MSP Fixed Work task duration is lost if resource is added last with uniform loading pattern

Products

• Clarity PPM On Premise
• Clarity PPM SaaS

Issue/Introduction

Fixed Work task durations change unexpectedly if using uniform loading pattern. The durations stay as expected if using fixed loading pattern. Fixed Duration tasks do not have the issue. When you add a Fixed Work task to a project, if you do not add the Resource Name as the last thing you do, an issue occurs and the duration is lost the next time the project is downloaded to Microsoft Project (MS Project).

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Create a project in Clarity and add one resource to the project allocated at 100%
2. Export the project to MSP
3. Create 2 new tasks identical as below:
   1. Task Type: Fixed Work
   2. Start date: 7/5/21
   3. Assign the resource to the tasks
   4. Remaining work: 20 hours
   5. Duration: 10 days
4. Save the project back to Clarity
5. Click on the First Fixed Work task and change the loading pattern for the assignment to Fixed. (If mapping MSP Assignment units with Clarity ‘Max % Load’, Max % Load should be 100%)
6. Click on the second Fixed work task and change the loading pattern for the assignment to Uniform if not set already. (If mapping MSP Assignment units with Clarity ‘Max % Load’, Max % Load should be 100%)
7. Export the project back to MSP and view the Task Durations for the 2 tasks

Expected Results: Both the Fixed Work uniform loading pattern assignment task and Fixed Work fixed loading pattern assignment task duration is kept at 10 days

Actual Results: The Fixed Work task with uniform loading pattern assignment duration changes to 2.5 days, but the fixed loading pattern assignment fixed work task remains at 10 days.

Environment

Release : All Supported

Component : Microsoft Project New Driver Integration

Cause

This is working as designed. The MSP Driver is letting MSP schedule the remaining work for all patterns except contour (Fixed loading pattern in Clarity). For other patterns aside from contour (fixed), it allows MSP to reschedule the remaining work.

For Flat (Uniform) loading pattern, it is expected to complete the remaining 20 hours of work in 2.5 days, so the duration is getting changed to 2.5 days. 

Resolution

Use Fixed Loading pattern if you want to use Fixed Work task type (or use Fixed Duration if you want to use uniform loading pattern)

Additional Information

Notes:

• 'Fixed' loading pattern of Clarity is 'Contoured' in MSP
• 'Uniform' loading pattern is 'Flat' in MSP.

For more information on loading patterns see: Loading Patterns and Contours

See also:

• MSP: Some fixed work tasks durations are changing
• MSP Integration Known Issues