence may create overallocations when meetings overlap other work.
• Progress entry: Each occurrence can have its own actual start, actual finish, and completion percentage.
• Deletion choice: Remove one occurrence for a cancellation, or delete the recurring summary task to remove the entire series.

C. Editing Tasks

Editing updates task information when project scope, estimates, or scheduling assumptions change.

• Direct editing: Modify fields such as Task Name, Duration, Start, Finish, Predecessors, or Resource Names in a table.
• Task Information dialog: Use it for detailed settings, including notes, constraints, deadlines, calendars, and advanced scheduling options.
• Schedule effect: Changing duration or dependencies can move successor tasks and alter the critical path.
• Controlled revision: After a baseline is approved, retain the baseline and record authorized changes in the current schedule.
• Validation: Review warnings, overallocations, constraints, and downstream dates after substantial edits.

D. Changing Task Priority

Task priority controls how readily resource leveling delays or splits a task.

• Priority scale: Microsoft Project uses values from 0 to 1000; the default is 500.
• Higher priority: A task with priority 900 is generally protected from leveling delay relative to one with priority 300.
• Special value: Priority 1000 means “do not level” and should be reserved for genuinely fixed work.
• Scope limitation: Priority does not automatically make a task critical, change its dependency logic, or guarantee earlier completion.
• Balanced use: Excessively high priorities reduce the leveling engine’s ability to resolve resource conflicts.

E. Inserting A Task

Inserting a task adds new work without rebuilding the existing task list.

• Placement: Select the row that should follow the new task and insert a blank task above it.
• Hierarchy: Apply indent or outdent so the task belongs to the correct phase.
• Scheduling data: Enter duration, dependencies, constraints, and resource assignments rather than relying only on row position.
• Impact review: Check successor dates, phase duration, resource loading, cost, and baseline implications.
• Example: Inserting “Security review” between coding and deployment requires predecessor and successor links to preserve workflow.

F. Deleting Tasks

Deleting removes a task and its associated schedule information from the active plan.

• Deletion effect: The task’s assignments, links, notes, costs, and progress data are removed with the row.
• Summary-task caution: Deleting a summary task may also delete all of its subtasks.
• Dependency check: Removing an intermediate task can leave successors without the intended logical predecessor.
• Alternative: Inactivate approved but currently excluded work when its history and relationships should remain visible.
• Baseline distinction: Deleting a current task does not constitute formal documentation of a scope change.

G. Moving Tasks

Moving tasks changes their position or WBS membership and may affect the project structure.

• Reordering: Cut and paste or drag task rows to place them in the desired sequence.
• Hierarchy effect: Moving a task beneath another summary task can change its phase and WBS code.
• Logic preservation: Dependencies usually determine dates; visual row order alone does not create a predecessor relationship.
• Verification: Confirm indentation, links, assignments, and summary totals after the move.
• Selection caution: When moving a summary task, include its complete group of subtasks.

H. Arranging tasks using priority

Arranging tasks using priority presents work in an order that supports resource and management decisions.

• Sorting: Sort or group by the Priority field to display high-priority tasks together.
• Filtering: Apply filters to concentrate on urgent work while retaining lower-priority tasks in the plan.
• Resource leveling: Project considers priority together with dependencies, constraints, slack, and leveling settings.
• Operational distinction: Sorting changes the display order; leveling may change scheduled dates.
• Governance: Priority values should reflect agreed business importance, not personal preference.

IV. Scheduling Modes — Controlling Date Calculation

A. Manually scheduled tasks

A manually scheduled task allows the planner to retain partial or provisional schedule information.

• Flexible fields: Start, finish, and duration can be blank, approximate, or entered independently.
• Limited calculation: Project does not automatically move the task in response to every dependency or calendar change.
• Early planning use: Manual mode suits tasks whose dates or estimates are not yet known.
• Risk: Manually retained dates may conflict with predecessor logic or resource availability.
• Visual cue: Task-mode indicators and Gantt-bar styles distinguish manually scheduled tasks.

B. Automatically scheduled tasks

An automatically scheduled task is calculated from the scheduling model maintained by Project.

• Inputs: Duration, dependencies, constraints, calendars, task type, and resource assignments determine dates.
• Dynamic response: A delayed predecessor normally causes its dependent successor to move.
• Scheduling benefit: Automatic mode keeps a detailed, logic-driven plan internally consistent.
• Constraint caution: Hard constraints such as “Must Start On” can prevent normal recalculation.
• Best use: Apply automatic scheduling when task logic and estimates are sufficiently defined.

C. Switch task modes

Switching task modes changes whether Project or the planner has primary control over schedule calculation.

1. Manual to automatic: Project calculates dates from available task data, links, calendars, and constraints.
2. Automatic to manual: Existing dates are retained, but subsequent scheduling changes may no longer move the task automatically.
   • Method: Change the Task Mode field or use the corresponding command on the Task ribbon.
   • Pre-switch check: Resolve missing durations, incomplete dependencies, and contradictory dates.
   • Post-switch check: Inspect Gantt bars, indicators, constraints, and successor dates for unexpected movement.

D. Simplified planning with inactive tasks

Inactive tasks support scenario planning by excluding selected work without deleting its record.

• Scheduling behavior: An inactive task is ignored in the active schedule’s dates, resource demand, and cost calculations.
• Retained information: Its name, estimates, links, assignments, and other task details remain available.
• Dependency handling: Project treats links through inactive tasks so that active work can be evaluated without the excluded task.
• Scenario use: A proposed feature can be inactivated to assess the release date and cost without it.
• Control requirement: Inactivation should accompany formal scope and change-control decisions, especially after baselining.

V. Tracking Task Progress — Comparing Plan and Performance

A. Tracking a Project as Scheduled

Tracking as scheduled records that selected work progressed exactly according to the current schedule through a chosen status date.

• Update principle: Project marks scheduled portions complete up to the specified date and retains later portions as remaining work.
• Appropriate condition: Use this method only when actual performance genuinely matches planned dates and effort.
• Status date: The status date provides a consistent reporting cutoff, such as Friday at close of business.
• Baseline comparison: Variance fields compare current or actual performance with saved baseline values.
• Exception handling: Tasks that started late, finished early, or consumed different work require individual actual values.

B. Entering a Task’s Completion Percentage

Percent complete records completed duration as a proportion of the task’s total duration.

• Valid range: Enter a value from 0% to 100% in the % Complete field.
• Calculation basis:

Percent complete = Actual Duration / Total Duration × 100

• Schedule update: On a ten-day task, 40% generally produces four days of actual duration and six days of remaining duration.
• Boundary effects: 0% indicates not started; 100% marks the task complete and normally sets an actual finish.
• Important distinction: Percent complete is duration-based; it is not necessarily the percentage of physical output or work effort completed.

C. Entering Actual Values for Tasks

Actual values replace assumptions with observed task performance and provide the basis for reliable forecasting.

• Actual Start: Enter the date work genuinely began; this may create start variance from the baseline.
• Actual Finish: Enter it only when the task is complete, because it normally sets the task to 100%.
• Actual Duration: Record working time already elapsed on the task.
• Actual Work: Record labor already performed, such as 24h; this is distinct from elapsed duration.
• Remaining values: Revise Remaining Duration or Remaining Work to express the latest forecast.
• Consistency rule:

Total Work = Actual Work + Remaining Work

• Reporting effect: Accurate actuals support variance analysis, cost tracking, earned-value calculations, resource utilization reports, and credible completion forecasts.