Endpoints let you show additional dates beyond the standard start, finish, baselines, and deadline. While not commonly used, they are a convenient way to track up to four sets of auxiliary dates in your project plan:
Endpoints are based on dates that are on the same line of your Microsoft Project plan as the main task. In this example, Date1, Date2, Date3, and Date4 are being tracked on the same line as the main task called "My Task":
Endpoints shouldn't be confused with milestones. Milestones are tasks in their own right, and are tracked in their own rows in the Microsoft Project schedule, even if they are eventually rolled up to display in a birds-on-a-wire format in OnePager. Endpoints are never standalone shapes with dates coming from different rows; they will always be attached to a main task.
Defining Endpoints
To turn endpoints on:
- Go to Home > Chart Properties > Task Bars and check the Endpoints box.
- Once turned on, click the Endpoint Properties button.
- You can have up to four endpoints. At the top of the subform, click the dropdown to decide which endpoint you want to define, and then check the Show this endpoint box to turn it on:
- Once turned on, you will want to choose which field should be used for the endpoint, and then customize shapes, colors, and any associated text:
- Repeat this process for Endpoints 2-4, if you need them.
The result should look like this, with the main task bar surrounded by four custom endpoint symbols:
Related Topics
Last Updated: August 12, 2020