Microsoft Project 2007 supports input of Activity durations in a number of formats like Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks and Months.
Under each Category, MS-Project allows the following two formats of entry
1. Duration – entered as hrs, days, wks, mons
2. Elapsed Duration – entered as ehrs, edays, ewks, emons
To understand how MS-Project uses each of these durations for schedule calculations we need to look at the following 2 calendar settings.
A. Project Calendar - To view the Project Calendar setting select Tools ->Change working Time
The settings used in the example case are the default MS-Project Standard Calendar.
Sunday & Saturday - Non working day
Monday to Friday - 8 Hrs [8:00AM to 12:00PM & 1:00PM to 5:00PM]
B. Project Calendar Options Settings - To view the Project Calendar option setting select Tools -> Options ->Calendar Tab. The settings used in the example case are the default MS-Project settings.
Hours per day - 8
Hours per week - 40
Days per months - 20
MS-Project Calculation
Task 1
Entered duration: 24 hrs
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM. Start Date is equal to the “Project Start Date” (02-Mar-2009 8:00AM) since there is no predecessor assigned)
Finish Date: Start Date + 24 Working Hrs = 04-Mar-2009 5:00PM; 8 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 5PM) + 8 Hrs (03-Mar 8AM to 5PM) + 8 Hrs (04-Mar 8AM to 5PM)
Task 2
Entered duration: 24 ehrs
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 24 Hrs = 03-Mar-2009 8:00AM; 24 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 03-Mar 8AM)
Task 3
Entered duration: 2 days
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 16 Working Hrs (2 x 8 “Hours per day” setting in Options Dialog) = 03-Mar-2009 5:00PM; 8 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 5PM) + 8 Hrs (03-Mar 8AM to 5PM)
Task 4
Entered duration: 2 edays
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 48 Hrs (2 x 24 Hours/day) = 04-Mar-2009 8:00AM; 24 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 03-Mar 8AM) + 24 Hrs (03-Mar 8AM to 04-Mar 8AM)
Task 5
Entered duration: 2 wks
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 80 Working Hrs (2 x 40 “Hours per week” setting in Options Dialog) = 13-Mar-2009 5:00PM
Task 6
Entered duration: 2 ewks
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 336 Hrs (2 x 7 day/week x 24 Hours/day) = 16-Mar-2009 8:00AM
Task 7
Entered duration: 2 mons
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 320 Working Hrs (2 x 20 “days per month” x 8 “Hours per day” setting in Options Dialog) = 24-Apr-2009 5:00PM
Task 8
Entered duration: 2 emons
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 1440 Hrs (2 x 30 day per month* x 24 Hours per day) = 01-May-2009 8:00AM
* MS-Project calculation engine assumes a fixed 30days per month factor for calculating durations entered as “emons”, hence verify whether the schedule output is in line with real life situation when using emons.
Under each Category, MS-Project allows the following two formats of entry
1. Duration – entered as hrs, days, wks, mons
2. Elapsed Duration – entered as ehrs, edays, ewks, emons
To understand how MS-Project uses each of these durations for schedule calculations we need to look at the following 2 calendar settings.
A. Project Calendar - To view the Project Calendar setting select Tools ->Change working Time
The settings used in the example case are the default MS-Project Standard Calendar.
Sunday & Saturday - Non working day
Monday to Friday - 8 Hrs [8:00AM to 12:00PM & 1:00PM to 5:00PM]
B. Project Calendar Options Settings - To view the Project Calendar option setting select Tools -> Options ->Calendar Tab. The settings used in the example case are the default MS-Project settings.
Hours per day - 8
Hours per week - 40
Days per months - 20
MS-Project Calculation
Task 1
Entered duration: 24 hrs
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM. Start Date is equal to the “Project Start Date” (02-Mar-2009 8:00AM) since there is no predecessor assigned)
Finish Date: Start Date + 24 Working Hrs = 04-Mar-2009 5:00PM; 8 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 5PM) + 8 Hrs (03-Mar 8AM to 5PM) + 8 Hrs (04-Mar 8AM to 5PM)
Task 2
Entered duration: 24 ehrs
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 24 Hrs = 03-Mar-2009 8:00AM; 24 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 03-Mar 8AM)
Task 3
Entered duration: 2 days
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 16 Working Hrs (2 x 8 “Hours per day” setting in Options Dialog) = 03-Mar-2009 5:00PM; 8 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 5PM) + 8 Hrs (03-Mar 8AM to 5PM)
Task 4
Entered duration: 2 edays
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 48 Hrs (2 x 24 Hours/day) = 04-Mar-2009 8:00AM; 24 Hrs (02-Mar 8AM to 03-Mar 8AM) + 24 Hrs (03-Mar 8AM to 04-Mar 8AM)
Task 5
Entered duration: 2 wks
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 80 Working Hrs (2 x 40 “Hours per week” setting in Options Dialog) = 13-Mar-2009 5:00PM
Task 6
Entered duration: 2 ewks
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 336 Hrs (2 x 7 day/week x 24 Hours/day) = 16-Mar-2009 8:00AM
Task 7
Entered duration: 2 mons
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 320 Working Hrs (2 x 20 “days per month” x 8 “Hours per day” setting in Options Dialog) = 24-Apr-2009 5:00PM
Task 8
Entered duration: 2 emons
Start Date: 02-Mar-2009 8:00AM equal to “Project Start Date”
Finish Date: Start Date + 1440 Hrs (2 x 30 day per month* x 24 Hours per day) = 01-May-2009 8:00AM
* MS-Project calculation engine assumes a fixed 30days per month factor for calculating durations entered as “emons”, hence verify whether the schedule output is in line with real life situation when using emons.
