Overtime Work in Project 2003 Standard

[Brad Martin]

Hello,

I want to schedule overtime specifcally for an assignment and specify
overtime hours for a given day, but Project only allows the allocation of
overtime hours by task. This is inconsistent with normal PM requirements
whereby the need to specifiy how many hours of overtime on a day by day
basis could be allowed should be specified by the project manager.
Currently Overtime hours are spread over the duration of the task. This is
very frustrating I want to enter the number of overtime hours that I want MY
resource to work on a specifc day, but Project just won't let me do this.

What I am doing wrong ?

Thanks

Brad

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Hello Brad,

To do what you want, you have to enter Overtime work in the Resource Usage
view, where you'll insert the Overtime Work or the Actual Overtime work
field : right click on a yellow cell and Detail Styles...

Gérard Ducouret

PragmaSoft ®

 

[Brad Martin]

Hi Gérard,

That's just it. - I can't do that - Project 2003 Standard won't let me
enter values into the Overtime field. I can enter actual overtime values
into Actual Overtime Work once the work has been completed but I can't enter
values (for planning purposes) into the Overtime Work timescaled fields.

You mentioned in your e-mail that I shoudl be able to enter values into the
Overtime Work fields in the Resource usage view - but I am unable to do so.
Is there a switch or something that I am missing ?

Maybe I am doing something wrong ?

Thanks

Brad

 

[Steve House]

As you point out, you can assign the overtime by splitting the screen and
entering the total value of overtime the resource is to put in on the task
there. Project does distribute it evenly over the task as you can see if
you look in the Resource Usage view and you can't edit the individual days.
I wonder - if you need Wally to work 8 hours overtime to get the task done
in 4 days instead of 5, does it really matter if he works 2 hours a day or
puts in 3 hours OT on day 1, 3 hours the next, and 2 hours the next? As
long as the task is done by the deadline, let him manage his own workday.
Heck, let him work the entire 8 OT hours on the first day if he wants to -
what difference does it make to us?

By the way, scheduling OT is generally not a good idea when building a
project plan. IMHO, OT is there as an emergency measure, a fall-back option
to use to fix it when things go wrong and the schedule slips. If you build
it into the plan from the getgo, you already used up all your reserves
before you actually needed to tap them. Plus in most organizations OT is
discretionary - what happens to your plan if meeting your deadline is
contingent on Wally putting in 8 hours OT next week and he turns you down at
the last minute because his spouse insists he spend more time at home? If
you can't get the project done in time to meet your business objectives
without working your resources OT, you're far better off if you can obtain
more resources. I know this doesn't resolve your desire to input planned OT
on a day-by-day basis but sometimes problems simply go away when you look at
them with a fresh perspective. <g>