Can we have a Level of Effort or Hammock Task even in Microsoft Project?
What is a Primavera Level of Effort / Hammock Task
Level of Effort or Hammock is one of many attributes for an activity in Primavera P6. The Activity Type determines how the duration of an activity is scheduled according to various scheduling scenarios.
This is what Primavera’s manual says about a Level of Effort:
Level of Effort: This type of activity indicates that it is ongoing with a duration determined by its dependent activities. The duration is calculated based on the schedule dates of its predecessors and successors. Administrative activities are typically designated as Level of Effort.
In other words: Level of Effort tasks do not have their own duration and dates. They are dependent on their predecessors and successors.
Having a Level of Effort task in Microsoft Project is as simple as inserting new activities and it will only take you a view seconds.
How to build a Level of Effort Task in Microsoft Project?
Let’s say you would like to have for example a project management task which spans over the whole schedule (Picture 1) and it should therefore automatically inherit the complete duration of the project.
Picture 1. Gantt with project management task
- Insert a new activity. (It is not necessary to have it at the top of your schedule)
- Copy the Finish Date of the activity which defines your End (Picture 2)
Picture 2. Copy Finish Date - Paste the copied date with the “Special Paste” Feature (Picture 3) into the Finish cell of your new activity.
Picture 3. "Paste Special" Option
Be sure to insert the date as a link (Picture 4)
Picture 4. "Paste Special" Option -> Paste Link - Finish, you did it (Picture 5)
Picture 5. Gantt with adjusted project management task
Note: You can now modify the duration of your schedule (Picture 6) and the Level of Effort task will automatically be adjusted.
Picture 6. before & after adjustment
Because the Level of Effort task is not quickly identifiable and is shown as a task with constraints (in the Indicator Cell) my advice would be to have an User Defined field or an attribute field that you can assign to the Level of Effort. Create a special bar for your Gantt chart with a color that is identified by the User Defined field or the attribute field.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me via email on mustafa.farsak(at)proadvise.com should you require any further information,
Mustafa Farsak
Senior Consultant at proadvise GmbH
P.S. (thanks to Eva Granz who reviewed the article)
Project Manager Consultant
7yWhat you're not mentioning are the problems with this configuration. First, the predecessor/successor links tend to break. Second, any time applied to the "LOE" task before the start of it's predecessor is simply lost. Third, any time applied to the "LOE" task after the successor finish date simply disappears. Using a hammock task is good in concept, but there are lots of problems with them. Search the web and you'll probably find more issues. MS resources don't even recommend using them.
Business Solutions Architect at XER Management AB
7ySimpley use a serious planning tool like Primavera P6 EPPM :)
NDT INSPECTION at SINOPEC SERVICE KISH
7yhi amir iam glad to meet you in linked in
Senior Project Planning and Scheduling Engineer
7yPay attention to the calculation time overhead cost when using this with larger schedules. As it is a close relative of Microsoft's OLE technology AFAIK, I see a certain risk of slowing down the computer when combining a big schedule with a bigger number of those "hammocks light."
Project Coordinating Manager at Thompson Pipe Group
7yNice tip Mustafa. I'll file that one away for later ...