Explain the type of calendar used in project management?

Answer 1

Microsoft Office Project 2003 uses the following types of calendars to determine resource availability and the way tasks are scheduled:

Base calendar

A base calendar is used as a template that the project calendar, resource calendars, or task calendars are based on. Three base calendars are provided with Project:

Standard (8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. weekdays, with an hour off for lunch)

24-Hours

Night Shift

NOTE Only someone with administrative privileges (for example, your project management administrator) for Project Server 2003 can change the base calendar used for all projects within the organization.

Project calendar

The calendar used to designate the default work schedule for all tasks in a project.

Resource calendar

For each resource you enter, Project creates individual resource calendars based on the settings in the Standard calendar. You can modify those calendars on the Working Time tab of the Resource Information dialog box. You can also create and assign resource calendars for individual resources or resource groups to indicate specific working hours; for example, you can assign a resource to the swing shift or night shift. You can edit resources' calendars to indicate nonworking time, such as vacations and leaves of absence.

NOTE To make changes to schedule information for an enterprise resource, you must first check out the resource.

Task calendar

Tasks are scheduled based on the working times in the project calendar; however, you can customize the working times from the project calendar in a task calendar if you have tasks to be completed at different times, especially tasks that are independent of resources. A task calendar is especially useful for equipment that runs and completes tasks throughout nights or weekends, which is designated as nonworking time in the project calendar.

Project calculates when a resource and task are scheduled to work by using the calendars in the following order: project calendar, resource calendar, and task calendar. If a task has no resources and no task calendar, it's scheduled according to the project calendar. If a task has resources assigned and no task calendar, it's scheduled according to the resource calendars. You can set the task calendar to ignore the resource calendars if you need to schedule a task during a nonworking time for a resource. In the Task Name field, click the task with the task calendar that you want to override the resource calendars of any assigned resources. Click Task Information , and then click the Advanced tab. Select the Scheduling ignores resource calendars check box to have the task calendar override all applicable resource calendars.

NOTE The Project Working Times side pane provides an easy way to set the project's working times. On the Project Guide toolbar, click Tasks. Click Define general working times, and then follow the instructions that appear in the side pane.