Properties view - Task tab

Enter a WBS code to apply to the task, or click the button to the right of this field to display a dialog in which you can select the WBS code.

Work breakdown structure (WBS)

Enter a unique task ID to apply to the task.

Unique task ID numbering

Select the priority of the task, for example None, Low, Medium or High.

Assigning a priority to bars, tasks and allocations

Select this check box to specify that you want to hide this task from view in the project. If this check box is selected, the task will be hidden from view when you click in the Show/Hide group on the Format tab.

Hiding and showing bars and tasks in a project

Select this check box to add the task to the project timeline; clear the check box to remove the task from the timeline.

Creating a project timeline

Enter a WBN (work breakdown numbering) code to apply to the task.

WBN task ID numbering

For milestones, specify whether this task is a Start or Finish milestone.

Working with milestones

For milestones, specify the appearance to apply if this task is a start milestone. You may want to apply a different appearance to start and finish milestones to differentiate between them.

Working with milestones

Select this check box to enable the task to start even if there is no available time in the calendars of its assigned modelled resources, or clear the check box to constrain the start of the task by the available working time in the resources' calendars.

When resources and tasks have different calendars

The work (as specified in the Task work group in the properties view's Effort and Modelling fields) that has been completed against the task, and the task work that remains to be completed against the task.

Modelling tasks in terms of task work without using resources

The duration of a task before any progress has been applied - the duration between the Original start and the Original finish fields. If the duration of a task is changed before any progress has been applied, this field is updated automatically to reflect the new duration; once progress is applied to a task, this field no longer changes, even if the duration of the task does, unless the Original start or Original finish fields are edited.

If progress has been applied to a task and the progress is subsequently removed, this field is used to set the resulting duration of the task.

The percentage of a task's original duration that has been completed.

(Original duration - Duration remaining) / Original duration.

Enter the percentage of the task that has been completed, calculated using a measurement that is independent of the duration of the task.

Calculating progress as an overall percentage complete

'1.00' appears by default in this field. This means that Asta Powerproject will calculate the overall percent weighting of the task automatically, setting it to be the task's original duration in hours. This calculated value appears in the Calculated weight field.

If you want to override the weighting with your own value, enter it in this field - reduce the weighting to indicate that the task should contribute less towards the overall percent complete of its parent task, or increase it to indicate that the task should contribute more. This value then appears in the Calculated weight field, and does not change, even if the duration of the task changes.

If you have manually edited the weighting of a task and subsequently want to revert to its weighting being calculated automatically, enter '1.00' in this field. The weighting will then be calculated automatically once more, according to its original duration in hours, and this value will appear in the Calculated weight field.

Calculating progress on parent tasks according to overall percentage complete

The calculated overall percent weighting of the task - the factor by which the overall percentage complete progress of the task is multiplied when progress is rolled up to the parent task.

The calculated weight is the same as the task's original duration in hours, unless you have manually edited the weighting by entering a value other than '1.00' into the Overall % complete weight field. For example, a task with an original duration of 7h will have a weighting of 7; a task with an original duration of 75h will have a weighting of 75; and so on. Milestones are the exception: they are assigned a weighting of 1.

If you have not manually edited the weighting - if '1.00' appears in the Overall % complete weight field - the calculated weight changes to match a task's duration as the duration changes, until progress is recorded against the task; at this point, the calculated weight is fixed - unless you subsequently edit it manually.

If you have manually edited the weighting by entering a value other than '1.00' into the Overall % complete weight field, the calculated weight is fixed to this value, and will not change even if the duration of the task changes.

If you have manually edited the weighting of a task and subsequently want to revert to its weighting being calculated automatically, you can enter '1.00' in the Overall % complete weight field. The weighting will then be calculated automatically once more, according to its original duration in hours.

Calculating progress on parent tasks as an overall percentage complete

Enter the percentage of the task's duration that has been completed.

Calculating progress as a percentage of task duration

This grid displays a list of all task activities that have been associated with the task. For each task activity, specify the following information in the columns of the grid:

• Activity - Enter a name to identify the task activity. Each task activity name in the grid must be unique.
• % Complete - If a task activity is partially complete, enter the percentage progress. As soon as you update the progress of a task activity, the overall percentage complete of the task is updated accordingly.
• Weight - Specify a factor by which the progress of the task activity should be multiplied to affect its impact on progress of the task. The greater the weight of a task activity, the greater proportion of the task duration it will contribute to as it is completed. If a task activity has a weight of zero, it will not contribute towards the progress of the task at all.
• Completed - Select this check box to indicate that the task activity is 100% complete.

To create a task activity template based on the task activities listed in the grid, right-click the grid and select Create Activity Template.

Breaking down tasks into smaller steps using task activities

To add a predefined list of task activities to the task, select the task activity template in which the task activities are defined, then click Add From Template.

Using templates to speed up task activity creation

Select the type of constraint flag you want to apply to the task.

Setting a start or finish flag

Select this check box to apply a Holding Pin constraint to a task. If you apply a Holding Pin to a task, the task can be moved to a later date but cannot be moved to an earlier date when you reschedule the project, and if the task is moved, the pin moves with the task. The main purpose of the Holding Pin constraint is to hold unlinked tasks in place in a schedule.

Holding unlinked tasks in place in a schedule

Select this check box to force the task to start on a new day following a reschedule, or clear the check box to allow the reschedule to set the start date of the task according to the finish date of its latest predecessor - even if this means that the task starts midway through a day.

Constraining tasks to start on a new day

To force the task to complete within the time period, shift or work pattern in which it starts, select something other than None in this field.

• A time period is a single span of working time within a shift. For example, a morning might comprise a time period from 09:00 to 12:30.
• A shift is a group of time periods. For example, a shift may comprise a working time period in the morning and a working time period in the afternoon, with a non-working time period at lunchtime between the two working time periods.
• A work pattern is a repeating pattern of shifts, usually comprising seven shifts, with one shift per day of the week.

This field enables you to model tasks that must be completed without a break.

Constraining tasks to complete within a single time period, shift or work pattern

Specify whether the task should be placed ASAP, ALAP or ASAP Force Critical on its bar.

Factors that affect rescheduling

Select this check box to indicate that the task is a buffer task, ie a task that protects an important date.

Working with buffer tasks

Select this check box to indicate that the task is an interruptible task, ie a task in which work can be interrupted at some point before the finish of the task. In order to be an interruptible task, the task must have at least two incoming links, one of which constrains the start of the task and one of which constrains the finish of the task. Tasks that meet these criteria that have not been marked as interruptible tasks are known as potentially interruptible tasks.

Working with interruptible tasks

Enter the amount of work that needs to be carried out to complete the task. For example, if 800 bricks need to be laid to complete the tasks, enter 800 in this field.

This information - and the related Work unit - is used when you:

• Model the task in terms of task work without using resources.
• Model the task's permanent resources using the Work From Task modelling method.
• Model the task's consumable resources using the Quantity From Task modelling method.

Select the unit in which to measure the task work. For example, task work may be measured in units such as bricks, tonnes or metres.

Select 'None' in this field to indicate that there is absolutely no task work on a task - and that there never has been and never will be task work. This is useful when analysing task work remaining because without being able to set the work unit to 'None', there is no difference in the spreadsheet between a task that has never had task work and one that Is 100% complete (the remaining task work would then be zero too).

Enter the amount of task work that can be completed for each of the specified time units. For example, if 100 bricks can be laid per day, enter 100 in this field and select Day in the Time unit field. The duration of the task is updated accordingly to reflect the revised work rate. For example, if a 10d task has 100 units of task work with a work rate of 10 units per day and you change the work rate to 20 units per day, the task duration will change to 5d.

