project scheduling

[ss]

I'm currently using project 2003. I have been trying to keep up with
multiple job contracts with a field crew assigned to each. This is done
primarily for daily/weekly scheduling to know what day any crew will complete
or end a contracted project.
the problem is that any given day a crew might have to be pulled from one
job to do something on another and then go back to the first job. this
happens frequently. Splitting tasks has not helped me in this area.
I have taught myself the basics through trial and error. not sure if this
software works in this manner or not. any suggestions?
My goal is to be able track and compare contract fees with actual cost of
field time.

 

[Rod Gill]

Start using Excel to get a feel for the level of detail you need and
progress updating and add in a bit of old fashioned time management. By
chopping and changing between jobs you are probably adding 30% to your
workloads, so no amount of scheduling is going to make things easier.

For reading, the lean construction organisation uses agile methods to reduce
construction labour costs by 30%. See http://www.leanconstruction.org/

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

Project VBA Book, for details visit:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

NEW!! Web based VBA training course delivered by me. For details visit:
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/index.aspx

 

[ss]

thanks for your response. At the moment I'm using MSP for simplifying field
crew work schedules and assignments. Mostly for visual purposes. I like how
it links predecessors to upcoming jobs. Eventually I will get in to the deep
guts of the program, but for now simple is better.
Is MSP meant to organize multiple tasks and asignments for one large job at
a time?
or
Am I correct in using one document to enter different contract jobs for
scheduling?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Maybe it was MEANT for tasks and resoruces ina single project, but it also
dopes a great job for multiple smaller "projects"
HTH

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[ss]

i really like the links to predecessor. If MOP is intended for one large
project organization. Can multiple projects be linked together in some way?
If so, will this enable the user to see a timeline and link to predecessors
similar to the gnant chart, but with other projects?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Yes.
You can put all projects in a single file (if there's only one owner who
needs R/W access for instance) or put the projects in different files.
In that case, there are two ways to "consolidate" the files: just insert
them in a common Gantt Chart (and yes, you can have links between tasks of
different projects) and/or use a resoruce pool, in which case you can also
see and handle the load of each resource even if they appear in multiple
files.

Hope this helps,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[ss]

The other problem that keeps occuring are daily resource changes for
projects. one crew will be assigned to a project but different crew members
will be alternated, due to no shows, sick, etc. a lot of leveling errors
occur because of this.
how do you make msp work on a daily basis with multiple projects instead of
the entire duration of a certail project?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

It does work on a daily basis, or rather, it works on a minute by minute
basis.
Leveling error massages generally stem from assigning a resource to a task
for more than its max units.
Modifying assignments alone do NOT generate leveling problems
The problems you see can just as well happen in lmarge projects, nothing to
do with multiple small.

Hope this helps,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf