How to set "Activity Priority" ??

The default is

1) Total Float
2) Late Start

You can try other schemes, but this one generally works best. Good luck!

The default setting is useful, but I want to define the priority myself and get another scheduling results based on this new activity sequences. How can I set this kind of priority???

thanks!

If I understand you correctly; just create a custom data idem called "Priority" (or whatever you want to name it) and add that name to the pritoity tag under resource leveling.

Hi Benny,
It is simple, create a code Priority, with a length of one digit, and create codes, 1-9. Normally you would not need more than 9 priorities, as you use it in combination with total float. You then just allocate each activity a code 1 being the highest priority, and 9 the lowest, there is other ways but this is the simplest, and it works. Unfortunately, if you had User defined fields, which you do not have, you could use one of them. I keep harping on the subject of flexibility in planning software, and one of the best things, going back through my my experience, Open plan dos V4 had this facility, where you could work within the database and create fields, whether number, text, date, codes or calculated fields. This allowed you the freedom of setting priorities etc.
But the P3 code fields work for your purposes, therefore always work sparingly with them

Regards

Philip

Ronald and Philip,

Thank you so much!

Hope it helped, it is a pleasure.

i’ve used the priority codes in the activity code fields just like you’re attempting and it works really well. sometimes if there’s a competetion for resources, i’ll add a second code field to alleviate the struggle.

let us know how it works for you

You are getting the idea, set a priority b, and if necessary a c

ok gang, i DO NOT want to start/continue the primavera versus microsoft project debate, i simply want to read factual(unemotional) advantages and disadvantages to the 2 packages.

i’ve read as many threads as i could find on this site and i’m currently looking at gantthead.com for some more comparisions...but i’m still looking for the "homerun" that I can stick in my backpocket and keep for the ongoing debate.

seems to me that beginning project mgrs and proj engineers don’t understand what CPM is and further more, they don’t care until their turnaround goes from 40 days to 60 days and runs millions over budget. at that point they are forced to hire someone like me to run their schedules for them...and they are resentful. i’m challenged each day to warrant the software choice that the home office has made and i’d like to have good and bad of both softwares to display.

let me clarify, i’ve been using p3 for 11 years. i’d used open plan for 4 years previous to that so i have my own opinions of the software that i prefer.

can someone email me a write up of advantages and disadvantages or can someone post a link to to such a document.

thanks in advance,
bb

Explain your point of view, you confused the issue a bit.

sorry, let me try again. the site where i’m currently assigned has gone through a bit of turmoil regarding scheduling software. several key players in the operating units have begun to use MS Project and corporate wants Primavera. i’ve had and will continue to have debates regarding the ’better’ software. i mention the beginner project enginners and their apathy regarding CPM because i’m thinking and speaking in planner/scheduler terminology and these folks aren’t.

i was hoping that someone out there would have already fought this battle and they would have done a better job communicating with difficult clients than i’ve done so far.

sorry again, i know i probably should have started a new thread or continued on an older one, but i thought maybe someone responding to the original request in this thread could direct me to my desired result without reviving the same long dialogue that i’ve seen in other threads...

Hi Bayou boy,
This thread was about setting priorities in P3, and had nothing to do with MS Project, and your opinions about software, Rather start a new thread to discuss this. I do not think that MSP has the capabilities of settinggg priorities, and as such, despite your opinions, fall without this discusion.

No offence taken.

Regards

Philip

never mind...it was a simple question, but yeah it was in the wrong forum. i thought i’d get quicker results by asking while several folks were in that other thread and without having to go through the whole "what is superior" ordeal...so go on back to whatever you were blathering on about elsewhere - i mistakenly thought i’d get quick help from you but i’ve wasted more energy and time trying to explain why i simply posted in the wrong thread...thanks

Hi Bayou boy,

As I said, no offense, just that my experience, with MSP is that it cannot handle these things, and there is no question of superiority. Simply I have used MSP for the last twelve years, have gone too the length of getting MS consultants in to try and sort out the problems we are talking about here, at an exhorbitant price, wwith no results. The programs we use are the tools of our trade, and if they simply cannot do the whole job, you still use them up to the point of their capabilities, and when their capabilities run out, you look for tools that can do what you want to do. If they are not available, you look for a work-around, in the form of excel or whatever.

Unfortunately, my belief is that resource levelling is probably the best planning method, and gives the best result, therefore priorities is a very important subject. As it is the only route to success, in trying to level resources. I think if you thought long and hard about it, you could probably get MSP to do it, but the point is I am an engineer, and not a software guy, so why should I figure out their problems, if I can find tools that can do it. Every program has it’s strong points, and we use MSP on a daily basis where it is easier to perform certain tasks than in other software.

Regards

Philip

Hi Bayou Boy,

Despite what Philip says, YES you can set task priorities in MSP.

Double-click on the individual task. Click the GENERAL tab, and there you will see a little window on the right-hand side, called PRIORITY. It is a numerical value ranging from 1 to 1000, with 1000 being equivalent to DO NOT LEVEL. The default setting is 500.

I’ve never used it in anger, but you can resource-level according to priority.

HTH.

James.