Are fixed units really fixed?

[Dan Haydon]

Hi all,

Our shop uses MSPS which is integrated with MOSS. If I set a task to Fixed
Units (a % of total resource utilization across all PM's), then the resource
updates their time in MOSS and then I accept the time against the schedule,
the resources utilization on the task moves from the original % designation.
Shouldn't the other variables change and leave the Units fixed, as designated?

Also, using server is there a way to set the resource allocation at the
project level instead of the task level? When I go to enter at the project
level I get a message saying something to the effect that it will be
overridden by the global %'s.

Thanks!

Dan

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

The answer is "no" to your first question. When you assign a resource to a
task initially, the Units value you see to the right of the resource's name
in the Gantt Chart view represents the initial assignment Units. However,
when the assigned resource submits a task update on that task, the Units
value changed to a value known as Peak Units. The Peak Units represents the
largest amount of assigned Work, Actual Work, or Remaining work in any time
period over the Duration of the task. Suppose I assign Mickey Cobb to a
task at 100% Units. The system assigns Mickey to work 8 hours each day over
the life of the task. So, her initial Units value is 100%. When Mickey
reports her progress, she reports that she worked 12 hours the first day.
At this point, her Peak Units value is now 150% (12 hours/8 hours = 150%).
As a consequence, the Work will not change, but the Duration might change in
response to the task update.

The answer is "no" to your second question as well. In Project Server 2007,
it is not possible to specify the Max. Units value for resources on a
project level. However, it would be nice if we could do this, but we cannot
do so. Sorry.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dan Haydon]

Thanks for the help Dale.

Regarding my 1st question, I suspect Peak Units then "overrides" the
original units shown in the Gantt chart and will "bounce" around for the life
of the task as Actual Work is posted. Is there a field that memorializes the
original Units the task was set at?

My concern was that all PM's should lock their resource %'s for a given
project, but that does not "work"; In theory then if Peak Units are elevated
within the Gantt chart it might be a good clue for the PM to touch base with
the resource to get a feel for when they expect to work on the project tasks
(i.e. equally weighted throughout the week or 16 hours on Friday to
complete).

Perhaps we should be locking-down duration instead so the start/finish dates
stay constant (per the task estimates) instead of them moving around due to
uneven workload patterns on the task...

Thanks Again - Dan

p.s. - I thought your name looked familiar...I have 2 of your big EMP
Learning books on my desk!

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

Your assumption is correct that the Peak Units field may bounce around
during the life of a task. In Microsoft Project 2007, there is no field
that memorizes the original assignment Units value, although the software
DOES remember this value when the PM or the team member increases the
Remaining Work on the task.

Regarding the Fixed Units task type, I think you need to show your PMs the
behavior of the tool, and how the Peak Units field changes over the life of
the task. Let them know that their original assignment Units value is still
in place on each task, even though they cannot see it. I have run into way
too many PMs who "stress out" about the Units value changing when team
members enter task progress, and then they waste too much time trying to
change it back when they don't need to change it.

Regarding your idea about Fixed Duration, you should know in advance that
Fixed Duration isn't quite as "fixed" as you would like either. For
example, I assign a resource to work full-time on a Fixed Duration task with
a 5-day Duration. The resource submits 40 hours of Actual work for the
task, but increases the Remaining Work to 16h. When I accept the team
member's progress on the task, the system will warn me that the Duration of
the task is now OUTSIDE of the original Duration of this Fixed Duration
task, and then it will extend the Duration by only ONE DAY. On that one
day, the system pours all 16 hours of Work, which elevates the resource's
assignment Units to 200%. Keep that in mind before you jump into even
hotter water with this tool! By the way, Fixed Work isn't quite as
"fixed" as you might surmise, but I won't go into that. I think you get the
idea.

Also, thanks for purchasing our books. They are a labor of love. Hope this
helps.

 

[Dan Haydon]

Immensely helpful...thank you for your time Dale!

Dan

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

You are more than welcome, my friend!

 

[Dan Haydon]

Hi Dale,

One last question for you if you don't mind.

Since a resources' periodic Actual Work updates to tasks will change some
component of the schedule (work, duration, units), the PM's are adjusting the
task durations back to what they "should" be assuming that the task will be
completed as planned. Using your example, if on a 40 hour task 12 hours is
completed on Monday, the duration will be kicked-out further if the time is
Approved on that Monday. Let's say at end of business on Friday the resource
posts 40 hours work complete. Upon approval would the task duration revert
back to the original completion date of Friday from the following Monday the
task completion was moved to?

Put another way, is there a way to "turn off" the effects from resources
posting Actual Work so that things stay constant the life of the task,
assuming that the work will be completed as planned? I suspect not, and if
this is the case, what "mindset" should us PM's have to the fact that on a
week-by-week basis our tassk (and ultimately project completion dates) are
bouncing around?

I am new to MSPS/MOSS and recall the stand-alone version of MSP leaving
things constant as Actual Work is posted to a task.

Thanks Dale,

Dan

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

There is no way to use Microsoft Project 2007 or Project Server 2007 and
"turn off" the automatic updates to Units, Work, or Duration after your PMs
accept actual task progress from PWA. Tell your PMs that Microsoft Project
is a scheduling tool, and the tool is trying to tell them when their tasks
will finish, based on updates from team members. This means that if task
progress is falling behind (the resource worked only 4 hours/day when the
resource should have worked 8 hours/day on the task), the system will
increase the Duration to show that the task is slipping, and will change the
Finish date of the task as well. And this means that the Finish date of the
project may slip if the task in question is on the Critical Path.

To eliminate most of the changes to the Duration of a task, your PMs can use
the Fixed Duration task type. But I will warn you that they may not be
entirely happy with the results of that either. For example, although a
Fixed Duration task type locks the Duration of the task, in my previous post
I showed you how the Duration of a Fixed Duration task WILL increase if a
team member does not complete all of the assigned work during the Fixed
Duration time period. And when that happens, the Finish date of the task
WILL change as well.

So, I don't have any easy answers for you. It would probably help if your
PMs could get some formal training on the Project Server 2007 system, with a
focus on best practices and a knowledge of how Microsoft Project is meant to
work. If you are interested, our company provides this type of training
anywhere in the world. Hope this helps.

 

[Dan Haydon]

Dake,

Thanks again. And yes, I think we are headed in the direction of bringing in
help to attain a better understanding of Project Server as it is new to us
(myslef included). I'm new to this organization as a PM and suspect the PMO
might have utilized your company in the past - hence the books here. I'll
endorse your services as you've been very helpful.

All the best,

Dan

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

Thank you very kindly for thinking of us! And you are more than welcome
for the help, my friend.