Sometimes you run into a situation during a project where work on certain tasks in a project schedule needs to stop and then start again, and these interruptions may be planned or unplanned.  So how do you show that work has been interrupted and restarted in MS. Project 2016?

A split is an interruption in a task, represented in Project’s Gantt bar by a dotted line between the two segments of the task. The time of the actual task split does not count in the duration of the task unless the task type is fixed duration.

In the following example, we will split a task to represent some nonworking time in the middle of the task.

Split a task : Example:

Task 17 Excavate for foundations has a 6 days duration, and will start on Fri 4/6/18 and finish on Fri 4/13/18 .  You have just been told that work on this task will be interrupted on Tuesday 4/10/18 (no work will occur on this day-for any reason). How to update the schedule ?

 

MS.Project splite a task 1

 

To create a task split in Microsoft Project 2016, complete the following steps:

 

  1. Select the name of task 17, Excavate for foundations.

MS.Project split a task steps

 

2. Press Ctrl+Shift+F5. Microsoft Project brings the Gantt bar of task 17 into view.

3. Click on the View tab. In the Zoom command group, in the selection box below Timescale, select Days..

3.MS Project Split a task - step 2

Now you can split the task with one of these step

4. Click on the task tab, In the Schedule command group, click the Split Task button.

5.MS Project Split a task - step 4

 

Or Right-click the Gantt bar for task 17. From the shortcut menu that appears, click the Split Task button from the upper shortcut menu. A ScreenTip appears and the mouse pointer changes to a double vertical line with an arrow to the right.

4.MS Project Split a task-step 3

 

5. Move the mouse pointer over the Gantt bar of task 17. Watch the ScreenTip box as you move the pointer – the date changes. The ScreenTip box reflects the date on which you will begin to split the task.

6.MS Project Split a task - step 5

 

6. Move (but don’t click) the mouse pointer over the Gantt bar until the Start date of Tuesday, 4/10/18, appears in the ScreenTip box. Click and hold, then drag the mouse pointer to the right until the Start date of Wed 4/11/18, appears in the ScreenTip, and then release the mouse button.

7.MS Project Split a task - step 6

 

Microsoft Project inserts a task split (a dotted line)  between the two parts of the task.

8.MS Project Split a task - step 7

 

You can split a task into as many parts as necessary.

 

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