Resource overallocated

[Microsoft Communities]

Hi all,

I use MSP 2003 Pro.
I set a resource work 8h/day, so if I assign to a resource > 8h/day, I see
that day mark Red color in Resource Usage (or Task usage).
Sometime, I assign to a resource only 7h/day, I see Red color too. Resource
Unit is 100%, automatic Resource Leveling is turned off.

How to solve it?

Thanks

 

[Dave]

You need to look at the resource usage view to see where the resource is
allocated. It may be that they are working on two tasks simultaneously
(you may have to expand the timescale to see this).

Is there a yellow diamond stating that you need to level? Also, you
should make sure that the levelling granularity settings are set to a
reasonable interval for your work (week-by-week is good in most instances).

This aspect of Project can be a little confusing because a resource can
be overallocated on the plan (in that they are doing two things
simultaneously) yet there is spare capacity in the day which would allow
them to de-conflict the calls on their time. So in short, the resource
being shown in red may not be a problem.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

It is only an approximation to think of the resource percent allocation as
the percent of their workday spent on a task. Allocations are viewed on a
minute by minute basis throughout the day. If you have Bill who works an
8-hour day assigned to a task that takes his full attention starting at 8am
and ending at 12 noon, he is not assigned 50%. Instead he is assigned 100%
on a task that lasts 4 hours. If he was 50% the task would last all day,
taking 8 hours to get done the work he could have done in 4 hours if he'd
paid closer attention to it. When you look at overallocations, the times of
the tasks in conflict becomes a critical issue. For example I have a file
where resource Betty works an 8-hour day and has a maximum allocation of
100% - she works 8 hours a day and I can use her for all 8 of them. On a
certain day I have her assigned to two tasks, one lasting 4 hours and the
other 2 hours. Yet her name shows up in red and the Summary page view of
the Resource Sheet says she's working 200%. How could that be? Four hours
plus 2 hours is 6 hours assigned and she works 8. 6/8 is 75%, not 200%!
The explanation is I left out vitals details about the two tasks in
question. One is a task that is scheduled from 8am to 12noon. The other is
a staff meeting scheduled for 8am to 10am. Even though when viewed as a
daily average she's indeed only working 75% on the man-hours she could be
used, between the hours of 8am and 10am she's scheduled to be in two places
at once and her allocation for those 2 hours is 200%. The fix is to use
resource leveling to shift the 4-hour task (we can't reschedule the staff
meeting aorund her conveniance) so it starts at 10am instread of 8am.

Assignment percentage is often described at the percent of a resource's
workday spent on a task while maximum allocation is the percent of the
resource's workday you can use them in total. I find that misleading. What
assignment percentage REALLY is, is the rate at which the resource converts
time spent on a task into Full Time Equivalent (FTE) work output. If Joe is
assigned 50% to a 1 day task starting at 8am, that task lasts the full 8
hour workday from start 'til it's done at 5pm but it could have been done in
4 hours if Joe had been able to devote his full energy to it. It has taken
him 8 hours to do 4 hours worth of FTE work. Had you been able to clear
away his distractions so he could give you 100%, he COULD have gotten it
finished by noon.

HTH

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Read FAQ 34 at http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm
Greetings,

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

 

[Microsoft Communities]

Thanks, your support info is useful

It is only an approximation to think of the resource percent allocation as
the percent of their workday spent on a task. Allocations are viewed on a
minute by minute basis throughout the day. If you have Bill who works an
8-hour day assigned to a task that takes his full attention starting at
8am and ending at 12 noon, he is not assigned 50%. Instead he is assigned
100% on a task that lasts 4 hours. If he was 50% the task would last all
day, taking 8 hours to get done the work he could have done in 4 hours if
he'd paid closer attention to it. When you look at overallocations, the
times of the tasks in conflict becomes a critical issue. For example I
have a file where resource Betty works an 8-hour day and has a maximum
allocation of 100% - she works 8 hours a day and I can use her for all 8
of them. On a certain day I have her assigned to two tasks, one lasting 4
hours and the other 2 hours. Yet her name shows up in red and the Summary
page view of the Resource Sheet says she's working 200%. How could that
be? Four hours plus 2 hours is 6 hours assigned and she works 8. 6/8 is
75%, not 200%! The explanation is I left out vitals details about the two
tasks in question. One is a task that is scheduled from 8am to 12noon.
The other is a staff meeting scheduled for 8am to 10am. Even though when
viewed as a daily average she's indeed only working 75% on the man-hours
she could be used, between the hours of 8am and 10am she's scheduled to be
in two places at once and her allocation for those 2 hours is 200%. The
fix is to use resource leveling to shift the 4-hour task (we can't
reschedule the staff meeting aorund her conveniance) so it starts at 10am
instread of 8am.

Assignment percentage is often described at the percent of a resource's
workday spent on a task while maximum allocation is the percent of the
resource's workday you can use them in total. I find that misleading.
What assignment percentage REALLY is, is the rate at which the resource
converts time spent on a task into Full Time Equivalent (FTE) work output.
If Joe is assigned 50% to a 1 day task starting at 8am, that task lasts
the full 8 hour workday from start 'til it's done at 5pm but it could have
been done in 4 hours if Joe had been able to devote his full energy to it.
It has taken him 8 hours to do 4 hours worth of FTE work. Had you been
able to clear away his distractions so he could give you 100%, he COULD
have gotten it finished by noon.

HTH


--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Hi all,

I use MSP 2003 Pro.
I set a resource work 8h/day, so if I assign to a resource > 8h/day, I
see that day mark Red color in Resource Usage (or Task usage).
Sometime, I assign to a resource only 7h/day, I see Red color too.
Resource Unit is 100%, automatic Resource Leveling is turned off.

How to solve it?

Thanks

 

[ajaysku]

Hi Dave,
You mentioned in your reply that "is there a yellow diamond ...?" Wher
does this yellow diamond appears, please tell exactly whcih screen.

Thanks and Regards
Aja

 

[Dave]

Hi Dave,
You mentioned in your reply that "is there a yellow diamond ...?" Where
does this yellow diamond appears, please tell exactly whcih screen.

Thanks and Regards
Ajay

Typically in the "Indicators" column of the Resource Usage or Resource
Sheet views.

 

[ajaysku]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your help, I could see the yellow diamond.

Thanks
Aja