Have you ever needed to create a task whose duration expands or contracts based on other tasks in your schedule? In this article, I’ll show you how to create Hammock Tasks in Microsoft Project so you can build tasks with dynamic durations that automatically adjust as your project changes.
Common Use Cases for Hammock Tasks
You might use hammock tasks in Microsoft Project when you need to:
- Track project management or oversight effort that spans the full duration of a project
- Model resource loading activities that should automatically adjust as the schedule changes
- Create tasks that align with project start and finish milestones without manually updating dates
- Maintain a task whose Duration should always reflect the overall project timeline
** Requirements to Create Hammock Tasks in Microsoft Project
- Milestone Tasks: You should have two milestone tasks to represent the Start and Finish dates of the hammock task. For instance, name them “Project Start” and “Project Complete.”
- Regular Task: You’ll also need a task that will serve as the hammock task. This task will sit between the two milestone tasks.
Watch the Step-by-Step Video
Prefer to follow along visually? This video demonstrates the exact steps you’ll learn below using Microsoft Project Desktop.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Create Hammock Tasks in Microsoft Project
Now let’s walk through the process of creating a hammock task:
1. Create the Milestone Tasks
Add two milestone tasks to your project schedule named “Project Start” and “Project Complete.” These tasks will define the Start and Finish dates of your hammock task.
2. Set Up the Hammock Task
Add a regular task to your project. For example, name it “Project Management.”
- Leave the default Duration set to 1d.
- Double-click the task name to open the Task Information dialog.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- In the Task Type pick list, select Fixed Units or Fixed Work, then click OK.
**Important Note:
You cannot create a hammock task with a Task Type of Fixed Duration. The task must be set to Fixed Work or Fixed Units.
3. Copy the Finish Date
- Drag the split bar to the right edge of the Finish column.
- Select the Finish date for the “Project Start” milestone.
- Copy the date using the Copy button on the Task ribbon.
4. Paste the Start Date
- Select the Start date of your “Project Management” task.
- Click the Paste pick list button and choose “Paste Special.”
- In the Paste Special dialog, select the “Paste Link” option and leave “Text Data” selected.
- Click the OK button. This action pastes the Finish date from the “Project Start” milestone to the Start date of your hammock task.
5. Copy the Start Date and Paste the Finish Date
- Select the Start date of the “Project Management” task.
- Click the Paste pick list and choose Paste Special.
- In the Paste Special dialog, select Paste Link and leave Text Data selected.
- Click OK.
This action pastes the Finish date from the “Project Start” milestone into the Start date of your hammock task.
6. Watch It Adjust
You’ll now see that the Duration of the hammock task automatically adjusts based on the Start and Finish dates of the two milestone tasks.
7. Test Different Scenarios
Experiment with changing the Duration of tasks that affect the Start and Finish dates of your hammock task. Observe how the hammock task’s Duration adapts to maintain alignment with the overall project’s Duration.
Final Thoughts
And that’s it! You’ve successfully created a hammock task in Microsoft Project. While hammock tasks aren’t something you’ll use in every schedule, they can be extremely helpful in situations where a task needs to dynamically adjust as the project changes.
If you have questions, feel free to add them in the Comments section below. If you watched the video, you’re also welcome to leave your questions or comments there.
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