Help! Project Tasks won't allow us to modify Time Constraint to "Start ASAP"

[Grace Ditsworth]

We're new-ish to ServiceNow PPM and are working to implement the Planning Console and Project Tasks to log our Work Breakdown Structures. However, we're bumping into issues that make this tool impossible to use.

• Cannot change Project Task “Time Constraint” from “Start on specific date” to “Start ASAP.” Defaults to “Start on specific date” and field is locked
  
  
• Only situation where we have been able to modify Time Constraint field is when Project is created as Project, saved, but have not clicked “Start Project”
  
  
• When we create a Demand and then create a Project from the demand, even if the Project is not started, we encounter the problem with the “Time Constraint” field being locked
  
  
• We also want to know if it’s possible to change the Project’s Calculation feature from Manual to Automatic after Project creation. This field disappears from the Project form once the Project is initially created and it does not appear that there is an option to edit it.
  
  
• This is causing us issues because we cannot effectively use the Planning Console to construct a Work Breakdown Structure with automatically calculating dependencies (e.g. Start-to-Finish) unless we are able to create Project Tasks with the “Start ASAP” Time Constraint. If Project Tasks are created with “Start on Specific Date,” all automatic calculation is overrided by the listed date.

[Miguel Donayre]

Hello @Grace Ditsworth 

Cannot change Project Task “Time Constraint” from “Start on specific date” to “Start ASAP.” Defaults to “Start on specific date” and field is locked

This is only true when the project's calculation is set to "manual"

When we create a Demand and then create a Project from the demand, even if the Project is not started, we encounter the problem with the “Time Constraint” field being locked

That's because when a project is created from demand the project's calculation is set to "manual"

We also want to know if it’s possible to change the Project’s Calculation feature from Manual to Automatic after Project creation. This field disappears from the Project form once the Project is initially created and it does not appear that there is an option to edit it.

1st you will need to add the "calculation" field to the project form- 

one the context menu --> configure--> form layout

look for calculation in the left list and add it to the right list using the arrows and save

you should now see it on the form. If it is set to automatic and if there are tasks associated with the project you cannot set it to manual. (It will be grayed out) The only way to change it is to delete all the associated tasks. There is no way around it.

once the task is deleted you can switch it to manual and add the task as you please. If you switch it to automatic it will set the date back to "start ASAP" and will lock it back to automatic.

You cannot change it mid-flight that is correct.

If my answer helped you, mark it as correct and helpful.

[Miguel Donayre · Accepted solution]

THIS WOULD BE MY LAST RESORT!!

 There is a UI policy you can disable to make the time constraint field, not read-only and editable. 

Disable Time Constraint if the task is a manual task or not in pending or open state or rollup task

[Miguel Donayre]

Hello @Grace Ditsworth ,

It's been a bit since my reply was posted. I just wanted to check-in and see how things are going.

If my reply helped guide you correctly, please mark it as Helpful & Correct.

Thanks!

[Nazia1]

Hi @Miguel Donayre 

Since we are also new to PPM module , we face lot of challenges and especially highlighted above.

We have a big Project (around 1500 tasks) which was imported from MSP and it was pulled as Manual.

Now ,we are planning to change it to Automatic and Set Time Constraint to ASAP.

Do you think it would be a good idea to disable this UI policy once so that we can correct its Time Constraint and build our dependencies as the tasks which are work in Progress are not allowed to be changed which makes it really difficult.

Since there are so many tasks , recreating them also is not a feasible solution.