Unable to Integrate Scheduled Overtime in Project Plan

[Scott F]

My work includes planning turnaround maintenance in a Chemical Manufacturing
plant. The operations people work 12 hour shifts (24/7/365). They have a 28
day cycle with 4 distinct shifts that cover a 28 day revolving cycle. I've
created separate calendars for each shift.
When we undergo maintenance turnarounds, many of the people work during
their non-working time, which is paid at an overtime rate (...along with
those working their regular working time).
When assigning resources to tasks, I was hoping that if a resource was
scheduled to work on an assigned task during the non-working period of their
resource calendar, that the overtime rate would be applied. Instead it moved
the task to their first working day. I then checked the "Ignore Resource
Calendar" Checkbox, which moved the task back to the scheduled time, but the
overtime rate wasn't applied.
Looking through the task usaage table, I added the Overtime work field and
updated the hours to show the work as overtime. This reduced the duration of
the task to a zero duration however. From a scheduling standpoint, this is
not what I want to see. Even though the task is OT, I need the duration to be
the same so the overall planned timeline is correct.
Ideally, it would be perfect if when assigning the resource, a checkbox
would beome enabled to allow the overtime rate be applied without reducing
task duration. I still want the task to be effort driven...it's just that
some resources will be paid overtime because they're working on their
scheduled day off.
Does anyone have experience in setting up Project to accomodate this kind of
scenario?

Thanks
Scott

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Project assumes you are going to reserve overtime to get you out of a bind.
Generally speaking, you should not count on overtime when developing your
schedules - since it's usually optional on the part of the employee and
illegal to penalize someone for turning it down, if you count on it to meet
your deadlines sooner or later you're going to be in a real hole where
you've assumed a willingness to work overtime in order to make the required
schedule yet no one turns out is willing to work it. Now you're stuck and
the project will miss the deadlines you've committed to and there's nothing
you can do about it.

That being said, regular resource assignments are ALWAYS scheduled in the
working hours defined by the resource's calendar and such hours are costed
at the standard rate. Overtime is defined as work performed outside of the
work hours defined in the resource's calendar. To assign overtime work
hours to a resource, the easiest way is to split the screen in the Gantt
chart view. Select the task where you want overtime assigned and format the
bottom window to show Resource Work. There's a column there for Overtime
Work and you'd enter the number of hours out of the total hours required
that you want the resource to work in overtime. If we start with a 5-day,
40 man-hour task using a resource who works an 8 hour day and enter 8 hours
in the OT Work column, that means over the course of the task you expect the
resource to put in a total of 8 of his hours in OT. Since duration is based
on calendar working hours only, the work will remain at 40 man-hours,
duration drops from 5 days to 4 days (40 - 8 hours to be worked in regular
schedule, duration 32 hours /8 hours per day), cost becomes 32 hr*std rate +
8 hr*OT rate. Note that nothing shows what hours out of the daty those OT
hours will be done or how they will be distributed over the course of the
task - Project assumes a straightline distribution but doesn't really care
if he does 2 hours a day OT for 4 days or 2 days with 4 hours OT each or all
8 hours OT on just one day. All that matters is that out of the 40 required
hours, a total of 8 will be done sometime outside of regular working hours.

 

[Dennis]

Steve - referring to the Overtime Column " Select the task where you want
overtime assigned and format the bottom window to show Resource Work.
There's a column there for Overtime Work and you'd enter the number of hours
out of the total hours required ..."
"Where is that overtime column? I can not seem to locate it. I am new to
Project and any help will be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Did you split the screen in the Gantt chart? (In the menu choose Window,
Split) When you do, the bottom window shows a Task Form view with details
about the task currently selected in the top window. Right mouse clicking
on it allows you to change it to see various tables, one of which is
Resource Work. That table shows Overtime Work among its several columns.
There are other places it can be seen as well but that's the most
straightforward.

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

 

[Dennis]

This worked great! Exactly what I needed! Thanks for the help

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Glad to be of help. Remember that the task duration is based on
Work-OTWork. If Joe works an 8 hour day calendar and is assigned to a task
with and initial duration estimate of 5 days he will do 40 hours of work.
Now you assign him to do 8 hours of OT over the course of the task using
that screen. It will still show 40 hours in the Work column as this
represents the total of both straight time and overtime and 8 hours in the
OT column. This implies he will now do 32 in regular time as defined by his
work calendar (though you don't see the number 32 anywhere) plus 8 hours in
overtime, outside his regular work hours at some unspecified time. Duration
will be based ONLY on the portion worked on the regular working time
calendar so the duration will read 32 hours, or 4 days. Cost is 32* std
rate plus 8*ot rate.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs