Schedule Tab of the Plan Form

Use the Schedule tab to view and edit the start and finish dates and to set up relationships (dependencies) for the work breakdown structure (WBS) elements for the selected project.

Video: See related video below

This tab displays only if the Resource Planning module is activated.

The Schedule tab displays schedule information on the left side and a Gantt chart on the right side. You can use the Gantt chart to see the project's schedule and associated WBS elements. Use this information to keep close track of your project's schedule and its critical path, and identify potential schedule risks. If you have project modification rights, you can also shift WBS element durations and dates directly on the Gantt chart and add dependency relationships between WBS levels.

Contents: Controls above the Grids

Field	Description
Scale	To change the scale for the calendar period columns, click , and select one of the following on the Change Scale dialog box: Days: Display all plan data by day. Weeks: Display all plan data by week. Months: Display all plan data by month. Quarters: Display all plan data by quarters. Years: Display plan data by years. The calendar period column headings change to reflect your selection, and any existing hours in those columns are recalculated based on the new scale.
Expand/Collapse All	Use this button to change the Gantt chart view. When only the WBS1 (project) level is displayed, click this button to expand the view to show all levels. When all or only some levels are displayed, click this button to collapse all levels to WBS1. If you turn on Show Critical Path when levels are collapsed, any levels that are not on the critical path remain collapsed. If you move or resize Gantt bars or create dependencies that would cause hidden WBS levels to be on the critical path, Vantagepoint does not automatically show them. To show these levels, turn Show Critical Path off and then back on.
Show Critical Path	The critical path is the sequence of tasks or phases that cannot be delayed without affecting the completion date of the entire project. If any of those items slip, that would cause a risk to the project schedule. When you turn on the Show Critical Path toggle switch, the Gantt chart displays the critical path of your project in red for any levels that directly impact the end date. When the critical path is visible, you can immediately see where changes you make to the schedule for specific tasks or phases will impact the project's completion date. As you move and reschedule bars on the Gantt chart, elements that cannot slip any further without impacting the end date will turn red and become part of the critical path.

Contents: Left Grid Section - Schedule

The Schedule grid displays on the left side of the tab and shows each level of the project's WBS (as entered on the Labor tab of Project Planning). Note that the Schedule tab does not display resources that are assigned to each level of the WBS; use the Labor tab to see details for assigned resources.

To change the width of the left grid section, position the mouse pointer over the dividing line between the left grid section and the right grid section, and drag the line. You can also change the width of the subsections of the left grid. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the grid to scroll across the columns.

Field	Description
Row Number	This field displays a number that identifies the plan structure level for the corresponding row: The project level (WBS 1) is numbered 1. The phase level (WBS 2) is numbered 1.x where x is a sequential number (starting with 1) for each consecutive phase. The task level (WBS 3) is numbered 1.x.y where y is a sequential number (starting with 1) for each consecutive task. The labor code level (WBS 3) is numbered 1.x.y.z where z is a sequential number (starting with 1) for each consecutive labor code. For example, 1.4.3.1 specifies phase 4, task 3, labor code 1 for that row. If you add or delete phases, tasks, or labor codes, Vantagepoint renumbers the plan structure levels based on the order they appear in the plan.
Level	This field displays the elements in the plan structure. Click and to expand or collapse the levels.
(Options)	Click at the end of the Level field to choose either of the following options: Dependency Details: This option opens the Dependency Details dialog box, where you can create or revise plan notes and create, update, or remove dependencies between plan levels. For more information, see Dependency Details Dialog Box. Remove Float to Start ASAP > Current Row or Remove Float to Start ASAP > Current and Child Row: These options are available if you have edit rights to the plan and it is checked out. Float is time between successors and predecessors that creates a cushion in the schedule. When you remove float, you remove any extra working days in the relationship(s), leaving any lag or lead time exact. Remove Float to Start ASAP > Current causes the current level to happen as soon as possible, removing any float time between it and its predecessor. If the level is both a predecessor and a successor, float will only be removed on relationships where the level is the successor. This option is not available at the project level. Remove Float to Start ASAP > Current and Child Row removes float for the current level and its predecessor, as well as for any associated child levels. If there are no child rows for the current level, this option is disabled. This option is not available at the labor code level. See How Float Time Works with Dependency Relationships for details about the different effects of removing float time for project, phase, task, and labor code levels.
Plan Start and End Dates	These fields display the start and finish dates for the WBS element, as entered on the Labor tab. These dates automatically update if you change the duration by dragging the ends of the Gantt bar or if you shift the dates by dragging and moving the entire Gantt bar. The dates also update here if you enter different dates on the Labor tab.
Duration	This field displays the number of days for the WBS element. This field updates automatically if you change the duration on the Labor tab or change the length of the Gantt bar by dragging it on the Gantt chart.
Predecessor	This field displays the predecessor level and any lag or lead time for each level of the project structure. You can use this field to add, edit, delete, and manage relationships between levels. If the plan is checked out, you can edit this field by entering a value as follows: The relationship type you want to add is: And the lag or lead you want to add is: Type this to specify the predecessor, relationship, and lag/lead time: Finish-to-Start None <row number> (no need to enter FS for this relationship) Lag <row number>+<lag days> Lead <row number>-<lead days> Finish-to-Finish None <row number>FF Lag <row number>FF +<lag days> Lead <row number>FF -<lead days> Start-to-Start None <row number>SS Lag <row number>SS +<lag days> Lead <row number>SS -<lead days> Start-to-Finish None <row number>SF Lag <row number>SF +<lag days> Lead <row number>SF -<lead days> To add more than one dependency, enter them separated by commas. You do not need to type the word days; however, you can enter extended lag or lead values by typing weeks, months, or years after the number and Vantagepoint will convert the value to the number of working days. 1 week converts to 5 working days 1 month converts to 30 working days 1 year converts to 365 working days For example, if in the Predecessor field for row 1.5 you enter 1.1, 1.2+2, 1.3SS-1, 1.4SF-3weeks, the predecessors are as follows: Row 1.5 has a finish-to-start relationship with row 1.1 with no lag Row 1.5 has a finish-to-start relationship with row 1.2 with 2 days lag Row 1.5 has a start-to-start relationship with row 1.3 with 1 day lead Row 1.5 has a start-to-finish relationship with row 1.4 with 15 days lag You can remove dependencies and lag or lead time by deleting the appropriate entries directly in the Predecessor cell.

Contents: Right Grid Section - Gantt Chart

The interactive Gantt chart provides a visual display of the project's schedule. The first row on the chart lists the parent project. The subsequent Gantt bars show the project's underlying WBS levels, as well as any dependencies between them. If you check out the project plan, you can change element durations by dragging the start and/or end of its associated Gantt bar or shift the entire element by dragging and dropping the bar on the calendar. You can add dependencies between levels by selecting the yellow arrow at the start or end of a Gantt bar and dragging it to the start or end of another WBS level. When you drop the arrow, a yellow connector line indicates the relationship on the chart.

For details on how to view and edit project plans on the Gantt chart, see Scheduling Project Work.

The default calendar scale used for the chart depends on the total duration for the project:

• When the duration is less than 3 months, the default scale is weeks.
• When the duration is between 3 and 13 months, the default scale is months.
• When the duration is greater than 13 months, the default scale is years.

To change the scale for the Gantt chart, click next to Scale above the grid, or use CTRL + Mouse Wheel to zoom in and out.

Video

Title	Description
Create Schedule Dependencies	This video shows you the different methods for creating schedule dependencies on the Schedule tab of Project Planning. These methods allow you to identify predecessors and successors, select relationship types, and add lag/lead time for dependencies.