General / Resource scheduling

[newuser1986]

Can anyone tell me whether Microsoft Project has the capability to
provide a solution to my scheduling needs. Effectively what I am trying
to do is use Microsoft Project as a scheduling tool - i.e. resource
planning tool - rather than for 'a project'.

I need to plan hundreds of 'courses' throughout the year, which require
several different types of resource, such as people, classrooms,
machinery etc. (ideally this would be programmed, so that when a
particular course is chosen, the relevant resource requirements are
displayed - which would then allow me to allocate them)

I need Project to prevent me from 'double booking' any of the
resources.

If it can achieve this - what kind of front end would I be working
with? (users would not be geared up to scroll hundreds or thousands of
lines)

Any feedback would be brilliant, as I have never used Project before.

 

[Rob Schneider]

It doesn't feel like Project would be a wise choice, because:-

: you aren't really computing anything. Project is basically a bespoke
calculate, with a specialised user front end and back end database for
doing project calculations and data management.
: Project won't normally prevent your overallocation of resources
(double-booking). It will tell you, but leave it to you to resolve
: I doubt your user will know how to use Project, and hence they
probably won't be able to do whatever it is you ask them to do.
: It could get quite expensive buying a license for each of the many
users(?)

My understanding is that there are a lot of applications available to do
pretty much exactly what you are trying to do ... some free, some open
source, some propriatary, some not free, some integrate with Outlook,
and some integrate with other "enterprise" tools.

(Project could be good to plan/model/track the "project" you have in
front of you to design, build, and implement a "Course Planning/Tracking
System". But you should spend some time learning Project and preferably
get some training or at minimum a very good book or two.)

--rms

www.rmschneider.com