Generic Resources included in Availability Metrics

[maryann]

We have created generic resources for each of our
functional areas (i.e. "Server Support"), and have tagged
the Generic Resource with the same Skill (via an
Enterprise Outline Code) that each of the members of that
functional area have tagged to their profiles.

The intent was for Project Managers to populate the plan
with the Generic Resource Names, and then have Resource
Managers use the skill matching functionality to
substitute an actual resource with the Generic Resource
placeholder.

A problem that I have discovered is that the Generic
Resources seem to act as an actual resource in the
Portfolio Analyzer reports, in respect to Availability
metrics. That is, if a functional group has 15 people with
the skill of "Server Support" and we also have a Generic
Resource with the skill of "Server Support", the
Availability data that is displayed for that skill is for
16 people.

As an example scenario, let's suppose that there are two
resources in the Server Support Group, Mark & John. Both
Mark and John have work assigned to them for a given
month, but there is also work assigned to the Generic
Resource that will later be substituted with one of their
names. The report, shown below, makes it appear as if they
are under-allocated (350/495 = 79% allocation), when in
fact they are over-allocated (350/(165*2) = 106%).

Resource Work Availability
Mark 150 165
John 100 165
Server Support 150 165
Total 350 495

Any ideas on corrective steps for this issue?

thanks

 

[Kevin Flanagan]

It is supposed to work this way. This is to allow you to
see what happens when another resource is added to a
project and how it affects the schedule. You need to
create the model and filter out the generic resource and
things should be OK.

 

[paul]

We have taken the approach that all generic resources are
set up with an availability of '0%' (in the resource
pool) - our reports then tell uf of the true upcoming
load for a skill, but the avaiability of true resoruce is
limited to non utlised avaiability of real people.

Cheers

Paul

 

[maryann]

Paul - Great solutions! Thank you, thank you!!

-----Original Message-----
We have taken the approach that all generic resources are
set up with an availability of '0%' (in the resource
pool) - our reports then tell uf of the true upcoming
load for a skill, but the avaiability of true resoruce is
limited to non utlised avaiability of real people.

Cheers

Paul
.