Schedule conflicts between project tasks

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Schedule conflicts between project tasks

    Scheduling conflicts in project tasks occur when task dependencies or constraint types prevent a task from starting on its specified date. This typically happens when an action such as applying a dependency or changing constraint dates causes a task’s start date to violate its constraint. The system detects these conflicts and notifies you, allowing you to either cancel the conflicting action or proceed while prioritizing the constraint date.

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    Key Features

    • Conflict Detection: Identifies when tasks do not honor dependencies because of constraint violations.
    • User Notification: Provides warnings in the client-side planning console with options to cancel or proceed despite conflicts.
    • Date Adjustment: If proceeding with a conflict, the system recalculates dates, prioritizing the constraint date over dependency, potentially moving the start date to the constraint date.
    • Visual Indicators: The calendar icon changes to red in both client-side and server-side planning consoles to highlight conflicts.

    Key Outcomes

    By understanding and managing scheduling conflicts, you can:

    • Ensure critical constraints like "Start no later than" or "Start on specific date" are respected.
    • Make informed decisions whether to maintain constraints or honor dependencies by adjusting constraint types (e.g., changing to "Start ASAP").
    • Visually identify conflicting tasks quickly using the red calendar icon in planning consoles.
    • Maintain accurate project schedules by resolving or consciously overriding conflicts based on project priorities.

    Scheduling conflict helps you to identify project tasks that are not honoring dependencies. A scheduling conflict occurs when one project task prevents other task from starting on the specified date because of dependencies or constraint types.

    A scheduling conflict occurs when any action such as applying a dependency, changing constraint type, or constraint date causes the task start date to violate the project's constraint date.

    When a scheduling conflict occurs, the system warns you about the conflict. You can choose to cancel the action that is causing the conflict or continue with the conflict. If you choose to continue with the conflict, the constraint date is given highest precedence and dates are recalculated. The start date is moved till allowed by the task constraint date, but dependency is not honored.

    For example, consider the following scenario:

    For a project with project task's Constraint date set as 20 January, there are two tasks:
    • T1 with constraint type set to As soon as possible and start date of 20 January.
    • T2 with constraint type set to Start no later than and start date of 20 January.
    If you add an FS dependency between tasks T1 and T2, the task T2 should start on 21 January, but due to Start no later than constraint, task T2 cannot start on 21 January. This inability of starting task T2 on the specified date is an example of conflict.

    In this example, if you choose to proceed with the conflict, the start date of task T2 is moved to 20 January which is the constraint date.

    Scheduling conflict between tasks is shown for tasks with Start no later than and Start on specific date time constraints.

    If you want the task to honor the dependency and adjust the start accordingly, change the constraint type of the task to Start ASAP.

    When a scheduling conflict is identified, you can identify such tasks in the planning console.
    • The client-side planning console displays a pop-up message with an option to proceed with the conflict or cancel the action. If you proceed with the conflict, the constraint type is applied or date is changed appropriately to the next feasible date.
    • The calendar icon (Calendar icon) on the client side planning console changes to red (Conflict icon) to indicate the conflict.
    • The calendar icon on the server side planning console changes to red (Conflict icon) to indicate the conflict.