MS Project: Updating Task Information

Name: MS Project: Updating Task Information
Author: Elissa Smith

Use tasks to maximize time management

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Course: On-Demand

In this lesson, we're going to look at how to add lead time to our tasks. We're also going to explore the idea of lag time as well. So the first thing we need to understand is what lead time and lag time are. Lag time is a waiting period between the time that one task stops and the next one can begin. Lead time is its exact opposite. Two tasks can actually overlap. Let's first of all look at an example of lead time. Right here in my project, I have two tasks, task 30 and 31. And they, of course, right now are linked with a finished to start relationship, as we can see in the Gantt chart right now. I've ascertained that task 31 can actually begin while task 30 is still going on. This is a great time to use lead time between these two tasks, so that for a short period of time, they can be ongoing. Now to add lead time, we're going to go to again the predecessor tab of the task that comes after. So we're going to double click and inside the task information box, we're going to look at the predecessors tab. Now, this is again where we're going to see the link information that establishes that task 30 and 31 have a finished to start relationship. Directly to the right, we're going to see a field that says lag. Now, do know that lag and lead are both entered in the same place because they're opposites of each other. Now, I would like task 31 to be able to start when task 30 is 50% complete. So because I'm doing lag time, I'm going to actually say lead time. I'm going to enter a negative value here, followed by either an actual value of time like two days or one day or a percent. I'm going to do negative 50%. This means that when task 30 is 50% from being complete, the task 31 can begin. When I click on OK, this is where we'll really see the power of lead time within the Gantt chart because here we can see that if we look at the Gantt bars, I can actually see how they are overlapping. And when I hover again on that task dependency relationship arrow between the two tasks, it tells me that they are linked with a finished to start. However, they also have a 50% lead time. And I know it's lead time because if we see here again, when we look at it, it shows up as a negative value. Thanks so much for watching. Stay tuned for the next lesson when we're going to look at how to add lag time between tasks.

Beginner Provider : Elissa Smith 6 Lessons · 14m in English

Course Description

Microsoft Project is a project management software product that helps project managers complete their work. MS Project is used when developing a schedule, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget, and analyzing workloads. How the time to complete tasks affects deadlines is key to moving your project toward completion. As a project manager, it's essential that you understand key task management skills, like marking tasks complete and using calendars. So how can you use MS Project to keep track of your tasks?

In this course, you’ll learn about keeping your task information up to date and accurate and how this is reflected in your Gantt chart. You’ll examine lead time and lag time and how they can impact your project start and finish dates. You’ll learn to edit your tasks in the project update box, plus how to manage tasks with calendars. Finally, you’ll understand how and when to mark tasks as complete or inactive.

What You'll Learn

Add lead time and lag time to tasks in MS Project
Distinguish between lead time and lag time and how each affects project deadlines
Keep task information updated and accurate using the project update box
Manage tasks with task calendars
Mark tasks as complete or inactive and know when to do so
Reflect updated task information in your Gantt chart

Key Takeaways

Microsoft Project helps project managers develop schedules, assign resources to tasks, track progress, manage budgets, and analyze workloads.
Keeping task information up to date and accurate is reflected in the project's Gantt chart.
Lead time and lag time can impact a project's start and finish dates.
Tasks can be edited in the project update box and managed with task calendars.
Knowing how and when to mark tasks as complete or inactive is part of effective task management.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this MS Project course cover?

It covers keeping task information up to date and accurate, how this is reflected in your Gantt chart, lead time and lag time and their impact on project start and finish dates, editing tasks in the project update box, managing tasks with calendars, and marking tasks as complete or inactive.

Who is this course for?

It is for project managers who need to understand key task management skills in Microsoft Project, such as marking tasks complete and using calendars.

What is the difference between lead time and lag time in this course?

The course covers the definitions and differences between lead time and lag time and how each affects project deadlines.

What skills will I gain from this course?

You will build skills in Microsoft Project, project management, project schedules, task management, project management information systems, and the ability to meet deadlines.

What lessons are included?

The lessons are Adding Lead Time, Adding Lag Time, Tasks as Complete, Project Update Box, Task Calendars, and Task Inactivation.