resource scheduling and work values

[CRat]

I have an engineering drawing release schedule,. I have a resource
"Designer" and 14 available designers.

Project will assign 80 hours of work for a 10 day task. Depending on the
type of task it is (whether fixed duration or fixed work) - adjusting the
work value (hours) will either change the resource % assignments, or the
duration.

I am trying to get a better value of the work, while maintaining the task
duration and the % of time I'm using the resource.

In the 80 hours example above, I think it's really only going to take 40
hours of the designers work time in the 80 hours span time, but I don't want
to have him reassigned elsewhere. The other 40 hours in that span will be
filled with miscellaneous activities: meeting support, writing activity
reports, etc.

So, is there anyway to say a task will take 80 hours, but only worth 40 in
the bean counting world, with out reassigning the designer to another drawing?

 

[vanita]

Hi
What I understand from your post is that the designing work effectively
requires 0.5 days work for 10 days and you have beefed up the resource and
duration to include the administrative works. But your schedule would be
giving the impression to all that this designing activity requires full 10
days work. If you are okay with this impression and your organisation's way
of working does include lot of administrative work I would suggest that you
include this in the task name as 'Designing and admin work'. Leave rest as it
is. It would give correct message to all.

I hope it helps.
Vanita

 

[CRat]

If I assign the resource at 50%, he will be assigned another drawing to do at
the same time. I said that I did not want the designers to be reassigned.
What I want to do is to tie up the resource for the entire duration (i.e.
assigned at 100%), and enter a value for work that is less than the Duration
x Units.

 

[Dave]

If I assign the resource at 50%, he will be assigned another drawing to do at
the same time. I said that I did not want the designers to be reassigned.
What I want to do is to tie up the resource for the entire duration (i.e.
assigned at 100%), and enter a value for work that is less than the Duration
x Units.

Well you can't do that. Either you have a plan which shows realistic
estimates of work in which case the formula quote holds. Otherwise, you
want a plan that is not really a plan.

What you could do is add an administrative bar along the length of your
plan which consumes the spare 50% of your resource's time. If you have
to report on progress, you could filter this out.

However, for what you describe, Project is not really the tool for you.
Blocking out periods of time in Excel might be more appropriate.