Constraining Milestones
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.
- With the Select Tool
chosen in the toolbar, double-click the desired milestone, or right-click it and choose - 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- When finished, click OK to exit the window and apply the constraint. An exclamation mark will show up where the constraint was applied.