OpenProj Manual

Buyer: PauI Thomas (pathomas@uga.
edu)
Transaction ID: 8746548546137424A
2

Project Planning with
OpenProj

Project Planning with OpenProj
The Basics
Author: Jrgen Bruns & Associates.
1. English Edition April 2012
of the English Eition Jrgen Bruns! Paul "orner!
#hristopher $orris.
%nternet: http:&&www.openprojuserguie.co'&

All Rights Reserved.
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any other method) without the express written permission of the
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consequences.

This manuscript may contain links and references to third-party
websites. We have no influence on the content and design of these
locations.

Buyer: PauI Thomas (pathomas@uga.edu)
(

Contents
Preface ..................................................................................................................................................... )
Project $anage'ent Basics .................................................................................................................... *
+hat is a project, ............................................................................................................................... *
+hat %s Project $anage'ent, ............................................................................................................ *
Project $anage'ent Basics .................................................................................................................... -
Project $anage'ent Ter'inolog. ..................................................................................................... -
/sing OpenProj for the first ti'e ............................................................................................................ 0
1tarting an E2iting OpenProj ............................................................................................................. 0
OpenProj Application +inow ............................................................................................................ 3
#reating 4our 5irst Project .................................................................................................................... 67
Ajust the #alenar ........................................................................................................................... 67
Entering Tas8s.................................................................................................................................... 62
+or8 Brea8own 1tructure ............................................................................................................... 6(
Esta9lish an outline ....................................................................................................................... 6(
%nserting! $o:ing! #op.ing an ;eleting Tas8s............................................................................. 6(
#reating a 1u''ar. Tas8 .............................................................................................................. 6(
Assigning Tas8 #alenars ............................................................................................................... 6)
1etting ;epenencies ........................................................................................................................ 6*
;epenenc. T.pes ........................................................................................................................ 6*
1electing Tas8s with 51 <in8ages =efault an 'ost co''onl. use> .......................................... 6*
;efining Other Tas8 ;epenencies =11! 55! 15> an #reating Ti'e?<ags or O:erlapping Tas8s........ 60
#ritical Tas8s an 1cheuling #onflicts .............................................................................................. 27
$ilestones an ;ealines ................................................................................................................. 26
#hanging Tas8 %nfor'ation ............................................................................................................... 2(
Tas8 #onstraints ............................................................................................................................... 2@
The Encapsulate Project 1tructure ...................................................................................................... 2)
Aesource Planning ................................................................................................................................. 2-
Entering Aesources ............................................................................................................................ 2-
5una'entals for Aesource Planning............................................................................................ 2-
Aesource 1heet #reation ............................................................................................................... 2-
Aesource Allocation ........................................................................................................................... 20
Assigning Aesources to Tas8s ........................................................................................................ 20
Aesource %nfor'ation .................................................................................................................... (7
@

Aesource #alenars ....................................................................................................................... (6
+or8 an B1cheuling B. Tas8 T.peC ................................................................................................... (2
+or8 & Effort .................................................................................................................................... (2
O:er:iew of Tas8 T.pes ..................................................................................................................... (@
%ni:iual resource allocation ........................................................................................................... ()
Allocation of 1taggere Aesources ................................................................................................ ()
Aesource <e:eling .................................................................................................................................. (*
+hat is the Purpose of Aesource <e:eling, ...................................................................................... (*
Aesource <e:eling 1trategies ............................................................................................................. (*
Diewing Aesource O:er?allocations ................................................................................................... (*
Project #ost #alculations in OpenProj ................................................................................................... (3
Project #ost #alculation 5una'entals ............................................................................................ (3
#ost Ta9le .......................................................................................................................................... (3
1et Baseline ........................................................................................................................................... @7
Project $onitoring ................................................................................................................................ @6
Aeports .................................................................................................................................................. @(
1tanar Aeports ............................................................................................................................... @(
/ser ;efine Aeports ........................................................................................................................ @(
Afterwor .............................................................................................................................................. @@

)

Preface
OpenProj is the 'ost wiel. use open?source 5reeware for project planning an controlling. As Ja:a
9ase software! OpenProj can 9e use with +inows! $acintosh an <inu2 operating s.ste's.
The great popularit. of OpenProj is not onl. 9ase on the fact that it is a:aila9le for free! 9ut also
9ecause the loo8 an feel of the software is :er. close to the 'ar8et leaer $icrosoft Project.
OpenProj users shoul 9e a9le to change :er. Euic8l. fro' OpenProj to $1 Project when it 9eco'es
necessar.! perhaps ue to increasing projects or the e'an for 'ulti?project 'anage'ent! which
cannot easil. 9e hanle with OpenProj.
Project plans create with OpenProj can 9e use with $1 Project =up to :ersion Project 277-> an :ice
:ersa.
This guie is intene for new users who wish to get hans?on with the 8e. functions of OpenProj in
the 'ini'u' a'ount of ti'e. On co'pletion of reaing an unerstaning this guie! the user shoul
9e a9le to create! trac8 an 'oif. relati:el. co'ple2 projects to achie:e a higher le:el of wor8
proucti:it.! control an efficienc..
%f .ou o not alrea. ha:e OpenProj installe! please :isit the official ownloa page now at
1ource5orge.net http:&&sourceforge.net&projects&openproj& an procee to follow the instructions to
install the software on .our 'achine.
This guie applies to :ersion 6.@ which as of April 2762 is the latest :ersion. Other :ersions 'a. ha:e
slightl. ifferent functionalit.! 'enus or escriptions.

*

Project Management Basics
What is a project?
A project is a series of acti:ities leaing to efine goals an eli:era9les achie:e in a specific
ti'efra'e. A project alwa.s has a specific start ate an a specific en ate.
These acti:ities =tas8s> ha:e to 9e acco'plishe in a istinct orer 9. the 'eans of allocate resources
='anpower! 'achines! 'aterials! costs> so that the fra'ewor8 of ti'e! costs an eli:era9les is 'et.
Fenerall. spea8ing a project shoul ha:e the following characteristics:
Characteristic Meaning
Ti'e <i'itation Both a start point an an enpoint 'ust 9e efine for a project. %nitiall.!
it is co''on for just a start ate to 9e specifie an the resultant project
plan will eter'ine the en ate.
#lear O9jecti:e The o9jecti:e to 9e achie:e 9. the project 'ust 9e clearl. efine.
5or e2a'ple! G<aunch ProuctG is a clearl. efine goal! whilst G1ale of the
ProuctG =without Euantification> is not a clearl. efine goal.
Process 1tructure The project 'ust 9e split up into clearl. efine tas8s. %t shoul not
represent a singular process fro' 9eginning to en! 9ut 9e 9ro8en own
into istinct stages.
OrganiHational
1tructure
Projects often reEuire an esta9lishe organiHational structure with uniEue
s8ill sets to 9e effecti:e! 9ut this oes epen so'ewhat on the scale of
the project.

What Is Project Management?
Project 'anage'ent is the planning an control of a project. %t allows the user to resol:e conflicts in a
continuousl. changing en:iron'ent an is necessar. to continuousl. ri:e towars the achie:e'ent of
the 9aseline project goals.
Because project 'anage'ent shoul ieall. result in the fulfill'ent of all set targets! a significant part
of the project 'anagerIs wor8 is ealing with conflicts arising fro' unforeseen resource an tas8
:ariations.
Examples of Project Conflicts
Because of the a9sence of planne staff! the project cannot 9e co'plete within the allotte
ti'e =scheule :ariance>. The increase of wor8ing capacit. through o:erti'e woul cause
aitional costs =cost :ariance> or a possi9le reuction of scope woul change the project
eli:era9les =scope :ariance>.

