Level Resource But Keep Tasks Grouped

[Scott Diamond]

I wonder if anyone can provide assistance on constraining leveling. I want
MS-Project to level my tasks but I'd like for sub-projects to remain grouped
and not be split up. An example may make this clearer.



I'm starting with two tasks pertaining to testing at labs out of state:



Testing in LA---------------

LA Task1 - Joe

LA Task2 - Joe





Testing in Alaska------------

AK Task1 - Joe

AK Task2 - Joe







What I would like is for MS-Project to keep the projects grouped. For
example one could schedule testing in LA before testing in Alaska (but I
want Project to best determine the order). I'd like leveling to produce a
result like:



Testing in LA---------------

LA Task1 - Joe

LA Task2 - Joe





Testing in Alaska-----------

AK Task1 - Joe

AK Task2 - Joe







When I tell Project to level it doesn't work. I end up with scenarios like
that shown below. This is clearly not feasible because Joe cannot instantly
hop from LA to Alaska and I have to reserve lab time in a block.



Testing in LA-----------------------------------------

LA Task1 - Joe

LA Task2 - Joe





Testing in Alaska------------

AK Task1 - Joe

AK Task2 - Joe





I've tried the obvious setting in the level resource dialog box but it will
not do what I want. I could of course go in and set the priority of one set
of tasks higher than another or I could make explicit links but that is
pretty much manual leveling which I do not want to use.



Thanks for any advice. If it matters I'm using MS-Project 2003 SP2



-Scott

 

[Scott Diamond]

I think I mentioned this in my original post. Isn't this really the same as
leveling manually? If I'm going to assign all the tasks relative priority I
might as well just turn off leveling and link them. Is there something I'm
missing?

 

[davegb]

I think I mentioned this in my original post. Isn't this really the same as
leveling manually? If I'm going to assign all the tasks relative priority I
might as well just turn off leveling and link them. Is there something I'm
missing?






- Show quoted text -

You're missing the fact that if you insert links instead of using
leveling priorities, when the schedule changes, and they always do,
you'll have false links in your schedule which may throw things off.
If you just remove the leveling and relevel, you'll have your updated
schedule without having to remove and re-insert more false links.
Project can't possibly know what your priorities are unless you tell
it. Once you've set your leveling priorities, they're set for the
duration of the project unless, of course, you decide to change them.

Hope this helps in your world.

 

[JulieS]

Scott,

To add to Trevor and Dave's comments, if you are using a master
project with both the LA project and AK project inserted, you may set
a project level priority in the Project Information dialog box.
Project level priority supersedes task level priority.

Julie