Set Task Lead and Lag Time in Project – Instructions

Set Task Lead and Lag Time in Project: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Setting Task Lead and Lag Time,” shows how to set task lead or task lag time in Project. This video lesson is from our complete Project tutorial, titled “Mastering Project Made Easy v.2016-2013.

Set Task Lead and Lag Time in Project: Overview

            You can edit relationship links between project file tasks to set task lead and lag time in Project. For example, you could allow a day of lag time to pass between tasks. Alternatively, you could also allow for lead time. This is where you begin working on a second task before completing all the work on a first task. You can edit the duration in the “Predecessors” column of the Gantt Chart view to set task lead and lag time in Project.

            To add lead time, enter the precedent task reference, followed by the abbreviation for the type of link that they share. Then enter the value as a negative value to the precedent task reference. For example, assume you linked tasks 2 and 3 in a project file with a “Finish-to-Start” task relationship. In the “Predecessors” column for task 3, you could then enter “2FS – 2d,” which gives you a two-day lead time on the task. You can either enter a specific value or enter the value as a percentage of the task. For example, entering “2FS – 50%” for task 3 gives you a fifty percent lead time based on the duration of task 2.

Set Task Lead and Lag Time in Project – Instructions: A picture of a user adding lead time to a task in Microsoft Project.

            To enter lag time, enter the precedent task reference, followed by the abbreviation for the type of link they share. Then enter the value as a positive value. For example, assume you linked tasks 2 and 3 in a project file with a “Finish-to-Start” task relationship. If you enter the value of “2FS + 1d” into the “Predecessors” column for task 3, you add one day of lag time to the completion of task 2 before starting task 3. As with lead time, lag time can be entered as either a positive amount or a percentage.

            Alternatively, you can also set task lead and lag time in Project within the “Task Information” dialog box. You can enter it on the “Predecessors” tab in the “Lag” column. In this case, you enter the amount to increase or decrease into the field. Entering a positive value adds lag time and entering a negative value adds lead time.

Set Task Lead and Lag Time in Project: Instructions

1. To set task lead and lag time in Project for a task, edit the value in the cell of the “Predecessors” column for the task in the Gantt Chart view.
2. To add lead time, enter the precedent task reference, followed by the abbreviation for the type of link they share.
3. Then enter the value as a negative value to the precedent task reference.
4. To enter lag time, enter the precedent task reference, followed by the abbreviation for the type of link that they share.
5. Then enter the value as a positive value.
6. Alternatively, you can also set task lead and lag time in Project in the “Task Information” dialog box.
7. Enter the amount to increase or decrease on the “Predecessors” tab in the “Lag” column.
8. Entering a positive value adds lag time and entering a negative value adds lead time.