MS Project

[Lakitu]

Any MS Project whizz kids out there?

Scenario is that I have a frame sitting here and there's loads of stuff that needs to be bolted to the frame and then the whole lot gets shipped to Norway.

All the individual components are being procured and they're all on their own purchase orders and lead times.

I've split this stuff down into sub tasks - Procured, Lead time, Delivered. Delivered is dependent on Lead Time, Lead Time is dependent on procured, I've got the 'Delivered' feeding into the assembly of the frame.

As a result, the frame assembly task is not starting until the last of the procured items are with us, but I want to start assembling as soon as the first of all the procured items are here and the duration to last as long as the longest lead time + 5 days extra.

Now, I know all about start-start, finish-finish rules and I have made it ff+5d BUT there's so many different parts being assembled and the lead times almost always slips, so what is the latest procured item today might not be the longest next week - which means my frame assembly task finish date would be incorrect.

How do I tell the frame assembly task to start when the first is in and finish 5 days after the longest lead time, no matter what it is? Or do I just have to accept the fact I'll need to go through my plan every week making sure what I've said is the longest lead is still the case?

Thanks x