$ost conflicts reEuire the project 'anager to ecie which goals an goal t.pes can change an which
cannot. OpenProj can 9e helpful in assisting these ecisions 9. illustrating Jcritical pathsI within the
project an allow the user to easil. ientif. what i'pact an. changes woul ha:e.
-

Project Management Basics
Project Management Terminology
#ertain ter'inolog. is use throughout the OpenProj software =an this guie>! so it woul 9e useful to
fa'iliariHe .ourself with so'e of these phrases now.
Tass The partial acti:ities fro' which the o:erall project is co'pose are calle
tas8s. The. are the s'allest units&steps in a project.
!"ration The perio 9etween the start ti'e an the finish ti'e of a tas8.
Predecessors A tas8 that 'ust 9e processe 9efore a future epenent tas8 can 9e starte.
#"ccessors A tas8 that can onl. 9e starte if a pre:ious epenent tas8 has 9een processe.
Milestones $ilestones are i'portant inter'eiate o9jecti:es. The. often efine phase
transitions! critical project stages or inter'eiate results. The. are usuall.
represente as tas8s that ha:e no uration.
#"mmar$ Tass Each chun8 of a project with 'ultiple tas8s shoul 9e heae 9. a parent tas8
which is 8nown as a 1u''ar. Tas8. 1u''ar. tas8s usuall. ter'inate with a
'ilestone an ha:e a fi2e result =output>. 1u''ar. tas8s ha:e a uration
assigne auto'aticall. fro' their su9?tas8Is uration an epenencies.
#lac J5ree slac8I is how 'uch a tas8 can ela. without i'pacting on other tas8s.
JTotal slac8I is how 'uch a tas8 can ela. without i'pacting on the en ate of
the project.
Critical Path The shortest path fro' the 9eginning to the en of the project. Onl. tas8s
without slac8 e2ist on this path =critical path> an are calle critical tas8s. The
project en ate is auto'aticall. e2tene if a tas8 on the critical path slips or
has an e2tene uration.
Reso"rces Aesources refer to all people! ti'e! prouction an 'aterials reEuire to eli:er
the project. A 'apping of reEuire resources can 9e perfor'e for each tas8.
Aelia9le cost planning is onl. possi9le when real resources an costs are
'appe to the tas8s.
%or&ard
#ched"led
This is where a start ate is set for the project an the en ate is auto'aticall.
calculate fro' the uration of the operations an the tas8 epenencies.
'ac&ard
#ched"led
This is where a ealine is set for the project an the latest possi9le project
start is auto'aticall. calculate fro' the uration of the operations an the
tas8 epenencies.
%ixed !"ration
Tass
The uration for a tas8 is set! regarless of how 'an. resources are assigne to
it.
Effort !riven Tass The uration of a tas8 is epenent on how 'an. resources of the sa'e t.pe
are assigne to it. 5or e2a'ple! a eli:era9le is prouce in less ti'e with three
e'plo.ees than with one.

0

Using OpenProj for the first time
Starting and Eiting OpenProj
"a:ing ownloae an installe the OpenProj softwareK start OpenProj fro' the start 'enu of
+inows or :ia the icon on .our es8top.
After the license agree'ent!
OpenProj starts with a choice of
creating a new project or opening
an e2isting one.

#hoose JCreate Project

New Project winow.

Enter a na'e for the project! the
project 'anagerIs na'e an a
start ate =which can also 9e
'oifie later if reEuire>.

Place a chec8 'ar8 in the
J5orwar scheuleI 9o2
=otherwise it will treat the project
tas8s as 9ac8war scheule>. 1ee
ter'inolog. on pg.* for an
e2planation on the ifferences.

Pro:ie a escription in the Lotes
section as .ou see fit.

3

OpenProj !pplication Windo"

(ndicator
Col"mn.
%n this colu'n!
s.'9ols are ispla.e
to show the status of
the corresponing
tas8s =see right>.
Tas )"m*er
Col"mn.
Tas8 nu'9ers are assigne 9. OpenProj auto'aticall. when ata is entere. The
user oes not enter infor'ation into this 9o2.
Time #cale. %n 'an. :iews! OpenProj shows a ti'eline whose scale can 9e change :ia the M
an ? 'agnif.ing glass icon on the 'enu a9o:e.
(nformation
+ie& T$pe.
The area along the left sie of the winow lists a nu'9er of 9uttons representing
the a:aila9le :iews. Fantt! Letwor8! Aesources! +B1 =wor8 9rea8own structure>!
AB1 =resource 9rea8own structure>! Aeports! Tas8 /sage an Aesource /sage.

The lower :iew 9uttons open a split?screen where resource 'apping ta9les an
resource utiliHation as a graphic can 9e ispla.e. 4ou can toggle :iews on an off
9. clic8ing the sa'e 9utton repeatel..

Ta*le +ie& ,antt +ie&
%nfor'ation Diew T.pe
Tas8 Lu'9er #olu'n
%nicator #olu'n Ti'e 1cale
67

Creating #o$r %irst Project
5or accurate trac8ing of .our project it is essential to first set up the OpenProj calenar to reflect the
wor8ing hours in .our organiHation.
!dj$st the Calendar
OpenProj offers three efault calenars:
1tanar #alenar =$on?5ri! 70:77 to 6-:77 with 6hr lunch 9rea8 at noon>
Light 1hift =$on?1at 2(:77 to 70:77 with a 6hr 9rea8 fro' 7(:77 to 7@:77>
2@?"our #alenar =2@&- scheule>
4ou can assign an. one of these to 9e .our project calenarK howe:er none of the efault calenars
contain pu9lic holia.s so it is often necessar. to create .our own custo' calenar to reflect .our
co'pan.Is general wor8ing hours.
Creating a C"stom 'ase Calendar
Open the #alenar with the 'enu tool Tools
Change Working Calendar or with the icon .
#lic8 on )e& to create a new calenar.
Enter a na'e for .our new calenar an
clic8 ON.
$ar8 the a.s for which .ou want to
change the wor8ing ti'e =e.g. for all
5ria.s .ou can clic8 the colu'n heaer
J5I! or .ou can hol ctrl an clic8 to
select ini:iual a.s>. To 'a8e a glo9al
selection .ou woul hol ctrl an clic8
1!$!T!+!5!1 in turn.
#lic8 -)on.defa"lt &oring time/ on
the left an change the wor8ing hours
within the fiels 9elow.
To 'ar8 co'pan. or pu9lic holia.s!
select the rele:ant a.s as a9o:e an clic8
0)on.&oring time1.
Eite calenar entries will appear in re.
(MP2RTA)T3 #lic8 JOptionsI at the 9otto' to set the corresponing wor8ing hours per a.!
hours per wee8 an a.s per 'onth. %f .ou o not o this! OpenProj will not scheule the tas8s
correctl..
#onfir' changes 9. clic8ing ON.
4ou 'ust now assign .our custo' Project calenar to .our project. To o this! clic8 Project
Project (nformation fro' the top 'enu an set the 'ase Calendar to .our new custo' 9ase
calenar na'e. This is also the screen where .ou enter the Project #tart !ate. #lic8 close when
one.

