mobile-logo

Constraining Milestones

A [anchor]constraint[/anchor] is a way to restrict the range that an object may move in time. If an object has been constrained, any attempt to move it beyond its constraint date will be prevented. Constraints are represented by exclamation marks to the left or the right of the date they’re constraining.

NetPoint supports two types of constraints: a no-earlier-than (NET) constraint, also called a start-no-earlier than (SNE) constraint, which defines the earliest date an object may backslide in time; and a no-later-than (NLT) constraint, also called a finish-no-later than (FNL) constraint, which defines the latest date an object may slide forward in time. In the case of milestones and benchmarks, no-earlier-than constraints are applied to start types and no-later-than constraints are applied to finish types. To set constraints for more than one activity or milestone at the same time, see [bookmark postid=”8278″ anchor=”multiple-objects”]Bulk-Editing Objects[/bookmark].

Tip: Instead of constraining a milestone, consider using a benchmark. Benchmarks are constrained to the date that they’re set at and allow negative-gap to measure movement beyond the set date.

NOTE: If a milestone is constrained to a non-working day based on its calendar, it may be subject to having extra float or drift that can never be zeroed out. For example, a start milestone whose earliest successor starts on Monday but whose no-later-than constraint is set to Saturday will be forced to start on Friday and have one day of float even though it’s snapped.

[anchor]Steps[/anchor]

  1. With the Select Tool Select Tool Icon chosen in the toolbar, double-click the desired milestone, or right-click it and choose Properties.
  2. To apply a NET constraint, check the box next to Finish no earlier than (or Start no earlier than for a start milestone). The constraint will default to the current date.
  3. To apply a NLT constraint, check the box next to Finish no later than (or Start no later than for a start milestone). The constraint will default to the current date.
  4. To change the constraint date, enter a new value or click the down arrow button. Selecting a date on the calendar closes the graphic calendar picker.
  5. When finished, click OK to exit the window and apply the constraint. An exclamation mark will show up where the constraint was applied.