Depending on the way in which Asta Powerproject is configured, the task work rate that you enter in this field may be adjusted downwards automatically to ensure that the task duration has a whole number of time units, avoiding fractional task durations such as 12d 4h. The task work rate is adjusted so that the task duration has a whole number of the time unit specified in the task work rate. For example, if a 10d task had 100 units of task work with a work rate of 50 units per week and you changed the work rate to 40 units per week, the task work rate would be adjusted automatically to 33.33 units per week and the task duration would change from 10d to to 15d - ie from 2w to 3w - as 'week' is the time unit specified in the task work rate.

Modelling tasks in terms of task work without using resources

Select the time unit that is used to define the task work rate. For example, if 100 bricks can be laid per day, enter 100 in the Task work rate field and select Day in this field.

Select 'None' in this field to indicate that there is absolutely no task work on a task - and that there never has been and never will be task work. This is useful when analysing task work remaining because without being able to set the work unit to 'None', there is no difference in the spreadsheet between a task that has never had task work and one that Is 100% complete (the remaining task work would then be zero too).

The default work rate for each permanent resource is defined on the permanent resource record. All new allocations of a permanent resource are assigned this work rate by default. In some circumstances - for example, in manufacturing - it can be more appropriate to record the work rate against each individual task rather than against different resources. For example, a 'Produce glass pane' task could have a particular work rate - perhaps set by the machinery that is used - regardless of the resource that is assigned to the task.

To specify a default allocation rate against an individual task, enter the amount of work that can be completed for each of the specified time units. For example, if 3 glass panes can be completed per hour, enter 3 in this field and select Hour in the Time unit field.

If you specify a default allocation rate against a task, this work rate is applied to any permanent resource allocations that are assigned subsequently to the task, overriding the permanent resource's default work rate. Changing the task's default allocation rate has no effect on any permanent resource allocations that have already been assigned to the task. To make a task use the work rate that has been defined against the permanent resource, set this field to zero.

Specifying a work rate against tasks that overrides the work rate of permanent resources

Enter the amount of effort that is available to be distributed between the resources that are assigned to the task. This information is used when you model permanent resources using the Effort Activity Budget method.

Effort Activity Budget modelled permanent resources

Critical path drag (Devaux's Removed Activity Gauge) can be thought of as:

• The amount of time that a task or constraint on the critical path is adding to the total project duration.
• The maximum amount of time that the duration of a task can be shortened before the task is no longer on the critical path or before its duration becomes zero.
• A way of identifying the tasks that should be addressed first in an attempt to shorten the duration of a project - ie those with the greatest amount of drag.

Calculating the drag of critical tasks when rescheduling

A unique number, for use in cascade planning, in which each task is assigned a unique number - the cascade activity number - and you can sort tasks according to their cascade activity number. When you do this, all links point downwards and the various paths through the project are distinguished clearly, with the critical path appearing first.

Calculating the cascade activity number of tasks when rescheduling

You can configure Asta Powerproject to check the integrity of the critical path when rescheduling. If you do, this field identifies any incomplete critical tasks that are linked incorrectly in such a way that the integrity of the critical path is broken. If a task breaks the integrity of the critical path, you should examine its links for logical errors.

If you do not configure Asta Powerproject to check the integrity of the critical path when rescheduling, this field's check box is cleared for all tasks.

Checking the integrity of the critical path when rescheduling

A number, assigned automatically to tasks when you reschedule a project, that indicates the logical path on which a task is located. Tasks with lower logical path numbers are those on logical paths that contain the least amount of total float; the higher the logical path number, the more total float in the logical path. You may find it useful to monitor tasks that are on low-numbered logical paths, as these tasks are more likely to affect the project finish date if they are delayed.

Hammocks are always assigned a logical path number of zero. The same is true of summary and expanded tasks, even if they have incoming or outgoing links.

Using logical paths to monitor the erosion of total float

The order of a task on the logical path on which it is located. The first task on a logical path has an order of 1; the next has an order of 2; and so on. You may find it useful to create sort/groups in which tasks are sorted/grouped first by logical path and then by logical path order, as this displays logical paths in the clearest possible way.