66

OpenProj can also associate calenars to ini:iuals an to specific tas8s. %n this wa. .ou can esignate
ini:iual :acation perios or .ou can specif. a tas8 to follow a ifferent scheule to the one in .our
9ase calenar. 1o! in fact .ou can use three ifferent t.pes of calenars within .our project:
6. Project calenar =.our 9ase calenar for the project as efine a9o:e>
2. Aesource calenar =for ini:iuals wor8ing ti'e an :acation a.s>
(. Tas8 calenar =for tas8s that o not follow the regular wor8ing hours! e.g. a tas8 cannot start
on a 5ria. 9ecause it woul 9e interrupte 9. the wee8en or 'a.9e a tas8 that runs
continuousl. for 2@hrs>.
;onIt worr. too 'uch a9out the resource an tas8 calenar for now. +e will co'e on to these later in
the rele:ant section of the guie.
The calenar is store with the particular project file! so if .ou start another project it is necessar. to
create the user efine calenar again.
After creating a user efine calenar! sa:e the file as a te'plate for all of .our future
projects uner a specific na'e! e.g. '.O9lan8OprojectOte'plate.po

Tip
62

Entering Tas&s
Entering Tas )ames
+hen .ou create a new project! OpenProj 9. efault opens the Fantt chart :iew on the right pane an
the tas8 input ta9le on the left pane. 4ou can rag the :ertical line i:iing the two panes to fit .our
'onitor as .ou esire.
Low itIs ti'e to thin8 a9out .our project in ter's of s'all chun8s! or tas8s. 4ou can literall. use this as
a 9rainstor' session as .ou can alwa.s eit! rearrange! insert or elete tas8s later. Thin8 a9out all the
istinct stages of .our project an tr. to 9rea8 the' own to an appropriate le:el. %f .our gut instinct is
telling .ou that se:eral people will nee to wor8 on so'ething for se:eral a.s! then loo8 at that
acti:it. again to see if it can 9e 9ro8en own further.
Tr. to as8 .ourself Euestions li8e B+hat wor8 nees to 9e one! what or who is reEuire to o it an
how long 'ight it ta8e,C the 'ore etaile! the 9etter. 4ou nee to ientif. the project eli:era9les
an then figure out what actions are reEuire to prouce those eli:era9les.
%f this souns li8e a lot of wor8! well! that is the realit.. OpenProj is a powerful tool which will help .ou
calculate a scheule! :isualiHe the plan an trac8 progress 9ut it is onl. as goo as the ata input at the
start. 4o" ha:e to ecie what tas8s are reEuire an that is funa'ental to effecti:e project planning.
The i'portance of this cannot 9e o:er?e'phasiHe.
To enter a tas8:
#lic8 in the )ame colu'n in the first
row.

Enter a na'e for the tas8.

#onfir' the input 9. clic8ing the
'ouse or pressing the ta9 9utton
which ta8es .ou to the uration entr.
fiel.

%f .ou o not 8now the uration at this stage .ou o not ha:e to input it. OpenProj enters a
efault :alue of 6a., which .ou can alter at a later stage.

%f .ou ha:e an esti'ate of the uration! then feel free to enter it into the cell. OpenProj
auto'aticall. con:erts the uration to a.s. 5or e2a'ple! enter 6w =6 wee8> an OpenProj
will set the uration to ) a.s. The input of 6 'onth woul result in a ispla. of 27 a.s an
6 hour woul 9e ispla.e as 7.62) a.s =or 6&0
th
of a a.>.

#onfir' the input 9. pressing Enter or clic8ing on the ne2t row.

(t is important that $o" enter onl$ tas names and d"rations at this stage. !o not *e
tempted to enter an$ other information right no&. Especiall$ not a starting date.

%tIs goo practice e:en at this stage to enter general heaings =phases> for tas8s e.g B;esignC
an then 'ore specific tas8s unerneath! 9ut ne:er enter a uration for a general heaing.

6(

Wor& Brea&do"n Str$ct$re
Esta'lish an o$tline
After entering the tas8s =an the esti'ate urations> .ou now nee to organiHe the' into logical
groups of relate tas8s. These groups of tas8s will e:entuall. 9e heae 9. 1u''ar. Tas8s =the general
heaings that .ou input earlier>. A 1u''ar. Tas8 auto'aticall. as up the ti'e infor'ation a9out all
the tas8s in a su''ar. group. $ore a9out 1u''ar. Tas8s in the ne2t section! 9ut for now insert!
'o:e or cop. .our tas8s aroun as necessar. using the techniEues escri9e 9elow:
Inserting( Mo)ing( Copying and *eleting Tas&s
To 'o:e or cop. a tas8! the tas8 'ust 9e selecte as a whole =the entire tas8 row in the ta9le>. Eiting
is otherwise onl. perfor'e on the selecte cell an the cell contents. To select an entire row! clic8 on
the nu'9ere row heaer.
Entering )e& Tass
1elect the row for where .ou want the new tas8 to 9e inserte a*ove
#hoose the $enu ite': Insert New Task/Resource, or right click New or press CTRL+
Moving Tass
1elect the esire tas8 row
#ut the tas8 out with #TA<?P or fro' the $enu with Eit?#ut! or right?clic8 with the 'ouse
Paste the tas8 to the esire position using #TA<?D ='enu: Eit?Paste> or right?clic8 for sa'e
options.
Cop$ing Tass
#op. the tas8 using #TA<?# ='enu: Eit?#op.>! or right clic8 an cop.
Paste the tas8 to the esire location with #TA<?D ='enu: Eit?Paste>.
!eleting Tass
;elete with ='enu: Eit?;elete> or 9. pressing the ;elete 8e. on .our 8e.9oar.
Creating a S$mmary Tas&
B. grouping tas8s uner a parent tas8! a hierarchical structure =or phase> can 9e prouce which can
contain se:eral le:els of etail.
%n .our tas8 list! su''ar. tas8s will 9e auto'aticall. for'atte in *old. 1u9tas8s are ispla.e as
inente te2t. 1u''ar. tas8s contain the s.'9ols M an Q as prefi2es epening on whether the
ini:iual tas8s are e2pane or collapse. A su''ar. tas8 has a 9lac8 9ar on the Fantt :iew with
start an en points which are calculate fro' the uration an the epenencies of the tas8s in that
phase. This is wh. .ou shoul ne:er enter a uration for a su''ar. tas8 'anuall..

6@

%n orer to create a 1u''ar. Tas8! ientif. the group of tas8s which will co'e uner the 1u''ar.
Tas8s 9. selecting all the appropriate rows =rag .our 'ouse> an inent the' 9. pressing the BRC
icon. Below! we ha:e selecte tas8s 2?* an inente the'! to 'a8e B;esignC a 1u''ar. Tas8.

(ndenting and 2"t.denting Tass
4ou can inent ini:iual tas8s or groups of tas8s e:en further to create 1u''ar. Tas8s within
$aster 1u''ar. Tas8s. OrganiHing tas8s in this wa. gi:es .our project structure which 'a8es
it 'uch easier to 'anage.

$enu icons for tas8 le:el inent&outent
6)

!ssigning Tas& Calendars
4ou re'e'9er setting .our 9ase
calenar at the 9eginning of .our
project, +e can use a si'ilar techniEue
to create a Tas8 calenar. <etIs create
one where a tas8 can onl. 9e wor8e on
$ona.! Tuesa. an +enesa..
Open the calenar tool using Tools
Change 5oring Calendar ! clic8 )e&!
gi:e it the La'e $oTu+e =for
$ona.! Tuesa. an +enesa.>. #lic8
the colu'n heas for Thursa. an
5ria. =T & 5> an clic8 )on.&oring Time.
Low! to assign this Tas8 #alenar to a Tas8:
Open the Tas8 %nfor'ation 9o2 9.
ou9le?clic8ing on the Tas8 na'e.
#lic8 on the Advanced Ta9
1elect Tas Calendar $oTu+e.
#lic8 Close to confir'.

Low this tas8 can onl. 9e wor8e on
one of the three a.s liste an
OpenProj will recalculate the tas8
accoringl.! regarless of the
calculate start ate.

