Assignment Units Change After Taking Progress - Change Back?

[Mike F]

Background: We are working in a Project 2007 environment. We use Fixed
Units, only 1:1 task-to-resource assignment relationships, and let the task
effort determine our schedule duration and dates. We assign only work in
hours and report progress via actual hours through the task usage sheet. We
assign each resource an Assigned Unit of generally 60%, 75%, or 100% on a per
project/task basis. We re-schedule unfinished work forward each week and
level resources with their appropriate assigned units. We do this in a master
project with selected projects inserted.

Question: After taking progress each week, resources assigned units change
and are displayed along with the resource name for those less than 100%.
Prior to scheduling and leveling for the new week, do we need to re-set each
resource's assigned units back to their desired value for each task for
"remaining work" to be scheduled and leveled forward correctly. Or, is there
a way around having to re-set these each week (prior to schedule and level)?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Fortunately what yoiu see is not always what you get.
Assignment Units display is reset to the highest at any time during the task
but unfinished work is NOT recalculated according to these "new" units. So
don't worry.
UNLESS.. when a task is 100% finished, and you "resurrect" it by adding
remaining work, the latter is rescheduled along tehse "new" units, i.e. the
original units are forgotten.

HTH

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

 

[Mike F]

Thanks for your reply Jan. Just to clarify...
After taking progress and I go to re-scheudle work forward again and level,
where does Project obtain my intended assigned unit value? When I look at
the task information on the resource tab, it lists the new unit value as the
same as the percent displayed next to the resource name. This is why we
continue to change them back. We do not change "Max Units" only "Assigned
Units." I am hoping that we do not need to change these back, but not sure
how project knows the assigned unit percent now.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Franky, I don't know where it is stored, I only see that it still is there
as long as the task hasn't been in a 100% finished state.
Hope this helps,

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

 

[JulieS]

Hi Mike,

The remaining work that you've shifted forward is at it's original
assignment value. Try adding the Peak Units field to the timescaled
(right) side of the Task Usage view to see the highest assignment
units for that resource per day.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[Mike F]

Thank you Jan and Julie for all of your assistance. By adding in the field
"Peak Units" and consequently "% Allocation" to the time scale, I was able to
do some analysis with a test project to understand how project schedules the
work.

One issue left is when all of the remaining hours are used and the task goes
to zero remaining hours...at that point if the PM adds additional remaining
hours, it will use up to the % allocation left for that day...then push any
remaining hours to the next day at the highest peak unit currently displayed.

It seems that a PM adding hours to a zero remaining hours task (effectively
re-opening the task), will need to reset the assignement units to their
desired % at this time (as if it is a new task). Project does not seem to
recognize the previous % allocation set once the task's remaining hours goes
to zero.

I now agree that we do not need to re-set the assignment units each week
prior to scheduling and leveling a project. However, I must find a way to
filter those that are at the undesired assignment unit due to a PM adding
remaining hours.

 

[JulieS]

Hello Mike,

I'm glad you were able to work out the information you needed. As
to the addition of new hours -- yes, you'll either need to monitor
the assignment units for any new work, or instruct your PMs to
increase remaining work as needed before adding Actual Work that
will be greater than or equal to the initial remaining work.

Julie