Task Dates Edit

Purpose

This screen allows task dates, dependencies and target hours and other task based information to be amended. If the Resources module is in use then resources may also be planned against the task.

Operation

The edit window for a task contains a number of tabbed pages:

Entering Dates

Dates may be entered either as start and finish date or start date and duration. Entering a finish date will calculated the duration, whilst entering the duration will calculate the finish date. Durations may be entered in working days (d or blank) or weeks (w). To enter the duration in weeks you must enter a ‘w’ suffix.

For example, a task is set to start when a previous task finishes so a Finish-to-Start (FS) dependency is created between the two tasks. The start date for the second task will be disabled because it is always set by the dependency.

Rules for Dates

If the date has a dependency the target date entry is disabled

▪To clear a date, click the clear button on the date-picker

▪If a task has an actual date, the Gantt chart will draw to that date in the calendar

▪Date entry is disabled of you do not have the access right: Enter Task Dates

Instead of entering a finish date you can enter a duration. Entering a number will calculate the duration as a number of working days. Entering a number followed by "w" will calculate the duration in weeks.

o35 or 35d = 7 weeks (i.e. excluding weekends)

o7w = 7 weeks

Entering Dependencies

Tasks may be linked together by using dependencies. Timemaster implements task links in exactly the same way as Microsoft Project, except that only one dependency is allowed per task.

A dependency is created as follows:

▪Select the task you wish to link to and click the Edit icon.

▪On the dependency page, select the task to link from

▪Select the dependency type (FS, SF, SS, or FF), see below

▪Enter the lag in working days

A dependency may be one of four types:

The lag defines the lag between the two tasks. For example, If a task starts 10 working days after another task finishes, then you would create a dependency of SF with a lag of 10.

Entering Target Hours

Target hours can either be calculated from the entered target costs or the target costs can be calculated from the target hours. In this screen you can only enter the Remaining Hours which will thereby adjust the target hours. No cost information is shown you need to have access to Task Fees to view / edit this information.

The target may be amended by entering the remaining hours to complete the task. This option is only available if the Target Method is set to 'Manual Entry' and the 'Enter remaining target hours and override target costs based on the entered hours?' check-box is checked.

This option is also disabled if you have not been allocated the access rights to: Edit Task Targets or Edit Tasks.

The % Spend shows the percentage spend for the task: actual hours x 100% / target hours

Altering the remaining target also calculates the percentage complete for the task if the Control Parameter "When calculating task targets, also re-calculate the percentage completion?" is set.

Task Baselines

The Baselines page within the Task Edit shows the values  of the baseline figures. This is a read-only view. Baselines are created or updated using the Baselines button at the top of the chart. See Task Date Baselines for more information.