Using logical paths to monitor the erosion of total float

The IFC product search or IFC product selection to which the task belongs.

Ways of associating products in a 3D model with tasks

If you are using IFC task type to control the way in which 3D objects in a 3D model are "built" during timeline simulations, specify the appropriate IFC task type to assign to the task. If a task relates to the construction of an object, you could apply the 'Construction' IFC task type to the task; if it relates to the demolition of an object, you could apply the 'Demolition' IFC task type to it.

The following IFC task types are available:

• Attendance. Apply this to tasks that represent the presence of a resource, or a period of waiting for one or more events to occur.
• Construction. Apply this to tasks that represent erecting, fabricating or building something.
• Demolition. Apply this to tasks that represent pulling down, destroying or breaking down something.
• Dismantle. Apply this to tasks that represent taking apart something carefully, so that it can be recycled or reused.
• Disposal. Apply this to tasks that represent getting rid of something.
• Installation. Apply this to tasks that represent installing something; this is similar to the 'Construction' task type, but is more commonly used for engineering tasks.
• Logistic. Apply this to tasks that represent transporting or delivering something.
• Maintenance. Apply this to tasks that represent maintaining or servicing something to keep it in good condition, or in good working order.
• Move. Apply this to tasks that represent moving something from one place to another.
• Operation. Apply this to tasks that represent the working or running of something.
• Removal. Apply this to tasks that represent taking something away from its place of use.
• Renovation. Apply this to tasks that represent restoring something to an 'as new' state.

To use IFC task type to control the appearance of 3D objects during timeline simulations, you edit the properties of each 3D model or IFC group model and specify appearance settings for each IFC task type. For example, you can specify that objects are constructed or destructed during the duration of a task, or that objects appear at the start of a task, or disappear at the end of a task. You then assign the appropriate IFC task type to each task. The IFC task type appearance settings are applied to all of the 3D objects in a 3D model that are associated with tasks to which the IFC task type has been applied.

If both an IFC task type and an IFC simulation profile are specified for a task, the IFC simulation profile settings are used during timeline durations rather than the IFC task type settings.

Configuring the way in which timeline simulations run

If you are using IFC simulation profiles to control the way in which 3D objects in a 3D model are "built" during timeline simulations, specify the appropriate IFC simulation profile to assign to the task.

To use IFC simulation profiles to control the appearance of 3D objects during timeline simulations, you create any number of IFC simulation profiles in Library Explorer and specify appearance settings for each one. You then assign the appropriate IFC simulation profile to each task. The IFC simulation profile appearance settings are applied to all of the 3D objects in a 3D model that are associated with tasks to which the IFC simulation profile has been applied.

If both an IFC task type and an IFC simulation profile are specified for a task, the IFC simulation profile settings are used during timeline durations rather than the IFC task type settings.

Configuring the way in which timeline simulations run

Enter the shortest time that you estimate the task could take to complete.

When you carry out risk analysis, you can specify whether you want to use the minimum and maximum durations that you have entered against individual tasks to define the range between which random durations should be selected during risk analysis.

Enter the longest time that you estimate the task could take to complete.

When you carry out risk analysis, you can specify whether you want to use the minimum and maximum durations that you have entered against individual tasks to define the range between which random durations should be selected during risk analysis.

Enter a value between 0 and 100 to specify, in percentage terms, the likelihood of the task taking place.

Entering a percentage other than 100 in this field makes a task a "risk event" - ie a task that has a probability of occurring but that will not definitely occur. For example, you may want to create a "risk event" task to represent a possible delay in the delivery of certain items.

When you carry out risk analysis, you can specify whether to take into account the probabilities that have been entered against individual tasks. If you choose to do this, the probability of risk event tasks is taken into account in each iteration of risk analysis, meaning that the risk event tasks will be included in some iterations but not in others. If you specify that a task has an 80% probability of taking place, the task will appear in - and therefore affect the duration of - roughly 80% of risk analysis iterations.