Assignment units change after entering actual work

[Gil]

Hi,
Sometime entering actual work for an assignment, changes the
assignment units in the gantt chart to look like DEVELOPER[300%] or
DEVELOPER[25%] even though the original assignment was the default
100%.
I have found some post about this issue, but with no explanation for
the reasoning or a solution.
I am bothered by this behavior because before I can level resources I
need to go through the entire plan, search for this issue and change
it back to the original assignment units.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Gil

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Gil,
When you assign a resource to a task, Project spreads the work evenly on the
task duration.
If you enter actuals on a day by day basis, the work profile is no longer
uniform. Then, the assignments units that Project displays is only the peak
units along the task duration.
another clue : If a task type is Fixed Duration and Effort driven. the
resource was expected to work 8h/day. But the ressource worked only 3h each
day during the 2 first thirds of the task duration : Project will pack down
the remaining work on the last third of the task, and the peak units can
reach something like 300%

Hope this helps,

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Dave]

Hi,
Sometime entering actual work for an assignment, changes the
assignment units in the gantt chart to look like DEVELOPER[300%] or
DEVELOPER[25%] even though the original assignment was the default
100%.
I have found some post about this issue, but with no explanation for
the reasoning or a solution.
I am bothered by this behavior because before I can level resources I
need to go through the entire plan, search for this issue and change
it back to the original assignment units.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Gil

The units shown in the Gantt chart do not reflect the distribution of
effort across the task. Rather it displays the highest usage rate of
the resource. As a result of that, you may find that you don't have a
problem at all and can can still level. This behaviour is undoubtedly
confusing.

 

[גיל]

Thanks Gerard and Dave,
In few ocations, if I tried to level resources without "fixing" the
assignment unit field, I got an error message claiming the resources can not
be leveled since the assignment units were higher than the max units. After
changing it back to 100% everywere, leveling worked.
At least I am not alone thinking it is very confusing...

Hi,
Sometime entering actual work for an assignment, changes the
assignment units in the gantt chart to look like DEVELOPER[300%] or
DEVELOPER[25%] even though the original assignment was the default
100%.
I have found some post about this issue, but with no explanation for
the reasoning or a solution.
I am bothered by this behavior because before I can level resources I
need to go through the entire plan, search for this issue and change
it back to the original assignment units.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Gil

The units shown in the Gantt chart do not reflect the distribution of
effort across the task. Rather it displays the highest usage rate of
the resource. As a result of that, you may find that you don't have a
problem at all and can can still level. This behaviour is undoubtedly
confusing.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Let me point out what these rare occasions are, so you can avoid them.
First, avoid fixed duration, it will squeeze teh remaining work into the
remaining duration and possibly create huge units.
Second, when a task is 100% finished and it is later woken from teh dead by
adding remaining work, the latter will be scheduled with the updated
durations from actual work causing trouble with leveling.

In other case indeed, no need to upfdate units on remaining work.
HTH

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

Thanks Gerard and Dave,
In few ocations, if I tried to level resources without "fixing" the
assignment unit field, I got an error message claiming the resources can
not
be leveled since the assignment units were higher than the max units.
After
changing it back to 100% everywere, leveling worked.
At least I am not alone thinking it is very confusing...

Hi,
Sometime entering actual work for an assignment, changes the
assignment units in the gantt chart to look like DEVELOPER[300%] or
DEVELOPER[25%] even though the original assignment was the default
100%.
I have found some post about this issue, but with no explanation for
the reasoning or a solution.
I am bothered by this behavior because before I can level resources I
need to go through the entire plan, search for this issue and change
it back to the original assignment units.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Gil

The units shown in the Gantt chart do not reflect the distribution of
effort across the task. Rather it displays the highest usage rate of
the resource. As a result of that, you may find that you don't have a
problem at all and can can still level. This behaviour is undoubtedly
confusing.

 

[גיל]

Thanks, that helps.
Gil

Hi,

Let me point out what these rare occasions are, so you can avoid them.
First, avoid fixed duration, it will squeeze teh remaining work into the
remaining duration and possibly create huge units.
Second, when a task is 100% finished and it is later woken from teh dead by
adding remaining work, the latter will be scheduled with the updated
durations from actual work causing trouble with leveling.

In other case indeed, no need to upfdate units on remaining work.
HTH

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

Thanks Gerard and Dave,
In few ocations, if I tried to level resources without "fixing" the
assignment unit field, I got an error message claiming the resources can
not
be leveled since the assignment units were higher than the max units.
After
changing it back to 100% everywere, leveling worked.
At least I am not alone thinking it is very confusing...

Gil wrote:
Hi,
Sometime entering actual work for an assignment, changes the
assignment units in the gantt chart to look like DEVELOPER[300%] or
DEVELOPER[25%] even though the original assignment was the default
100%.
I have found some post about this issue, but with no explanation for
the reasoning or a solution.
I am bothered by this behavior because before I can level resources I
need to go through the entire plan, search for this issue and change
it back to the original assignment units.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Gil

The units shown in the Gantt chart do not reflect the distribution of
effort across the task. Rather it displays the highest usage rate of
the resource. As a result of that, you may find that you don't have a
problem at all and can can still level. This behaviour is undoubtedly
confusing.