Resource Work Time

[Sequoia D. Schroeder]

I have a task (Order Equipment) with a duration of 8 weeks
to allow for delivery time. I want to assign a resource
(Buyer) to the task for, say, 1 day at the beginning of
the task, and 1 day at the end of the task. In between
should be "wait time." I would rather have this task be
one task rather than two or three tasks linked together.

I tried adding a resource called "Wait Time" but when I
gave "Buyer" 1 day the Assign Resource dialog, Project
assigned 0.2 hrs each day of the task, and there seems to
be no way to "front load" (or front and back load) the
resources hours on the task.

Is there a way to accomplish this without creating a
separate task for wait time?

Thanks!

- Sequoia

note: e.mail above is closed due to excessive spam/viruses
resulting from posting it to this forum previously.

if you wish to e.mail me

sequoia UNDERSCORE s AT yahoo DOT com

humans can figure that out ... spambots should choke on it.

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

There are two solutions. I prefer:
1. Create a 2d order task then have a milestone called Receive order with a
lag (in your case of 8w). I believe this models reality better, hence my
preference.

2. Assign your buyer and Wait time resource then select Window, Split
Edit the buyer to have just the work for the buying and leave the wait time
for the whole duration.
With the lower screen selected, select Format, Details, Resource Schedule
and you can see the start and finish dates for each assignment.
--
Rod Gill
Project MVP
For Microsoft Project companion projects, best practices and Project VBA
development services
visit www.projectlearning.com/

 

[Dale Howard]

Sequoia --

Rod gave you a couple of good ideas. Another option would be to use the
"split task" capabilities of the software by doing the following:

1. Enter the Duration of the task as 2 days
2. Click the Split Task button on the Standard toolbar
3. On the task's Gantt bar, click (and hold) the special mouse pointer at
the start of the second day and drag the second day portion of the Gantt bar
8 weeks later
4. Assign the resource to the task

Still another option would be to do the following:

1. Enter the Duration of the task as 42 days
2. Select the task, then click Window - Split
3. In the lower viewing pane, set the Task Type as Duration, then click OK
4. Assign the resource to the task at 16 hours of Work (do not enter Units)
and then click OK

Microsoft Project will calculate the Units as 5% on this task assignment.

5. Click Window - Remove Split
6. Apply the Task Usage view
7. In the timephased grid, delete all of the .38 hour assignments for each
day over the life of the task
8. In the timephased grid, enter 8 hours on the first day of the assignment
9. In the timephased grid, enter 8 hours on the last day of the assignment

This will create a Contoured work pattern on this task assignment, and will
mimic what you want. It will also create the equivalent for the first
option I presented to you, with the split task. Hope these additional ideas
help.

 

[Sequoia D. Schroeder]

Thank you both very much. Although Rod's first solution is
probably most "real", Dale's 2nd will make the schedule
look most like the Construction Project Manager wants to
see (I'm just a flunky entering data & trying to make
different programs produce the output that other folks
want!).

- Sequoia

-------
note: e.mail above is closed due to excessive spam/viruses
resulting from posting it to this forum previously.

if you wish to e.mail me
sequoia UNDERSCORE s AT yahoo DOT com
humans can figure that out ... spambots should choke on it.

 

[Trevor Rabey]

My vote goes with the method which is:

order (1 hour)
lag X days
deliver/receive (1 hour)

It is a good, clean model of reality. split tasks can be confusing.
Your boss is, how to put this politely, dead wrong.
The idea that you are being asked to produce something which looks a certain
way by someone who has no idea how to use the tool is repellant.