Resource Over-allocation/Leveling

[Robin Roe]

Hi

I have two related questions. Using Project 2003 with Fixed Duration and non
Effort Driven

1. I have two tasks (A and B) both of 5 days duration, that overlap by one
day. Task A starts Monday 1st and finishes Friday 5th at 5PM. Task B starts
Friday 5th at 8AM. Both have Resource X assigned at 75%. Project correctly
informs me that Resource X is over allocated on Friday 5th at 150%. (Other
resources are also allocated but are not over allocated) Is there a setting
in Project to only show over allocation when a resource exceeds say their
weekly number of hours? So in the case above Resource X would not show over
allocation as they would only be doing 36hrs (6 + 6 + 6 +6 + 12) from a
possible 40.

2. Following on from the above scenario, how can project automatically
resource level the above without letting it shift the dates on the task.
Typically it moves the start of task B to the following Monday. I would like
it to amend the assignment hrs so that it shows Resource X working 8hrs on
Friday 5th and redistributes the extra 4 hours (12-8) across the other 4
days on each task, in which case each task would have the following hrs
7,7,7,7,4. Have tried using the ‘Leveling can adjust individual assignments
on Tasks’ but it doesn’t seem to do anything. I have also ticked the Level
only within available slack’

While I understand why project wants to show every minute of over
allocation, clients sometimes are a little less clear on what it means.

Thanks for any help

 

[Rod Gill]

No. There are probably a dozen ways of resolving this over-allocation and
project is only programmed to use one or two simple options. if you entered
enough information for Project to work out your solution, it would be
quicker to resolve the issue manually. In your case I would decide that I
can get the resource to work extra that Friday so the over-allocation is not
a problem and just ignore it. If you want really want to level the schedule
then edit a Usage View manually.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Dave]

In response to question 1, it does show that but it isn't entirely
intuitive. the best you can do is set the granularity in which you are
interested in from the Levelling Dialogue (Tools/Level Resources). This
allows you to specify a week-by-week, day-by-day level of granularity.

Unfortunately, the visibility of the effects of this are not entirely
transparent. If you have a problem, then a little yellow diamond
appears in the info column in the resource usage view for example. If
you don't have a problem then the resource name remains in red if there
is a problem at a lower level of granularity.

In response to question 2, Project doesn't do this. You have to do it.

Adjusting individual assignments doesn't do what it sounds like. It
means that if you have two resources on a task, then it could schedule
one resource to complete their work this week and the second in two
months time for example. It essentially decouples the need for the
resources to accomplish their elements of work in the same time period
(almost as though the task had been broken out into two).

 

[Robin Roe]

Thanks for an excellent answer.
--
Robin

In response to question 1, it does show that but it isn't entirely
intuitive. the best you can do is set the granularity in which you are
interested in from the Levelling Dialogue (Tools/Level Resources). This
allows you to specify a week-by-week, day-by-day level of granularity.

Unfortunately, the visibility of the effects of this are not entirely
transparent. If you have a problem, then a little yellow diamond
appears in the info column in the resource usage view for example. If
you don't have a problem then the resource name remains in red if there
is a problem at a lower level of granularity.

In response to question 2, Project doesn't do this. You have to do it.

Adjusting individual assignments doesn't do what it sounds like. It
means that if you have two resources on a task, then it could schedule
one resource to complete their work this week and the second in two
months time for example. It essentially decouples the need for the
resources to accomplish their elements of work in the same time period
(almost as though the task had been broken out into two).