Advanced Multi-Project Resource Availability

[osfo]

In the organization I currently work in, and in organizations prior t
this - I - the project manager will receive a specific percentage of
resource´s time - say 40% for a project.

We have now set up a Resource Pool so that we more easily can estimat
the impact of for instance – adding a new project to our portfolio.

The problem I have comes when resource R1 has been assigned b
management to be working 40% on project P1 and 60% on project P2.
The different projects are managed in separate project files – but th
fact that I share the resource in a resource pool removes th
possibility for me to assign a project specific percentage for her.

Please note that I cannot just assign the Resource 40% or 60% on ever
task of the two projects as leveling will most likely then assign th
resource two tasks in the same project at a given time resulting in he
working 100% in one project which I have not allocation for.

Any help would be greatly appreciated – I find it difficult to believ
that this is a very exotic problem

 

[Dave]

In the organization I currently work in, and in organizations prior to
this - I - the project manager will receive a specific percentage of a
resource´s time - say 40% for a project.

We have now set up a Resource Pool so that we more easily can estimate
the impact of for instance – adding a new project to our portfolio.

The problem I have comes when resource R1 has been assigned by
management to be working 40% on project P1 and 60% on project P2.
The different projects are managed in separate project files – but the
fact that I share the resource in a resource pool removes the
possibility for me to assign a project specific percentage for her.

Please note that I cannot just assign the Resource 40% or 60% on every
task of the two projects as leveling will most likely then assign the
resource two tasks in the same project at a given time resulting in her
working 100% in one project which I have not allocation for.

Any help would be greatly appreciated – I find it difficult to believe
that this is a very exotic problem.

The problem that you have is that Project doesn't know about your
intention to use your resource at the utilisation rates you quote.

You probably need to think about what that really means. For example is
it really the case that your management wouldn't want a resource to be
working at 100% on one of the projects for a short while if that was
more appropriate provided that the average allocation per project
conformed to the 40:60 split?

I think that what I would do is create a temporary dummy task for the
duration of each project and assign the resource to that at the
'prohibited' level of effort (so if I could use them for 40% of the
time, I would assign them to this task 60% of the time).

I could then level each of the projects independently (with a suitably
course level of granularity - either weekly or monthly) without
interference from the other project - for this I would probably
disconnect the plans from the resource pool.

Once complete, I would delete the temporary tasks and reconnect to the
resource pool. This problem is actually quite common and I encounter it
quite a lot.

 

[OFogelberg]

The problem that you have is that Project doesn't know about your
intention to use your resource at the utilisation rates you quote.

You probably need to think about what that really means.  For example is
it really the case that your management wouldn't want a resource to be
working at 100% on one of the projects for a short while if that was
more appropriate provided that the average allocation per project
conformed to the 40:60 split?

I think that what I would do is create a temporary dummy task for the
duration of each project and assign the resource to that at the
'prohibited' level of effort (so if I could use them for 40% of the
time, I would assign them to this task 60% of the time).

I could then level each of the projects independently (with a suitably
course level of granularity - either weekly or monthly) without
interference from the other project - for this I would probably
disconnect the plans from the resource pool.

Once complete, I would delete the temporary tasks and reconnect to the
resource pool.  This problem is actually quite common and I encounter it
quite a lot.

Hi Dave - Thanks for your answer.

Regarding the general question if parting recourses in this way is
optimal I am inclined to agree with you that this may not necessarily
be the case – however organizational structures are what they are and
are not easily changed.

As to the problem…

Adding a dummy task with fixed dates as you suggest could indeed be a
good idea, however if I am going to disconnect from the resource pool
I believe I could might as well just reduce resource availability (max
units) in the individual project files.

Planning with limitations in max units works just fine – right up
until you share the resource. I think that what I would have wanted
was that the Microsoft Project let the resource availability (max
units) value remain in the individual project files even after the
resource has been shared.

Using the solution you suggested I am not quite sure what is gained by
using a resource pool – would not the projects be scheduled
independently if using the scheme you suggested?

I am sitting here trying to figure out if there is anyway I can by
using the Priority Field and scripts affect the leveling in the way I
want

Cheers
Oliver

 

[Dave]

Hi Dave - Thanks for your answer.

Regarding the general question if parting recourses in this way is
optimal I am inclined to agree with you that this may not necessarily
be the case – however organizational structures are what they are and
are not easily changed.

As to the problem…

Adding a dummy task with fixed dates as you suggest could indeed be a
good idea, however if I am going to disconnect from the resource pool
I believe I could might as well just reduce resource availability (max
units) in the individual project files.

Planning with limitations in max units works just fine – right up
until you share the resource. I think that what I would have wanted
was that the Microsoft Project let the resource availability (max
units) value remain in the individual project files even after the
resource has been shared.

Using the solution you suggested I am not quite sure what is gained by
using a resource pool – would not the projects be scheduled
independently if using the scheme you suggested?

I am sitting here trying to figure out if there is anyway I can by
using the Priority Field and scripts affect the leveling in the way I
want

Cheers
Oliver

OK, I haven't tried the following.

Set the priority of all the tasks in one project to a low value - 200 or so.

Reduce the resource availability to 60% or 40% as appropriate for the
other project.

Level to your heart's content.

Set the priority for all the tasks in the now levelled project to 1000
and return the resource's availability to 100%.

Change the priority in the unlevelled project to something useful and
level again.

The advantage of the resource pool is the visibility it gives you of
assignments across the whole organisation.