6*

Setting *ependencies
*ependency Types
;epenencies allow .ou to show the relationships 9etween tas8s an set rules for when tas8s can 9e
starte or finishe.
OpenProj uses four t.pes of epenencies:
!ependenc$ Relationships 'et&een Predecessors and #"ccessors
51 =5inish?to?1tart> This is the efault relationship in OpenProj. %t efines that one tas8 has to
finish 9efore the ne2t one can start. 5or E2a'ple! Jprinting a ocu'entI
cannot start until Jeiting the ocu'entI is finishe.
11 =1tart?to?1tart> The start of a tas8 is epenent on the start of its preecessor. %n other
wors! the tas8 can onl. start after the preecessor tas8 has starte =or at a
later ate>
55 =5inish?to?5inish> The co'pletion of a tas8 is epenent on the co'pletion of its preecessor.
%n other wors! the tas8 can onl. finish at the sa'e ti'e =or after> the
pre:ious tas8 has finishe
15 =1tart?to?5inish> The finish of the ne2t tas8 epens on the start of the pre:ious tas8. %n other
wors! the first tas8 9egins after the secon tas8 ens Q which is 8in of
weirS A 15 relationship is selo' use 9ut is inclue in OpenProj so that all
four relationships are a:aila9le.

+hen epenencies are create! the start an finish ates of tas8s are usuall. affecte. OpenProj
auto'aticall. eits start an finish ates so that the. ahere to these new constraints. An. change to
the epenencies will upate the tas8 ates an Fantt 9ars auto'aticall..
Selecting Tas&s "ith %S +in&ages ,defa$lt and most commonly $sed-
4ou can lin8 tas8s in an. of the three wa.s liste 9elow. %f .ou 'a8e a 'ista8e at an. ti'e .ou can
uno with the 'enu: Eit?/no or press #trl?T.
16 '$ Man"al Entr$
%entif. the rele:ant tas8 an in the preecessor colu'nK enter the tas8 nu'9er=s> of the
preecessor=s> which 'ust 9e one 9efore this tas8 can start. #onfir' .our entr. with the Enter
8e.. 4ou 'a. separate 'ultiple preecessors with a se'icolon =K>.

%n the e2a'ple a9o:e! we ha:e specifie that for the -!esign/ su''ar. tas8! we cannot o the
BAnal.sisC 9efore we ha:e one the BFather %nfor'ationC. +e cannot o the BPresent Alternati:eC
until we ha:e one the BAnal.sisC. +e cannot o the B;esign ;ocu'entC until we ha:e one the
BPresent Alternati:eC an we cannot o the B;esign #o'pleteC until we ha:e B;esign ;ocu'entC.
%n fact! all the tas8s are epenent on their preecessors! so a Euic8er wa. to lin8 the epenencies
woul 9e using the '$ #election 'etho as per 9elow:
6-

26 '$ #election
1elect the tas8 rows in the ta9le that are to 9e lin8e with a epenenc.. %n the e2a'ple a9o:e we
8now all the tas8s are epenent on each other! so we will select rows 2!(!@!) & * with the 'ouse
an clic8 ='enu: Edit & 7in6 or si'pl. clic8 the tas8 lin8ing icon .
4ou will see that all the tas8s ha:e now 9eco'e epenent on each other with one clic8! rather
than t.ping each ini:iual tas8 epenenc. in 'anuall..
4ou can select 'ultiple or separate rows 9. using the CTR7.clic action =for 'ultiple selections>.

3) '$ !ragging the Mo"se
Note - tasks need to have a duration defined for mouse dragging to be effective.
4ou can lin8 two tas8s together 9. pointing the 'ouse on the Fantt chart at the 9ar of the
preecessor tas8. The 'ouse pointer shoul change to a cross?hair s.'9ol.
<eft?clic8 an hol on the preecessor tas8 an rag it to the successor tas8. The pointer shoul
change to a chain s.'9ol . Aelease the 9utton an the tas8s shoul 9e lin8e together.

Ca"tion8 'e caref"l not to move the ,antt *ars to the left or the right as it &ill ca"se the start
and end dates to change instead of the tas linages88
4ou can also lin8 ini:iual 1u''ar. Tas8s 9. an. of the three 'ethos! 9ut .ou cannot lin8 a
su''ar. tas8 to an. of its own su9?tas8s.

Removing Tas !ependenc$
7inages
4ou can elete epenencies 9.
clic8ing on the nu'9er in the
BpreecessorsC 9o2 an
eleting it with the elete 8e..
Alternati:el. .ou can select the lin8e tas8s in the ta9le an use the 'enu ite' Eit Q /nlin8 or clic8
the icon or clic8 the lin8 line 9etween the two tas8s in the Fantt chart an select the BAe'o:eC
option in the pop?up 'enu.

60

*efining Other Tas& *ependencies ,SS( %%( S%- and Creating Time.+ags or
O)erlapping Tas&s
The epenencies entere can 9e ifferentiate e:en further! allowing .ou to specif. a ti'e gap
9etween two tas8s or o:erlap tas8s.
5or e2a'ple:
The walls cannot 9e plastere until one wee8 after the pouring of the floor scree! 9ecause the
floor scree has to r. first.
One a. 9efore the en of the reno:ation wor8! .ou can 9egin with the cleanup acti:ities.
Creating time lags or overlaps
<ags an o:erlaps are 9est applie 9. clic8ing the lin8 line on the Fantt chart =assu'ing a lin8 alrea.
e2ists>:
#lic8 on the lin8 line 9etween
two tas8s in the Fantt chart.
4ou can change the epenenc.
t.pe in the ialog 9o2 that
appears if .ou wish.
Enter the esire ela. ti'e into
the 7ag3 fiel.
#onfir' 9. clic8ing ON.

The efault :alue of ela. a.s is set to 7 a.s. B. entering a positi:e :alue .ou create a ti'e lag an
9. entering a negati:e :alue .ou will create an o:erlap of a preecessor an successor.
Alternati:el.! .ou coul appl. the following proceure:
;ou9le?clic8 the tas8 for which .ou wish to change the epenenc. relationship or clic8 on the
Tas8 %nfor'ation icon to 9ring up the infor'ation winow.
Open the Predecessor ta9!
#hoose the epenenc. t.pe an the lag uration :alue =positi:e or negati:e>.

5or e:en greater control! .ou can 'anuall. enter the lin8 incluing the esire specifications into the
JpreecessorsI colu'n as per 9elow:
63

Predecessor
Col"mn
%"nction
2
The tas8 can 9egin onl. after the en of tas8 2.
2K(
The tas8 can 9egin onl. after the en of tas8s 2 an (.
211
The tas8 can onl. start if tas8 2 has starte.
2K(11
The tas8 can onl. start if tas8 2 is co'plete an tas8 ( has starte.
)55
The tas8 cannot en 9efore tas8 ) finishes.
(11M(t
The tas8 can onl. start ( a.s after tas8 ( starte.
@11M@7UK(51M(t
Onl. when @7U =uration> of tas8 @ has lapse! can the tas8 9egin. Aitionall.!
tas8 ( 'ust ha:e 9een finishe for at least ( a.s.
251?6t
The tas8 can onl. 9egin one a. 9efore the en of Tas8 2.

4ou can see in this wa.! highl. co'ple2 epenencies can 9e specifie.

27

Critical Tas&s and Sched$ling Conflicts
9o& to (dentif$ #ched"ling Conflicts
%f .ou ha:enIt entere all the tas8 urations into .our project! now is the ti'e to o it. 1houl the en
ate calculate 9. OpenProj not concur with .our scheule target ate! then .ou will nee to assess
an resol:e the scheuling conflict 9. re:iewing the critical tas8s.

#ritical tas8s are those tas8s that ha:e Hero slac8. A ela. in an. critical tas8 will lea to the
slippage of the entire project co'pletion ate.
#ritical tas8s are ispla.e in re in OpenProj.
J1lac8 ti'eI 9ar inicators can 9e ispla.e 9. right clic8ing in the Fantt chart an select 'ar st$les
: Total slac. The hatche 9ars ispla. the slac8 as specifie. See page 21 for more on buiding in
sack time and buffers.
The #ritical Path ispla.s the critical tas8s in the project.
1ince the critical tas8s ha:e a irect influence on the en ate! it is i'portant for the project
'anager to pa. close attention to these in orer to a:oi slippages in the target co'pletion ate.
Possi*le #ol"tions to #ched"ling Conflicts Achieved Thro"gh Changing Critical Tass
Assign aitional project resources to the tas8s =personnel! 'achine capacit.! etc.>
Aethin8 the uration of the tas8s =is there hien slac8 ue to pessi'istic esti'ations,>
Appl. o:erti'e to the critical tas8s.
Ae:iew the tas8 epenencies =onIt alwa.s use the Jnor'alI 51 approach.>
<oo8 for opportunities to run tas8s in parallel.
%iltering for Critical Tass
OpenProj has the a9ilit. to onl. ispla. the critical tas8s to .ou 9. appl.ing the filter as shown 9elow.

