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With tasks defined, the next step is to create
links between the tasks that will determine their sequence. When
tasks are linked to each other in a predecessor / successor
relationship, Microsoft Project will then schedule when tasks can start
and finish using a technique entitled Critical Path Analysis.
To allow the schedule to take shape, just create the links:
The simplest link to create is when two tasks are
adjacent to one another. The 'Manufacture booth' task can't start
until the milestone 'Ready to manufacture' has been accomplished.
To create this link:
Firstly, click on the the name cell or row heading
for Ready to manufacture.
Keeping the mouse button held down, drag the selection to include
Ready to manufacture and Manufacture booth.
Then, click on the Link Tasks button (on the standard toolbar) to
create the link.
Quite often, linked tasks are not adjacent to
one another. The 'Create signage' task is also dependant upon the
'Ready to manufacture' milestone. To create this link:
As before, click on Ready to manufacture, but
this time release the mouse button.
Then, hold the CTRL key down on the keyboard and click on Create
signage. This will select both tasks.
Next, ensuring you are not holding the CTRL key down anymore, click
on the Link Tasks button to create the link.
Sometimes, tasks form a sequence (a to b to c,
for example). Within this project the three 'invitations' tasks
follow this type of sequence. To link these tasks:
Click on Create invitations and, keeping the
mouse button held down, drag the selection to include the two tasks
below.
Then simply use the Link Tasks button. 'Post invitations'
depends upon 'Print invitations', which in turn depends upon 'Create
invitations'.
Another way to link tasks together is to drag
a link from a predecessor task's bar and drop the link on the bar of a
successor task. This can be a more intuitive way to link, although
it can take some practice to accomplish. This is how not to
do it:
You start off by placing the cursor in the
middle of the bar (which is correct), but you drag to the left or
right. If you release the mouse at this point, you will be
constraining the task to start on a particular date. Not a
good idea. If this happens, just use the Undo button.
If you drag up or down (which is the correct way to drag and drop
the link) but you then drag the cursor too far to the left or right
of the chart, Microsoft Project will start to scroll the chart into
the distant past or the distant future. If this happens, don't
panic, no link will be created. All you have to do to
get the chart displaying the current timescale is to select a
suitable task and then click on the Go To Selected Task button on
the standard toolbar.
This is how to drag and drop a link:
Simply place the cursor in the middle of
the bar for the chosen predecessor (in this case the Design booth
task).
Then drag down slowly, noting the cursor change to a link icon.
Watching the help box indicate the ID's of the tasks to be linked,
simply drop the cursor on the correct bar (the Ready to manufacture
milestone in this case), and then release the mouse
button.
Completing the task linking is simply a matter
of repeating the above procedures.
Once tasks have been linked the tasks and
milestones will all be scheduled according to their predecessors.
Note also, that the summary tasks have been scheduled as well. The
left arrowhead for a summary task's bar indicates when the first of its
subtasks can start, and the right arrowhead indicates the completion of
the latest subtask. The summary task's duration is expressed as
the duration between the left and right arrowheads. |