Hello, I have a detailed plan using Microsoft project where I have created all my tasks, inputted their predecessors, estimated the amount of work required and assigned resources. All I need now is for the duration of each task to be estimated once I level the limited resources that I have available but the duration for every task is just shown as "1 day?". Even the headings for each task have a ?.I have set all my tasks to fixed work and effort driven and even have the calendar for each task match the calendar for the appropriate resource.I'm really stumped as to how to resolve this as I feel that I've done all the hard work and it should just be a case of MS project now estimating the total duration for the project but it doesn't seem to work.

SeanW123 --I see two major problems in the project shown in your screenshot. BTW, thanks for sharing that screenshot; it really helps with troubleshooting your issue. Your first problem is that you have assigned a Task Calendar to every task in your project. This is totally unnecessary and I strongly advise that you remove the Task Calendar from every task. Your second problem is that the tasks in the Mechanical Completion are set to Manually Scheduled. Change them to Auto Scheduled. If you make these two sets of changes to your problem, this will probably resolve the problem you are describing. Hope this helps.

Also, I forgot to mention that if you want to see the total Duration for the entire project, you need to display the Project Summary Task (aka Row 0 or Task 0). To do this, click the Format tab (it may be labeled Gantt Chart Format) to display the Format ribbon. At the far right end of the ribbon, select the Project Summary Task checkbox. The Project Summary Task will show you the Duration of the entire project. Hope this additional information helps.

Dale_HowardMVP Hello and thanks for your response, I have done as you recommended, cleared the levelling and then levelled all the resources again but the problem still persists. Any further suggestions?

For further context, as I'm new to MS project, when I first created this plan, I inputted the expected duration of each task into the "duration" field but then changed this to the "work" field and then deleted all data from the "duration" fields, which has then left the duration as "1 day?".I have kept all "mechanical completion" durations as 0 days however as there is no work associated with this task, it is simply a milestone which sets the date at which another task can begin.

SeanW123 --That was a mistake. Duration is the time span or "window of opportunity" during which the work will be performed. Work is the effort expended in performing the task. So, Duration and Work are two entirely different concepts. Clear the leveling again, then enter a Duration value for each task in the project. If needed, adjust the Work for the assigned resources on each task. With a Duration value set for each task, assuming that your task dependencies are set properly, the Duration of the project should now be correct. Hope this helps.

Task/Project Duration not Calculating | Microsoft Community Hub

14 Replies

Dale_HowardMVP
MVP
Nov 16, 2023
Also, I forgot to mention that if you want to see the total Duration for the entire project, you need to display the Project Summary Task (aka Row 0 or Task 0). To do this, click the Format tab (it may be labeled Gantt Chart Format) to display the Format ribbon. At the far right end of the ribbon, select the Project Summary Task checkbox. The Project Summary Task will show you the Duration of the entire project. Hope this additional information helps.
- SeanW123
  Copper Contributor
  Nov 16, 2023
  Dale_HowardMVP
  Hello and thanks for your response, I have done as you recommended, cleared the levelling and then levelled all the resources again but the problem still persists. Any further suggestions?
  - SeanW123
    Copper Contributor
    Nov 16, 2023
    For further context, as I'm new to MS project, when I first created this plan, I inputted the expected duration of each task into the "duration" field but then changed this to the "work" field and then deleted all data from the "duration" fields, which has then left the duration as "1 day?".
    
    I have kept all "mechanical completion" durations as 0 days however as there is no work associated with this task, it is simply a milestone which sets the date at which another task can begin.
Dale_HowardMVP
MVP
Nov 16, 2023
SeanW123 --

I see two major problems in the project shown in your screenshot. BTW, thanks for sharing that screenshot; it really helps with troubleshooting your issue. Your first problem is that you have assigned a Task Calendar to every task in your project. This is totally unnecessary and I strongly advise that you remove the Task Calendar from every task. Your second problem is that the tasks in the Mechanical Completion are set to Manually Scheduled. Change them to Auto Scheduled. If you make these two sets of changes to your problem, this will probably resolve the problem you are describing. Hope this helps.
- SeanW123
  Copper Contributor
  Nov 21, 2023
  This one helped

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Task/Project Duration not Calculating

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