Forum Discussion
Combining 2 duration columns to get one Finish date
Well, it will report that plumbing was starting 10 days later but that's Start Variance, not Duration Variance.
Sorry but you can't add something to the finish date without increasing the Duration field, unless you also change the Start field. Duration is the difference in working days between the start of a task and the finish of a task, unless there is a split, then task duration only tracks the scheduled working days where the span of the split is excluded. For example, in the screen shot below, framing for building one was going along swimmingly for the first three days, then over the weekend a storm blew in and delayed further framing for 3 days. That 3 days is entered into a custom Duration field (Duration1 renamed as "Delays") and a split is applied to the framing task. Note the task Duration field still shows the original 20 days but the split delay shifted the schedule to the right by those 3 long rainy wet days (yuck). If other delays occur, additional splits can be applied. The advantage here is the the delay is graphically very apparent but you could, as Dale suggested, make an entry in the Task Notes field why the split occurred.
So how do you do a split? It can be done manually via Task > Schedule group > Split task icon and then hovering your mouse over the start of the split and pulling it over the 3 days. Or, it could be done programmatically with VBA, enter the delay, run the macro and boom! there it is.
Is you head spinning yet?
John
My overall goal is to go to each individual trade (framer) and show them the schedule and show them how many days they are behind on their contractual days for each of their individual task items. If I use the Duration Variance to do that it will show them the amount of days the entire project is behind from the baseline that got saved at the beginning of the project. Which lets say is 60 days by the time the framers get to the last building in the sequence. If they haven't started that last building how could they already be 60 days behind on their work? So I need to show a running total of delays for each task individually and not an overall project delay(Like the Duration Variance does). And yes as you stated the variance does track delays as they happen but then those delays affect every successor even if they haven't started their task yet.
Again if framers end up pushing back the entire building schedule due to weather the Duration Variance will automatically show a delay for MEP rough ins/roofers/siders/painters. My goal is to show individual task delays as the delays happen. For another example, if the framers frame the building without a hitch but then the plumbers have a delay but the HVAC, Electrical, and Sprinkler guys don't, I want to be able to add 2 days to the plumbers duration in my "Delays" column for only them. Thus, allowing me to go to the plumbers and say hey you're 2 days behind I need you to pick it up.
For our projects we only save a baseline when an initial schedule has been agreed upon, and then when framing starts on the first building. If my framers get to the last building and it shows a 60 day delay from the "Framing Baseline" mentioned above, I cant say "Here is your back charge for being behind by 60 days." I have to hold them accountable for each building individually. When they start framing a new building that is when the clock starts on their duration.
It may seem like Dale and I are giving you a hard time about your approach and in a way perhaps we are. Our suggestions are based on a whole lot of years of using Project, (20+ for each of us), and fielding a array of questions and misunderstanding by users. Back in 2020 I helped a user, also in the construction industry, who asked for help with translating the dollars associated with their cost codes for each type of construction activity. We went round and round trying to get on common ground but eventually I wrote a set of procedures (VBA macros) for him that interfaced from Excel to Project and back to Excel, one of which was a customized Excel cash flow report for all their properties under construction.
Back to the topic at hand. I don't quite see where you 60 day delay is coming from unless your plan shows all the framing tasks as a single task. Here is an example of 3 buildings with framing followed by rough in plumbing. A baseline is set.
It's raining so the framers are delayed 5 days on building 1 so that 5 days is added to the duration and entered into the Duration field. Note the framing delay shows in the Duration Variance for framing but even though that shifted the overall schedule to the right, rough in plumbing has no delay.
On to building 2, the framers pick up some time so they finish 2 days early but the plumbers run into a material delay so they lose a day. Again, no framing delay on building 2, (actually they get an "attaboy" for finishing early), but there is a plumbing delay on building 2.
Now, what part of that doesn't work for you?
John