Key Points

• By using a combination of task relationships, and lead and lag time, you can more accurately model how work should be done.

• When entering lead time between a predecessor and successor task, entering a percentage lead time value offers more flexibility because Project recalculates the lead time value whenever the predecessor task’s duration changes.

• The constraint options in Project enable you to fully take advantage of the scheduling engine in Project, or to effectively turn it off. Think through the effects of semi-flexible and inflexible constraints on your schedules, and use them sparingly.

• You can often set a deadline date for a task instead of applying a hard constraint like Must Finish On.

• The critical path indicates the series of tasks that determine the project’s finish date. Project constantly recalculates the critical path, which may change as the details of your project plan change.

• For tasks that must be completed outside of the project’s normal working time (as specified by the project calendar), you can create a new calendar and apply it to the task.

• Project supports three different task types; fixed units is the default. A task’s type determines how Project reschedules a task when you change work, duration, or assignment units values.