Manual and auto-scheduling

Manual and auto-scheduling in Microsoft Project each have separate advantages and disadvantages, making them suitable for different scenarios. Here are some examples of the pros and cons of each:

Type	Pros	Cons	When to Use
Manual Scheduling	Flexible, controlled, stable	Time-consuming, less automated, missed connections	Early planning, fixed dates
Auto Scheduling	Dynamic, efficient, finds conflicts	Less control, complex setup, over-reliance	Detailed projects, complex tasks, changing projects

Table 1.1: Pros and cons for manual and automatic scheduling

1. You can view the mode that your chosen tasks have by doing the following:
   1. View Manually Scheduled mode, shown with a push pin in the Task Mode field, a question mark will show next to the duration and the Gantt chart bar will be a lighter green color as shown as 1 in the following figure.
   2. View Auto Schedule mode, shown with an icon task bar in the Task Mode field, no question mark by the duration since it auto calculates, and the Gantt Bar will show a blue color as shown as 2 in the following figure.

Figure 1.6: Manual (1) versus auto (2) mode

2. Use the ribbon on the task tab to switch or change between Manually Schedule and Auto Schedule.
3. Select Task | Auto or Manual on the ribbon (when selecting a task, you will be able to tell which mode it is in by checking the highlighted button).

Figure 1.7: Viewing the task type on ribbon

4. View the New Tasks setting. Right-click on the status bar at the bottom of the task sheet. This will indicate the mode that will be created when creating a new task.

Figure 1.8: New task mode

I would suggest that you change this setting from Manual to Auto in all your projects, which can be done by following these steps:

1. Select File | Options | Schedule.
2. Select All New Projects from the drop-down menu by Scheduling options for this project:.

Figure 1.9: Changing the default setting to auto-scheduled

By making this change, you will not have to change your project to automatic every time you start a new project and/or you won’t have to change individual tasks to use automatic scheduling each time you enter a new task.

In short, use manual scheduling for more control and flexibility, especially in the early stages or for fixed-date tasks. Switch to auto-scheduling for efficiency and accuracy in more complex and well-defined projects.

Ultimately, the choice between manual and auto scheduling depends on the specific needs and stage of the project. Microsoft Project allows you to use both types within the same project, offering flexibility to switch between them as needed.