Calculating Critical Path and Dates
Once the durations of the individual deliverables have been estimated and the communication arrows define the logical dependencies, everything is ready to make some calculations. Indeed, you can calculate the expected delivery dates of the various deliverables, and therefore the earliest project completion date, by making critical path calculations beginning with a given start date. These calculations can be triggered without leaving Communigram.
In order to start the "Scheduling" of the project, simply click on the corresponding button.
- The Schedule Button On the Toolbar
This button calls up a dialog in which you see how many projects are displayed in the current Communigram and therefore need to be integrated in the scheduling calculations. In this dialog, the user can enter which date shall be considered the "Today" date for the critical path simulation.
- The Dialog "Schedule", in which the date is defined from which the critical path calculation begins (the assumed "today" (data) date)
After clicking OK, the scheduling algorithm is executed on the server. You can continue working in the meantime. As soon as the server has finished calculating the critical path and the end dates, Communigram displays a message and refreshes the data. The critical path is shown as red arrows by default, yet you can change this in "Tools/Preferences/Colors/Arrows".
- The Critical Path is Shown in Communigram By Red Arrows
Using Constraints to Set Dates
All dates in Communigram are calculated, i.e. depending on the individual deliverables' durations and the communication arrows between them, the system calculates the "best case" scenario if everything goes exactly according to plan.
If you need to set certain deliverables to start or end at certain fixed dates, use the "constraint" feature. You can change constraints by pulling up the bottom border of the Communigram and selecting the tab "Dates". On the right hand side of the screen, you can select a type of constraint such as "start on or after" and select the date this constraint shall use. For example, if you want a deliverable to start no earlier than January 1st, choose "Jan-1" as the date and "start on or after" as a constraint.
Note: Your changes are not applied immediately, but only after you start the scheduling routine by clicking on "Schedule" on the toolbar.
If you set a constraint that cannot be respected due to the other deliverables in the project, the scheduler may set the deliverable to start or finish on dates other than you define.
If you want to set a deliverable to finish at a fixed date, use "Mandatory Finish". This is particularly useful for milestones.