When you work with MS Project, you often encounter fixed working hours. But what if you need customized working hours for a specific project or just for a week? In this guide, I will show you how to set up specific working hours for your projects. This can be especially useful when short-term changes, such as short-time work due to special circumstances, are necessary. Let's get started!
Key Takeaways
- Custom working hours can be set for specific time periods.
- You can easily change existing working hours without adjusting the entire plan.
- Holidays or special days can also be treated as exceptions.
Step-by-Step Guide
Accessing Working Hours Settings
To set up custom working hours for a specific week, first open the "Project" tab. Here you can make the basic working time settings.
Setting Exceptions in Working Hours
In the settings, you will see the "Exceptions" section. Depending on the current requirements, you can enter specific deviations from the standard working hours here. However, for our purpose, we want to adjust a whole week. Click on the "Work Weeks" selection.
Preparing to Change the Work Week
Here you can see the standard workweek. To change the working hours for the upcoming week, go to the second row and enter a name for this specific working time. A common name could be "Short-time work," which you can choose as you like.
Defining the Period for the New Working Hours
Now it's time to define the period for the new working hours. Set the start date to today and the end date to 11/26 – which is Friday. Then click on "Details" to proceed.
Selecting Workdays
In this step, you select the workdays for which the new times should apply. Check Monday through Friday, as the workdays do not change. We are simply adjusting the working hours.
Setting Specific Working Hours
Now it's time to enter the new working hours. You can adjust the times for each day individually. In our example, we have working hours from 8:00 to 10:00, followed by a break until 10:30, and then again from 10:30 to 13:00. The workday then ends for the rest of the day.
Saving Changes
After entering the new working hours, confirm your entry with "OK." You should now see that the week has been updated and the individual working hours are displayed accordingly.
Reviewing the New Working Hours
To ensure that everything is set correctly, go back one week and check if the working hours are now displayed correctly. You will notice that they have been adjusted according to the times you entered.
Consideration of Holidays
You have now set individual working hours for the specified week. However, it is important to also consider holidays or other special days that fall within this period. Here you can decide whether these days should be treated as regular or as exceptions.
Summary
With the steps described, you have now successfully set up individual working hours in MS Project. You have learned how to make specific deviations from the standard working hours for a particular week. This allows you to flexibly respond to different work requirements and optimize your projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I change the working hours for more than one week?You need to repeat the steps for each week, as MS Project requires individual settings for each week.
Can I set holidays as exceptions?Yes, holidays can also be entered as exceptions in the working hour settings.
What happens if I don't save my changes?Your changes will be lost if you close the window without saving them. Make sure to click "OK" after each entry.
Is changing the working hours complicated?No, with the above guide, you can adjust the working hours relatively quickly and easily.
