We get asked from time to time in support how an ‘As soon as possible’ (ASAP) or ‘As late as possible’ (ALAP) setting in start or end of an activity influences its duration. If you are also wondering how Merlin is specified to handle them, you can read here more about it.

Supposedly you manage a project in forwards planning and have at least two activities in it currently. Per default are all activities of a forward planned project set as ASAP. The starting date is not defined for one of the activities, which means that it starts on project’s starting date.

The second activity is either set to start on a later day, or starts at project’s begin but has a longer duration.

If you check the expected start and end dates of the project, you see them filled.

Should you now change the ASAP of the first activity to ALAP, Merlin will spread the activity to end on the project’s expected end.

If you set ALAP for its start as well, it will be pushed to the end of the project’s expected end date and keep its work constrains.

New activities in backwards planned projects  are set ALAP and pushed to the end date of the project. An ASAP start will spread the activity towards the expected start date of the project. An additional ASAP in the end, will push it to the begging while keeping its set work constrains.

Nice and simple, isn’t it?

You may want to check attached screencast