5ilter Critical Tasks
26

Milestones and *eadlines
Esta*lishing Milestones
$ilestones are i'portant co'pletion or ecision points in a project that are often tie to a eli:era9le.
The start an finish of a phase shoul al&a$s 9e efine 9. a 'ilestone. $ilestones represent project
status =not acti:ities>K there9.! the. will ha:e ate :alues 9ut as a rule! the. will ha:e no uration.
Enter a new tas8 into the scheule =e.g. ;esign #o'plete> an gi:e this tas8 a uration of 7 =Hero>. The
tas8 will now appear in the Fantt chart as a 9lac8 ia'on shape.
1et the 'ilestones of a phase to 9e at the sa'e inent le:el as the 1u''ar. Tas8 =not the inente
tas8 le:el>! an then lin8 the 'ilestones irectl. to the 1u''ar. Tas8. ;epenencies can onl. 9e set
9etween ele'ents on the sa'e inent le:el.

%n the ne2t step! we will create start 'ilestones an en 'ilestones for each phase. +e nee to lin8
the en?'ilestones of the pre:ious phase to the start 'ilestones of the ne2t phase.

Low the project ti'eline is represente 9. a seEuence of phases. The final 'ilestones represent the
results of each phase! the eli:era9le. The tas8s within the phases escri9e the acti:ities which are
necessar. to prouce the phase result or eli:era9le.
22

)ote3 1o far we ha:e not set an. further ates other than the start ate of the project. A =preli'inar.>
en ate arises onl. fro' ha:ing a start ate for the project! the uration of each acti:it. an the
selecte tas8 epenencies.

This is the onl. wa. to 'a8e Project Planning successfulS
#etting !eadlines
;ealines are use to 'onitor the progress of ini:iual tas8s. A ealine set for a particular ate will
trigger a notification as soon as that ate slips an an icon in the inicator colu'n is ispla.e.
;ealines also appear in the Fantt chart as .ellow ia'ons.

To set a ealine:
1elect the tas8 in )ame colu'n for which .ouI li8e to appl. a ealine.
Open the tas8 infor'ation ;ialog Bo2 9. ou9le?clic8ing the tas8 na'e! or clic8 the icon.
1elect the Advanced ta9 an enter the esire ate into the !eadline3 fiel.
#onfir' .our entr. an clic8 Close.

1tatus inicator in the
inicator colu'n
4ellow ia'on
V ealine
2(

Changing Tas& Information
Editing the Tas (nformation
All tas8?relate infor'ation is 'anage centrall. :ia the Task In"or#ation winow. 5or e:er. tas8 .ou
ha:e the a9ilit. to 'oif. infor'ation an tas8 settings within si2 ta9s.
%tIs goo practice to eit infor'ation in this 'enu rather than in the colu'ns in the ta9le :iew of the
spreasheet.

Ta* Content
Feneral Feneral tas8 ate infor'ation an percentage co'plete infor'ation.
Preecessors <ist of all preecessor tas8s an epenenc. t.pe settings.
1uccessors %nfor'ation a9out successor tas8s an epenenc. t.pe settings.
Aesources 1hows the assigne resources an allocations for this tas8.
A:ance Tas8 t.pe an ate constraint infor'ation.
Lotes Allows entr. of notes a9out the tas8.

+e will touch upon the su9ject of these ta9s later in the guie.

2@

Tas& Constraints
5oring &ith Tas Constraints

The efault tas8 constraint setting is: $s %oon $s Possi&le
This 'eans that the start ate of a tas8 is calculate fro' the project start ate! the uration of
preecessor tas8s an the tas8 epenencies.
The other ate constraints are self?e2planator..
The plan is still co'pletel. .na'ic. A change in the project start ate =$enu: Project Project
In"or#ation> will result in a recalculation of all project tas8 ates.

2)

The Encaps$lated Project Str$ct$re
Low itIs ti'e to gi:e .our project scheule a fir'er structureK 'etaphoricall. spea8ing! a s8eletal
fra'e. This will happen 9. encapsulating the phases an aing planne slac8 or 9uffers.
Buffers shoul 9e :isi9l. represente an will 9e auto'aticall. reuce uring the course of the
project if scheule :ariances occur. Aitionall.! 9uffers shoul 9e in place so that a ate :ariance at
the 9eginning of the project oesnIt i'pact all phases! 9ut rather onl. i'pacts the tas8s in the rele:ant
phase. %n this wa.! the project 'anager has the opportunit. to ta8e counter'easures so as not to
jeopariHe the whole project. The :er. essence of goo project control.
%n orer to achie:e this! a 9uffer is inserte 9etween the en 'ilestone of a preecessor phase an the
start 'ilestone of the ne2t phase 9. setting a tas8 constraint B'ust start onC to the start 'ilestone.
The ti'e ifference 9etween the calculate finish ate of the en 'ilestone an the fi2e start
'ilestone of the ne2t phase is the Bplanne slac8 or 9ufferC.
The uration of the 9uffer ti'e epens on se:eral factors such as the co'ple2it.! fa'iliarit. =one can
esti'ate 'ore accuratel. the 8nown acti:ities :s. so'ething that has ne:er 9een one 9efore> an the
total length of the phase. 5or e2a'ple! a 9uffer perio of ) a.s at the en of a phase which lasts onl.
two wee8s is pro9a9l. a little e2aggerate. The sa'e slac8 in a phase lasting half a .ear is pro9a9l. too
opti'istic.
1elect the starting 'ilestone of the =successor> phase in the Na#e colu'n
Open the Tas8 %nfor'ation winow
#hoose the Constraint T'(e) *ust %tart +n an set a ate that 'atches .our esire 9uffer
uration.
#onfir' an clic8 Close.

Between tas8 * =esign co'plete> an tas8 - =start e:elop'ent> a wee8 of slac8 9uffer ti'e was
entere =6)&62&66 to 22&62&66>.
The icon in the inicator colu'n inicates that tas8 - has a ate constraint! thus! all acti:ities within
this phase ha:e a ti'e 9uffer =the hatche 9ars>.
%f the uration for tas8 ( =anal.sis> is now e2tene to 6) a.s the slac8 is use up! an the tas8s in the
phase will 9e ispla.e as critical tas8s in the scheule.
#onstraine ;ate %nicator 1lac8 Ti'e
2*

Fenerall.! critical tas8s =re 9ars> are cause for concern for the project 'anager as he 'ust tr. to
'aintain the scheule project co'pletion ate through the application of other appropriate
counter'easures an can no longer rel. on a 9uffer.
The ne2t stage in the project plan is to allocate resourcesS

2-

/eso$rce Planning
Entering /eso$rces
%$ndamentals for /eso$rce Planning
An i'portant step in project planning is the allocation of resources to ini:iual tas8s.
A resource is an. t.pe of entit. =persons! 'aterial! eEuip'ent an e2penses> that are reEuire to
acco'plish the tas8s in the plan. 5or e2a'ple! the a:aila9le project tea' 'e'9ers! e2ternal
contractors! tools an co'puters! lease office space! 9uiling or 'anufacturing 'aterials are all
resources.
OpenProj onl. istinguishes 9etween two t.pes of resources:
+or8 +or8 resource is 9asicall. ti'e or la9or =staff! consultants! freelancers an
contractors>
$aterial $aterial resource represent ite's or co''oities consu'e to co'plete tas8s in the
project =tons of concrete! lengths of wire! units of co'puters..>

/eso$rce Sheet Creation
Before .ou are a9le to allocate resources to a tas8 .ou will nee to esta9lish a resource sheet&ta9le. %n
this ta9le .ou will list the a:aila9le resources an aitional resource infor'ation.
1elect the 'enu ite' ,iew Resources or choose the icon fro' the :iew 9utton pane.
Enter the na'e of the resource into the Na#e colu'n in the resource ta9le.
#hoose the resource t.pe in the T'(e colu'n.

