About effort driven scheduling for automatically scheduled tasks

When you assign or remove people from a task, iTaskX lengthens or shortens the duration of the task based on the number of resources assigned to it, but it does not change the total work for the task. This is called effort driven scheduling and is the default when you assign resources to tasks.

As resources are added to a task, the total work on the task stays the same. However, the amount of work distributed to the resources assigned to the task changes.

Effort driven scheduling only takes effect when resources are added to or removed from a task. Effort driven calculation rules are not applied when you change work, duration and unit values for resources already assigned to a task.

When working with effort driven scheduling, keep the following in mind:

• The effort driven calculations apply only after the first resources are initially assigned to the task. After the first resources are assigned, the work value doesn't change as new resources are assigned to or removed from the same task.
• If the assigned task type is „Fixed Units”, assigning additional resources shortens the duration of the task.
• If the assigned task type is „Fixed Duration”, assigning additional resources decreases the individual unit values for resources.
• If the assigned task type is „Fixed Work”, assigning additional resources shortens the duration of the task.

Note
To turn off effort driven scheduling for all new tasks, point to „Edit” > „Project Options…” (or use the toolbar icon) > „Schedule” and clear the „New tasks are effort driven” check box.
To turn off effort driven scheduling for a single tasks, clear the „Effort Driven” check box in the „Extras” pane of the „Info” inspector>.