This is sometimes called a PERT analysis. You can also derive your estimates by comparing optimistic, pessimistic, and expected durations. You will know more about the tasks at that point. A highly experienced resource can sometimes complete certain tasks more quickly than a less experienced resource.Įstimates should be revisited when the work starts. Include the following considerations as you estimate task durations:ĭurations can depend on the experience of the resource who performs the task. Note any differences between the new task and similar tasks done in the past, and take into account those differences when you estimate a task's duration. What would you do differently if you had to do it over again? What were some of the challenges you encountered? ![]() To increase the accuracy of your estimates for task duration, use your own past experience and the past experiences of others who have done something similar in previous projects. ![]() To change a summary task, change the subtasks that make up the summary task. Summary tasks (sometimes called "hammock tasks") cannot be edited directly. For example, if the current duration for a task is 1 day, and you want to change the duration to reflect hours instead of days, you must first calculate the number of working hours in a day on your own and then enter the new value in hours. If you are changing a duration and the new duration uses a different unit from the existing duration, you must first do the calculation separately and then enter the new value. Select the Show that tasks have estimated durations check box. To allow estimations in your project, choose Tools > Options > Schedule. If your project does not use estimated durations and you type a question mark in the Duration column for a task, the value is not considered an estimation. Some projects may not use estimated durations. Be sure to also check and adjust the corresponding amount of work that is assigned, as necessary. When you change a task's duration to meet a specific target, be sure that the change still reflects realistic time requirements for the task. How automatic scheduling can affect task durations How changing the duration affects linked tasks Select the Show that scheduled tasks have estimated durations check box. Scroll down to the Scheduling options for this project area. In the Project Options dialog box, choose Schedule. Is the question mark disappearing when you try to add an estimated task duration? Estimated durations are probably not turned on for your project. You can see the difference between the two at a glance. On the Gantt Chart, a summary task bar always shows the summary task duration (black line) and the sum of the durations of its subtasks (blue bar), like in the picture below. But be careful - changing the duration of the summary task doesn’t necessarily change the durations of the subtasks. You can change the duration of a summary task the same way you change a regular task. Your changes might conflict with the task dependencies or task constraints Project is tracking, which can throw a carefully constructed schedule off track. If the new duration is an estimate, type a question mark ( ?) after it.īe careful about changing a duration by using the Start and Finish columns, especially for linked tasks or automatically scheduled tasks. ![]() In the Duration column for the task, type the duration in minutes ( m), hours ( h), days ( d), weeks ( w), or months ( mo). You can change a task’s duration at any time to reflect the actual amount of time it needs.
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