4ou 'a. also enter generic resource na'es =e.g. 1oftware Progra''er>.
The *a-! .nits reflect the Euantit. of this generic resource a:aila9le. -77U 'eans! that .ou ha:e -
1oftware Progra''ers in .our project tea'.
Col"mn !escription
La'e La'e of the resource =na'e! jo9 title! 'achine na'e! 'aterial na'e! cost t.pe>.
T.pe T.pe of resource =$aterial or +or8>.
$aterial <a9el This colu'n contains the unit of 'easure'ent of the 'aterial! for e2a'ple! liters!
pallets! or cu9ic 'eters. Entries are onl. allowe for $aterial resources
%nitials OpenProj auto'aticall. assigns the first letter as initial. 4ou can change this na'e
if necessar..
Froup "ere .ou can specif. group na'es for resources =such as ;epart'ent! cost
center! etc.> %t can 9e filtere accoring to this infor'ation.

20

$a2. /nits U 1pecifies the nu'9er of people! 'achines or si'ilar in U for the total nu'9er of
a:aila9le units. The efault is 677U =6>. This fiel can onl. 9e use for wor8
resources.
1tanar?Aate Enter of the cost&unit. 5or e2a'ple! la9or cost per hour. 5or 'achines enter the
price or fee per unit of ti'e.
O:erti'e #osts for wor8 outsie nor'al wor8ing hours.
#ost Per /se 5i2e pa. rate for the use of a resource. 5or e2a'ple tra:el costs of e2ternal
e'plo.ees! fi2e price per e:ice.
Base #alenar 1elect the project calenar .ou ha:e create at the 9eginning. A resource
calenar is assigna9le to each resource where9. ini:iual wor8ing hours an
holia.s can 9e efine.

/eso$rce !llocation
!ssigning /eso$rces to Tas&s
After .ou ha:e populate the Aesource 1heet with resource! .ou ha:e :arious 'ethos a:aila9le to
appl. the' to tas8s in the plan:
16 Assigning Reso"rces ;sing the Assign Reso"rce !ialog 'ox
1elect the esire tas8 in the
tas8 ta9le for which .ou
woul li8e to a a resource.
#hoose Tools/$ssign
Resources fro' 'enu 9ar.
Alternati:el.:
%n the $ssign Resources
entr. ;ialog Bo2 .ouIll see a
list of all assigna9le
resources.
#lic8 on the resource .ou
want to a an clic8 the
$ssign 9utton.
#lose the winow.

After .ouI:e assigne the resources .ouIll see the' liste ne2t to the tas8 9ars in the Fantt :iew as
well as in the Reso"rce )ames colu'n.

23

26 Thro"gh the Task In"or#ation !ialog 5indo&
;ou9le?clic8 on the tas8 an then choose the Reso"rces ta9.
#lic8 the icon.
The fa'iliar resource winow shoul open.
Assign the esire resources an then close the $ssign Resources winow.

The $ssign Resources winow will also allow .ou to replace! re'o:e! a or change U allocation to
tas8s after the fact.

(7

/eso$rce Information
As with the Tas8 %nfor'ation winow there also is a centraliHe resource a'inistration feature within
the application. This feature is calle Resource In"or#ation dialog &o-.
4ou can open this feature 9. ou9le?clic8ing the resourceIs na'e in the Aesource 1heet or 9. clic8ing
the icon. 4ou can also access it 9. using the 'enu 9ar ite' Project Tasks/Resource In"or#ation.

The ) ta9s in this winow allow .ou to a :arious etails to the resources:
Feneral #ontains general resource infor'ation.
#osts "ere .ou can 'oif. the cost per hour as well as ) ifferent cost rates =e.g.
for su9contractors>.
Aesource A:aila9ilit. "ere .ou can assign ate a:aila9ilit. of the resource as well as a:aila9le
capacit. =e.g. )7U>.
Tas8s "ere .ou will see all tas8s to which this resource has 9een assigne. 4ou can
eter'ine allocation as well as perfor' le:eling of the resource. 4ou can
also get to the stanar rate ta9le fro' here.
Lotes "ere .ou can enter aitional notes an infor'ation a9out the resource.

(6

/eso$rce Calendars
Just li8e we can efine a custo' calenar for certain tas8s! we can o the sa'e for resources.

To create a Aesource calenar! go to the Aesource %nfor'ation :iew 9. clic8ing +ie& Reso"rces. "ere
.ou shoul see a list of all resources for .our project. <et us change the calenar for the resource Bo9
"unt.

;ou9le clic8 on the
resource na'e.
1elect .our Project #alenar
as the Base #alenar
#lic8 on the calenar icon to
the right of Base #alenar
The resource calenar for
Bo9 "unt opens =confir'e
9. the na'e in the top left
corner>.
$ar8 the :acations of Bo9
"unt an clic8 Lon?+or8ing
Ti'e or change his ini:iual wor8ing hours as appropriate.

(2

Wor& and 0Sched$ling By Tas& Type1
Wor& 2 Effort
The a9ilit. to a one or 'ultiple resources to a tas8 has opene up a whole new :aria9le in the
project. The :aria9le of BeffortC:
Effort < !"ration x Reso"rce Allocation
4ou shoul reall. unerstan this eEuation in orer to grasp the following concepts an practical
applications of planning .our project. 5or e2a'ple! if we ta8e a tas8 with a uration of one a. =0
hours> an we assign two resources at 677U! the total effort eEuates to 6* hours =an costs are
calculate accoringl.>. A tas8 with a uration of two a.s! with one resource at 677U plus another
resource allocate at )7U will eEuate to 2@ hours of effort. =6* hours plus 0 hours>.
+e can 'onitor the effort 9. inserting the 5or =this is how OpenProj represents effort> colu'n
9efore the ;uration colu'n. To insert this colu'n .ou 'ust right?clic8 the colu'n heaer on the #tart
colu'n an then choose the Insert Colu#n Work. 4ou can start t.ping the wor B+or...C to Euic8l.
get to the correct ite'.
There are so'e tas8s that can 9e co'plete within a shorter uration if 'ore resources are allocate
to it. 5or e2a'ple! @ 9ric8 la.ers will 9uil the walls of a single fa'il. ho'e in half the ti'e than two.
%n contrast! will a 'eeting finish 'ore Euic8l. if 'ore people are present, Pro9a9l. not.
The specific attri9utes of a tas8 are controlle through the Tas8 T.pe in OpenProj.

