Defining and Entering Project Tasks
Help for defining and entering project tasks in the project planning and management template for Excel
The 'Tasks' sheet enables the definition and management of all project tasks and required resources. New tasks can be added using the 'Add New Task' button in the top left hand corner, and existing tasks can be modified, updated or removed by selecting any cell in the task’s row and clicking the 'Edit Selected Task' button. Once tasks have been defined, the 'Auto-timing' function can be executed, which optimizes the scheduling of Human Resources according to availability.
Adding New Tasks
New project tasks can be added by clicking the 'Add New Task' button. This displays a form with information required for the new task in three sections. The first section is the Task Parameters and consists of:
- Project Phase. This is selected from a drop down box which is populated from the phases specified in the 'Pre-Defined' sheet. On selecting a phase the pre-defined task description list is populated from the corresponding task titles in the 'Pre-Defined' sheet.
- Description. This can be specified or chosen from the pre-defined list based on the phase.
- Deliverables (to gauge completion). This section should be used to describe the specific deliverables and milestones needed to be met in order to gauge that the task has been completed satisfactorily.
The second section is the Timing & Responsibility and consists of:
- Preceding Task for which completion is first required. This is used to create dependencies by specifying that a preceding task must be completed before the new task can commence. This information is taken into account within the Auto-timing function.
- Exp Duration. The expected duration of the task can be specified in the number of days and hours. This input is converted into the total number of hours required by using the number of working hours per day specified in the ‘Resources’ sheet.
- Productivity. This is the level of required productivity of the participant to work on the task represented as the percentage of the number of working hours per day specified in the ‘Resources’ sheet.
- Person Responsible. This is the participant from the Human Resources that is responsible for completing the task.
- Specify Start Date (optional). A specific start date can be specified where human and/or financial resource constraints may exist. Specifying the start date here will override any preceding task or calculated timing within the Auto-timing function.
The third and final section is the Resources required for the task which consists of:
- Unit Type. An existing unit type can be chosen, or a new unit type can be specified to add. If 'Hours' is selected, the Unit Cost field is automatically filled in with the participants hourly rate.
- No. Units. This is the number of units required to complete the task.
- Unit Cost. This is the cost of each unit for the task.
- Add this cost to the Budget. This box should be checked to add the units, quantity and cost to the budget under Financial Resources in the ‘Resources’ sheet. This way, the budget can be built by adding tasks.
- Contingency. This is a percentage of the total cost which can be specified as risk cover in the event of budget overruns. This is enabled only if the cost is added to the budget.
- Capital Expenditure. The amount of capital expenditure required for the task.
- Add to the budget. Checking this box adds the specified capital expenditure to the budget.
Upon clicking the 'OK' button, a new row will be appended to the Task list with the details entered and, if necessary, the budget will be modified accordingly in the ‘Resources’ sheet.
Editing and Updating Existing Tasks
Existing project tasks can be edited by selecting any cell in the task's row and clicking the 'Edit Selected Task' button. This displays a form with information populated for the task in four sections. The first section is the Task Parameters and consists of:
- Project Phase. This is selected from a drop down box which is populated from the phases specified in the 'Pre-Defined' sheet.
- Description. This can be changed or chosen from the pre-defined list based on the phase.
- Deliverables (to gauge completion). The specific deliverables and milestones needed to be met in order to gauge that the task has been completed can be altered here.
The second section is the Timing & Responsibility and consists of:
- Preceding Task for which completion is first required. This is used to create dependencies by specifying that a preceding task must be completed before the new task can commence, and can be added, removed or changed here.
- Exp Duration. The expected duration of the task (specified in the number of days and hours), can be altered here.
- Productivity. This is the level of required productivity of the participant to work on the task represented as the percentage of the number of working hours per day.
- Person Responsible. This is the participant from the Human Resources that is responsible for completing the task and can be changed here.
- Timing. A specific start date can be specified where human and/or financial resource constraints may exist. Specifying or changing the start date here will override any preceding task or calculated timing within the Auto-timing function.
The third section is the Resources required for the task and consists of:
- Unit Type. An existing unit type can be chosen to change, or a new unit type can be specified to add. If 'Hours' is selected; the Unit Cost field is automatically filled in with the participant's hourly rate.
- No. Units. This is the number of units required to complete the task.
- Unit Cost. This is the cost of each unit for the task.
- Modify the budget with the new cost. This box should be checked to modify the units, quantity and cost to the budget under Financial Resources in the 'Resources' sheet. If the units were originally added, then they will be modified, otherwise they will be added.
- Contingency. This is a percentage of the total cost which can be specified as risk cover in the event of budget overruns. This is enabled only if the cost is to be modified in the budget.
- Capital Expenditure. The amount of capital expenditure required for the task can be changed here.
- Modify the budget. Checking this box adds the specified capital expenditure to the budget.
The fourth and final section is for recording the task's Progress and consists of:
- Units Completed. This is the number of units (as specified in the Resources section) that have been completed to date.
- Capital Spent. This represents the capital expenditure attributable to the task spent to date.
- Task Completed. This box should be checked if the task has been completed. This will display another input box for the completion date and time to be entered.
After selecting whether to Update or Delete the task, clicking 'OK' button, will make the necessary changed to the selected task row and update the budgeting information if necessary.
Running the Auto-Timing
Once tasks have been added, the Auto-timing function can be run to automatically to calculate the optimal start and end dates for each task by evaluating the available human resources and respective productivity factors. The Auto-timing process can be run at any time as the task list is modified during the project life cycle; however the Gantt Schedule and Project Status Report will have be rerun in order to capture the changes made to the project’s timing.
Essentially the Auto-Timing works by evaluating each task individually. The first tasks to be allocated time are those with specified start dates. This ensures that tasks identified with such resource constraints are allocated with time resources before those without constraints.
Once these tasks have been allocated time, tasks are allocated in order of Phase with dependent task start dates constrained to the end dates of their predecessors.
Tasks that have been completed with a specified completion date are not including the process.
As each task is analyzed, the participant's available productivity is examined, taking into account of productivity which has already been allocated to previously analyzed tasks.
The Auto-Timing can be run by clicking 'Run Auto-Timing' button. Auto-timing can also be cleared by clicking the 'Clear Auto-Timing' button; however previous auto-timing dates are cleared each time the process is run.
Screenshot: Defining and Entering Project Tasks
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