Scheduling plays a critical role in effectively managing your projects in KTern. Understanding the distinction between manual and automatic scheduling simplifies your workflow and helps you stay organized. 

Advantages

• Complete control over task scheduling.
• Flexibility to manage each task according to your preferences.

Example: Imagine you have a project starting on March 1st, and you manually schedule a task called "Prepare Budget" to start on March 5th instead of the project start date. You decide the task duration is 10 days, so the task ends on March 15th. With manual scheduling, these dates remain fixed unless you manually update them.

Scenarios

• Auto Scheduling to Manual Scheduling:
  To switch from auto scheduling to manual scheduling, enable the checkbox as shown in the image. You can use the global enable/disable button for all tasks.

  When switching from auto scheduling to manual scheduling, the existing dates persist. You can then modify and save these dates as needed.

• Manual Scheduling to Auto Scheduling:
  To switch from manual scheduling to auto scheduling, disable the checkbox for the concerned tasks as shown in the image. You can use the global enable/disable button for all tasks.
  Keep in mind that when doing this, all the task's planned start dates will be set to the earliest date within the project or wave (as per the project plan structure), and the planned end date will be modified according to the task duration. It is recommended not to perform this action in bulk.

Switching from manual to auto scheduling resets the dates to the earliest possible date within the phase or work package, as determined by the project plan structure. If these dates do not work, you can update child task dates, which will automatically roll up to parent tasks. You can then modify and save these dates as needed.

Advantages

• Saves time by automatically planning the entire project.
• Ensures that tasks align with dependencies and project timelines.
• Adjusts schedules dynamically when dependencies or durations change.
• Dates roll up from child tasks to parent tasks.

Example: Consider a project with three tasks:

• Task 1: "Design Prototype" (3 days)
• Task 2: "Review Prototype" (2 days, dependent on Task 1)
• Task 3: "Finalize Design" (4 days, dependent on Task 2)
  
  

With automatic scheduling, KTern ensures that Task 2 begins immediately after Task 1 and Task 3 follows Task 2. If the project starts on February 1st, Task 1 ends on February 3rd, Task 2 runs from February 4th to 5th, and Task 3 runs from February 6th to 9th. If a dependency changes, such as extending Task 1 to 5 days, KTern automatically shifts Task 2 to start on February 6th and Task 3 to February 8th, maintaining alignment.

1. Manual scheduling is ideal when you need granular control over specific tasks or when dealing with unpredictable variables. Best for flexibility and custom workflows.
   
   
2. Auto scheduling, on the other hand, streamlines project timelines and manages dependencies efficiently. Ideal for efficiency and consistency.
   
   
3. KTern allows you to toggle between these modes seamlessly, ensuring that your project remains both efficient and flexible.
   
   

Understanding these modes helps you choose the right approach for your project’s needs, ensuring timely and accurate task management.