$enu Project
Tasks/Resource
In"or#ation
Or the icon
$d0anced ta9.
T'(e fiel.
#hec89o2 BEffort
;ri:enC

The efault tas8 t.pe in OpenProj is 1i-ed .nits 2""ort 3ri0en. This 'eans that the resource allocation
eter'ines the uration an effort of the tas8
OpenProj wor8s with proportional changes. B. ou9ling the units .ou cut the tas8 uration 9. half. %n
practicalit.! this relationship oes not alwa.s hol true. 5our progra''ers onIt necessaril. e:elop a
progra' in half the ti'e that two e:elopers woul. %n that e2a'ple the ae cost an effort woul
not necessaril. 9e effecti:e.
((

The 5or =Effort6 Pacage (s !efined *$ (nitial Reso"rce Allocation8 %t is uring the initial assign'ent
of a resource to a tas8 that the wor8 pac8age gets efine. A change in the resource allocation
=percentage?wise or through aition or reuction of a resource> will change the uration if the tas8
t.pe is set to 5i2e /nits.
This so'eti'es leas to surprising 9ut not necessaril. false results. Tas !"ration (s !etermined '$
Controlling Reso"rce.
5or the calculation of a tas8Is en ate in effort?ri:en planning! it is the resource that wor8s the
longest on the tas8 that will eter'ine tas8 co'pletion =logicall.S> This can also 9e ue to a part?ti'e
resource that onl. has a few hours ail. to co''it to the tas8.
4ou can eacti:ate the effort?ri:en attri9ute of the tas8 9. re'o:ing the chec8 'ar8 in the BEffort
;ri:enC chec8 9o2 in the tas8 infor'ation winow.
The setting %ixed !"ration is freEuentl. preferre 9. those users who o not full. trust
the auto'atic calculation of OpenProj. The uration re'ains fi2e as the project
'anager planne it! regarless of how 'an. resources are ae or re'o:e. The
project 'anager calculates the uration 'anuall. ? he woul rather o this in his hea
instea of lea:ing that tas8 to a 'achine.
As escri9e earlier! there are co'pelling reasons to choose this tas8 t.pe: will construction of a
9uiling finish 'ore Euic8l. if 'ore super:isors are ae, ;oes the ri:e fro' Lew 4or8 to #hicago
ta8e half as long if @ people instea of 2 sit in the car, +ill a 9usiness 'eeting 9e shorter if 27
participants instea of 67 atten, OpenProj is a calculation progra'! which can onl. hanle the 9asics
of 'athe'aticsK it has no 8nowlege a9out .our tas8s or the people on .our tea'.
"ere! as in 'an. other instances? it is the e2perience an wiso' of the project 'anager that shoul
9e preo'inant. The intelligence is sitting in front of the comp"ter8

Tip
(@

O)er)ie" of Tas& Types
%ixed ;nits
Tas T$pe Effort !riven 4o" Change 2penProj Calc"lates
5i2e /nits 4es ;uration +or8
5i2e /nits 4es +or8 ;uration
5i2e /nits 4es Aesource /nits ;uration
5i2e /nits Lo ;uration +or8
5i2e /nits Lo +or8 ;uration
5i2e /nits Lo Aesource /nits ;uration
5i2e /nits Lo Aitional resources
with other na'es.
+or8 for the tas8
%ixed 5or
5i2e +or8 n&a ;uration Aesource /nits
5i2e +or8 n&a +or8 ;uration
5i2e +or8 n&a Aesource /nits ;uration
5i2e +or8 n&a Aitional resources
with other na'es.
;uration

%ixed !"ration
5i2e ;uration 4es ;uration +or8
5i2e ;uration 4es +or8 ;uration
5i2e ;uration 4es Aesource /nits +or8
5i2e ;uration 4es Aitional resources
with other na'es.
Aesource /nits
5i2e ;uration Lo ;uration +or8
5i2e ;uration Lo +or8 Aesource /nits
5i2e ;uration Lo Aesource /nits +or8 for the tas8
5i2e ;uration Lo Aitional resources
with other na'es.
+or8 for the tas8

()

Indi)id$al reso$rce allocation
Two resources 9. the na'e of Bo9 "unt an Nerr. Peters are wor8ing on a tas8 with uration of -.)
a.s. ;ue to the nature of the tas8 it was reEuire that Bo9 starts first as well as wor8s throughout the
entire acti:it.. The result of Bo9Is wor8 is the founation for the wor8 to 9e starte 9. Nerr.. Nerr. is
onl. allocate part?ti'e to the tas8. This t.pe of allocation is calle a Jstaggere orerI or Jstaggere
allocationI.
5irst! appl. the nor'al resource assign'ents for Bo9 an Nerr.! 9oth at 677U allocation. Then! change
the allocation in the :iew calle Task .sage.
The Tas8 /sage ;etail :iew is accessi9le fro' the 'enu ite' ,iew/Task .sage! or also :ia the
icon on the :iew 9utton pane.

!llocation of Staggered /eso$rces
The newl. calculate assign'ent uration for Bo9 now entails *7 hours an Nerr. is allocate at (0
hours. The total wor8 effort now reEuires 30 hours instea of 627 hours. ;ue to this staggere
allocation 'oel we onIt see' to o9ser:e an. sie effects with respect to the tas8 t.pe or effort
allocation t.pe. Aegarless of which tas8 t.pe is set! it oes not change the tas8Is uration. %t onl.
changes the total calculate wor8 effort.
The en result can also 9e :iewe in the Fantt #hart.

+ith a right?clic8 to the iagra' .ouIll 9e a9le to pull up the conte2tual 'enu an acti:ate the %how
$ssign#ents feature.
(*

/eso$rce +e)eling
What is the P$rpose of /eso$rce +e)eling?
1o! .ouI:e entere all planne tas8s into .our project! 'appe the epenencies 9etween the tas8s
an assigne resources an their allocations to the tas8s. Perhaps .ouI:e assigne a resource to two
or 'ore tas8s at the sa'e ti'e in the scheule =parallel tas8s>! an are now face with an o:er?
allocate resource. %f this happens! then .ou will encounter a resource conflict which m"st 9e ealt
with. This process is calle Bresource le:elingC which is a critical part of project planning.
/eso$rce +e)eling Strategies
%n orer to re'e. a resource o:er?allocation! .ou can appl. one or se:eral of the following 'easures:
#hange the properties of certain tas8s =ela. the'! interrupt the'>
#hange the allocations of tas8s
#hange the wor8ing ti'es of a resource
3ie"ing /eso$rce O)er.allocations
/nfortunatel. OpenProj will not ispla. o:er?allocation of resources in the Aesource 1heet. To re:iew
an chec8 the resource utiliHation .ou will nee to clic8 the rele:ant tas8 in the top winow then open
the resource iagra' in the lower part of the split winow. /se the 'enu ,iew/4istogra# or clic8 the
:iew 9utton pane icon .
The capacit. iagra' can 9e Hoo'e in an out 9. using the 'agnifier icon! just li8e all other :iews.

%n this :iew .ou see that the resource! $arshall ;uff. 9egins wor8 uring the wee8 of Januar. 22
n
! an
is alrea. o:er?allocate =R677U>. Lote! .ou can also select a 9lan8 row in the top winow an then
select $arshall ;uff. in the 9otto' winow to see o:er allocations for $arshall for the whole project.
Low select row 66 in the top winow again an change the :iew in the 9otto' half of the winow to
the Resource .sage :iew. 4ou can access the :iew fro' the 'enu fro' ,iew Resource .sage or 9.
clic8ing the icon.
(-

%n the upper half of the split winow! insert a new colu'n calle 1ree slack after the 3uration colu'n.

1elect the tas8 to which the o:er?allocation applies =;e:elop final prouct> in the Fantt chart. %n the
9otto' :iew .ou will see the assigne resource=s> an assigne tas8s as well as the allocate wor8
hours. A possi9le solution to resource o:er?allocation coul 9e to 'o:e the tas8 B;e:elop final
prouctC to a later ate. 1ince this tas8 has free slac8 of -.) a.s we also 8now the 'a2i'u' :alue for
which a 'o:e can 9e 'ae without i'pacting other phases.
The Le0eling 3ela' fiel in the Resource .tili5ation :iew ser:es the purpose of ela.ing the tas8 for
resource le:eling purposes. +e will enter a :alue of ) a.s for this tas8 here.

