Can't level task hours across multiple months?

[MSProjHelp Needed.]

I have a project setup with Generic resources assigned to the tasks. I have
all tasks set at fixed duration and to start asap. I have the resources set
up with various allocations from 25%-100%. For some reason when I plug in the
tasks, dependencies and resources and then hit level I get overallocation
errors for almost all tasks. I tried taking out the dependencies and that
doesn't help just allocates all hours in the first project month. When
looking at the resource usage by month, it doesn't appear ms project is
spreading the hours evenly. Some resources had 1000 hours in one month. I
have tried changing from fixed duration to fixed units etc. with no luck.

Specifically, The manager resource is set for 50% allocation or 4 hours
daily. when I type a task in for 6 hours shouldn't the task be spread across
2 days and not show as overallocated? It shows 1.5 day duration, but still
shows the resource to be overallocated for that task.

thanks.

 

[German Popken]

hi,

may be caused by task constraints?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Do note that when a resource is allocated to a task for more than its Max
Units, Project cannot level this overallocation (Leveling only postpones
tasks, does not change allocation percentages, NEVER) and what's more stops
working on any day such an essential overallocation occurs.
I suspect you have quite some of these.
If you want to use leveling, never assign a resource for more than its max
units.
Znd attention, when you haev d-fixed duration then reset Work Units may well
go up and thius exceed the maximum.

Maybe you best read FAQs 28 and 34 (URL of faqs in my signature)
HTH

 

[MSProjHelp Needed.]

Hi Jan, Thanks for your response. What I am trying to ultimately do is put
tasks in a project, assign resources, put in estimated hours and let ms
project schedule it out to tell me how long the project should take. I also
added dependencies within the subtasks so they would be planned appropriately
across the months. So if I have a resource that is only working 25% of the
time shouldn't I be able to put that resource by a task that is 8 hours and
then level so the project will schedule the task at 2 hours per day?

thanks so much for your time!

Scott

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

This is EXACTLY what WILL NOT happen at least not through leveling..
If the resoruce has max. units of 25% by all means you have to verify that
its asignment units on any task do not exceed 25%.

When you have fixed duration, and you change Work, Units will adapt and may
well go beyond the max units.
At that point in time you put leveling out of bounds, it will no longer
work.
But I like your basic approach which is to "let Project work it out" but if
that is your aim, why on earth fixed duration??

By all means, look at the asignment units of the tasks and compare to the
max units.
OBTW my advice is to always use 100% for max units but when a guy is 25% on
the project give him a 25% calendar (2hrs per day or 1 day out of 4). That
way you don't have to worry about units and he'll never execed the 25%
limit.

Hope this helps,

 

[Steve House]

50% does not really mean "4 hours daily." It means that for any
duration he works on a task, he only accomplishes 50% of what he'd be
able to do if he gave it his full attention. So "1 day @ 50%" does not
mean he works 4 hours - it means he works 8 hours but only gets 4
man-hours worth of output accomplished.
--
Steve House
MS Project MVP
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs


"MSProjHelp Needed." <MSProjHelp (e-mail address removed)>
wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

 

[MSProjHelp Needed.]

Hi Jan, I have gone through and made all resources 100%. then went through
each resource calendar and changed their working hours to be appropriate
based on their availability. (i.e., 25% etc.) I also when through and changed
all tasks to fixed units rather than duration. If i emailed the plan to you
would you be willing to take a look to see if you can determine why all of
the hours are crammed into the first 7 months of the project when I want them
spread across two years?

Posting your email address is probably not what you want to do, but I have
one I don't mind publishing and if you email me there, I will send it to you.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Feel Free!
JandemesATprom-adeDOTbe

 

[MSProjHelp Needed.]

hi Jan, I just sent the project to your email below. I think I translated it
correct?

(e-mail address removed) (is that right?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Yes but NOW YOU EXPOSED IT!!!!
Do you really, really, want to see me get 50 spam mails a day?
Oh boy, why do you think I use AT rather than @
That is because the spam robots can't read AT
I'm afraid Ishall soon have to kill this address...

I'l lokk at your projast soon as I can

 

[MSProjHelp Needed.]

Jan, I am so sorry. I totally didn't get the purpose.

A hundred apologies..

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi All,

The file sent to me containe many task with assignments whose units exceeded
the max units of the resource, and that is a situation leveling can not
handle, so lots of periods came through unleveled.
HTH