Foing 9ac8 to the Diew?"istogra' on the lower pane shows us that the resource is no longer
o:er?allocate.
(0

Of course! we coul ha:e ta8en other approaches here. 5or e2a'ple! letting the tas8 in the Task Ta&le
start ) a.s after its preecessor =with a epenenc. t.pe relationship that creates a positi:e ela. of
) a.s> or! as iscusse in the pre:ious chapter a9out staggering approaches! 'anuall. istri9uting the
wor8 for the o:er?allocate resource so that it is co'pletel. le:ele :ia o:er?ti'e.
4ou can see that there are 'an. 'ethos a:aila9le to le:el out a resource o:er?allocation pro9le'.
This 8in of situation is one in which the creati:it. an personal jug'ent of the project 'anager are
essential.
As .ou alrea. 8now: The %ntelligence W.

(3

Project Cost Calc$lations in OpenProj
Project Cost Calc$lation %$ndamentals
5reEuentl. the success of the project isnIt just tie to the on?ti'e eli:er.! 9ut also to cost
'anage'ent an cost control. +ith the help of OpenProj .ou will 9e a9le to eter'ine an 'onitor
these project costs.
Cost Ta'le
After the ini:iual tas8 resources were assigne =wor8 an 'aterial resource t.pes>! the costs were
calculate 9. OpenProj per tas8! per phase an for the entire project. This ata is :iewa9le in the #ost
Ta9le which can 9e :iewe as follows:

Aight?clic8 the 'ouse on the
intersection point 9etween
the colu'n heaers an rows
=top left corner> an .ouIll see
a 'enu of stanar ta9le
choices.

1elect the Cost ta9le :iew.

1elect 3e"ault to return to the stanar entr. ta9le =or ;efaultX if .ou ha:e 'oifie the stanar
ta9le>. Lote! .ou can also rena'e an. :iew here.
@7

Set Baseline
4ou shoul now ha:e a project plan that is free of scheuling conflicts an resource o:er?allocations.
Alwa.s tr. to start .our project with a BcleanC plan. Pro9le's with scheule :ariances an o:er?
allocate resources will appear sooner or later all on their own! an .ou will ha:e plent. of wor8 to o
in 8eeping .our plan uner control. 4ou shoul ha:e create a cleanl. encapsulate planning 'oel
with 9uffer&slac8 9uilt into each of the ini:iual phases which .ou will 9e grateful for as the project
progresses.
Once the plan has 9een presente an appro:e! it is ti'e to set .ou set .our 9aseline plan. 1etting a
9aseline allows an illustration of how the plan was originall. percei:e =i.e. the 9aseline plan> against
how it is actuall. oing in practice. 4ou tell OpenProj how the plan is progressing in practice 9.
inputting Jactuals :aluesI against the specific tas8s.
The 9aseline plan can 9e esta9lishe 9. going to the 'enu an selecting Tools Tracking %a0e
6aseline.

%f a 9aseline plan alrea. e2ists! .ou can still a
further tas8s later 9. using the chec8 9o2
B1electe Tas8sC.
An upate :ersion of a 9aseline plan will alwa.s
o:erwrite the pre:ious :ersion. This is t.picall.
unesira9le as it changes the current actuals
:alues into new esti'ate :alues! an coul
in:aliate the original 9usiness appro:al
assu'ptions for the project.
After confir'ing an sa:ing 9. clic8ing ON! .ouIll notice gra. 9ars that ha:e now appeare in the Fantt
chart. These inicate the :alues of the 9aseline plan.

@6

Project Monitoring
Once the project is up an running! we nee to let OpenProj 8now how the tas8s are progressing in the
real worl. This is calle project 'onitoring. $onitoring 'eans co'paring the plan to the realit. an
ta8ing appropriate action where negati:e :ariances arise.
5or e2a'ple! if .ou now ha:e a uration for tas8 @ =Present Alternati:es> that nees to 9e e2tene to
67 a.s! then .ouIll see a e:iation 9etween the 9aseline plan an the actual plan.

1ince the project 'onitoring 'oule for OpenProj contains se:eral 9ugs we suggest
.ou e2ercise caution while 'a8ing upates. Alwa.s sa:e a 9ac8up cop. uner a
ifferent filena'e after .ouI:e sa:e .our 9aseline planS

/se the Tracking entr. :iew for the entr. of actuals. =;o .ou re'e'9er how, Aight?clic8 on the
intersection point 9etween the rows an colu'n heaers top left of the ta9le>.

Onl. enter :alues into the !ctua Start" !ctua #inish an&or !ctua $uration an&or Percent %ompete
fiels. The other :alues will 9e auto'aticall. calculate fro' .our entries in the actual fiels.
+hen .ou enter !ctua Start an !ctua #inish! OpenProj will auto'aticall. calculate the !ctua
$uration an place the Percent %ompete :alue at 677U =otherwise there woulnIt 9e an !ctua #inish>.
The !ctua &ork an !ctua %osts will 9e auto'aticall. upate as well. %tIs a goo iea to create a
practice plan file for .ourself to get acEuainte with these operations.
Tip
@2

4ou also ha:e the a9ilit. to enter :alues for the actuals through the Task In"or#ation
winow or through the 'enu at Tools Tracking .(date Tasks. %t is strongl. a:ise
against this! though. As wonerful as the planning 'oule for OpenProj is Q the
'onitoring 'oule re'ains Euite :ulnera9le to corruption uring usage of the for'
:iews.
The results of the entries for the actuals :alues can 9e easil. iscerne within the Fantt chart.

The 9lac8 9ars insie the tas8 9ars represent the le:el of co'pletion for the acti:itiesK li8ewise! the
green chec8'ar8s in the status colu'n inicate co'plete tas8s.

Tip
@(

/eports
Standard /eports
OpenProj offers a nu'9er of stanar reports! which .ou can open fro' the na:igation pane with the
following icon:

Pla. with the :arious reporting options an eter'ine which of the' will suit .our reporting
reEuire'ents. 4ou can select fro' the ropown 'enu in the top 'ile of the screen an choose
fro':
Project ;etails
Aesource infor'ation
Tas8 %nfor'ation
+ho oes what
1o'e of these selections 9ring up a further options 9o2 to the right which ena9les .ou to select
ifferent t.pes of ata.
User *efined /eports
4ou also ha:e the option to create .our own reports! in which .ou can insert ta9les that contain the
colu'ns an rows that are of highest i'portance for .our nees.
%n aition! .ou can appl. filters! sorting an grouping for'ats to the' an .ou can choose to print
the' or store the' as .pf ocu'ents.
To o this! si'pl. na:igate to the 'enu an clic8 1ile Print. The print out will correspon e2actl. to
the :iew :isi9le on .our co'puter 'onitor so 9. 'o:ing the screen split 9ar to the left or right .ou can
:iew a ta9le without a Fantt chart! or a Fantt chart without a ta9le! or a co'9ination of 9oth.
Proof the print jo9 prior to printing 9. using the print pre:iew feature locate at the 'enu an 1ile
Print Pre0iew. "ere .ou can 'a8e so'e aitional twea8s an ajust'ents for the print jo9 e.g. Print
ta9le =spreasheet>! print iagra' =Fantt>.
There are al'ost enless options a:aila9le so itIs worth e2peri'enting for a while to see which options
prouce the 9est result for .our ini:iual nees.
/nfortunatel.! OpenProj lac8s the a9ilit. to store user?efine for'ats. 4ou will nee to recreate .our
esire ta9le&graphic again each ti'e .ou return to the printing 'enu.

@@

!fter"ord
4ou now hopefull. now ha:e the 9asic operational 8nowlege a9out OpenProj. %t 'a. still ta8e so'e
ti'e for .ou to full. unerstan how to lie out an plan a co'plete project. $astering a tool alone
oes not necessaril. 'ean .ou ha:e 'astere the 'ethoolog..
+e wish .ou 'uch success in the planning an i'ple'entation of .our projects. Foo luc8S


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