Work contour

[alex]

Hi,

Context:
I change the work contour and there is an impact on my work.

Unexpected behavior:
I have a resource with 4 hours of capacity by day.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgq4sw2r_2082gtpw3ghh
I record 2 hours of actual work. So Microsoft Project allocates the
remaining work on the following days.
I change the work contour for another one, and i can see my work is changed.
My task is in fixed duration. I expected from Project to have a delivery
according to my configuration not a change of work.
So I should put the old value after to do that.

I choose fixed duration because I wish to keep my start and end date as I
define.
I don't see solution except to record hours manually, it's not an efficient
process.

My point of view is it's not possible to do what I expected and in that
case, this option shouldn't be used after the record of the first actual. I
can use it just when I create the project and establish the first baseline.

What is your point of view and feedback?

best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT

 

[alex]

Hi,

I did a mistake.
If my resource has 40 hours and I change the work contour without to record
any actual I obtain the same error. My work is changed.

So my conclusion is the same.
I think it's not possible to use it in my waited business rules.

Best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT

 

[alex]

Hi Julie,

Thank for your answer.
Yes I knew about the impact of the type on the work.
I expected from the Microsoft Project to keep the work and my duration
exactly as I want.

So my conclusion is agree with your answer.
I can't do this.

"I'm not sure why you changed the work contour manually."
I should do several tests on the product to be sure the behavior is what our
teams expect.
So at the beginning of the project, the project manager would to apply a
special work contour.
Their needs can changed(actual work not the same as the work, so Project
changes the allocation).
And our project lead needs to know the capacity of each resources by day and
change the project in real time.
Resources work to solve bug, to develop new functionnality, the work can
moved.

So I can't use the work contour to manage that and manually it's not possible.
I think I should use the work planified and that's all.
To establish peak of charge or other things it's not possible actually,
maybe in the next version

Best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT

 

[JulieS]

Hello Alex,

My comments are inline.

Hi Julie,

Thank for your answer.
Yes I knew about the impact of the type on the work.
I expected from the Microsoft Project to keep the work and my
duration
exactly as I want.

[Julie] Project works with a mathematical formula where Duration =
Work * Units. When you set one variable (Duration) any change in
Work or units requires a change in the other. The math must
continue to be true. Baseline work does not change as you change
actual work -- and it is the comparison of Baseline work to Actual
work that helps let us know whether we are on track or not.

So my conclusion is agree with your answer.
I can't do this.

"I'm not sure why you changed the work contour manually."
I should do several tests on the product to be sure the behavior
is what our
teams expect.
So at the beginning of the project, the project manager would to
apply a
special work contour.

[Julie] And then save a baseline. The schedule of work is saved.

Their needs can changed(actual work not the same as the work, so
Project
changes the allocation).

[Julie] Yes, that is by design -- again the math must remain in
balance.

And our project lead needs to know the capacity of each resources
by day and
change the project in real time.

[Julie] Yes, through tracking.

Resources work to solve bug, to develop new functionnality, the
work can
moved.

So I can't use the work contour to manage that and manually it's
not possible.

[Julie] I gues I'm not seeing the problem. If your resources don't
work as scheduled -- what do you want project to do with the work
the didn't do? If you say a resource was scheduled to work 20 hours
this week and they only worked 10 -- do you want the 10 hours they
didn't do to go away? If so, drop the remaining work.

I think I should use the work planified and that's all.

[Julie] I disagree. Planning it is only half of the game. You need
to have a plan then see who you are excecuting the plan. You need
to know whether you will meet the deadlines and work requirements
don't you?

To establish peak of charge or other things it's not possible
actually,
maybe in the next version

[Julie] Sorry, I don't understand your comment.

 

[Hadi]

Julie/Alex,

I think I have the same problem as Alex. I understand that Work = Units *
Duration. the question is if i have a fixed duration task and i assign a
resource and plug in the units. Project will calculate the Work for me using
the formula. in this case, I have an activity with 80 days duration. I assign
a resource to it and plug in 5 units. I have 8hr/day schedule. Once I do that
Project calculates the Work which is 3200h. So far so good. Now, if I change
the contour from flat to Bell (lets say). the hours change to 1600 (not sure
why). if i go back to the hours i plug in 3200 the Units change to 10. why is
it doing that?

Hello Alex,

My comments are inline.

Hi Julie,

Thank for your answer.
Yes I knew about the impact of the type on the work.
I expected from the Microsoft Project to keep the work and my
duration
exactly as I want.

[Julie] Project works with a mathematical formula where Duration =
Work * Units. When you set one variable (Duration) any change in
Work or units requires a change in the other. The math must
continue to be true. Baseline work does not change as you change
actual work -- and it is the comparison of Baseline work to Actual
work that helps let us know whether we are on track or not.

So my conclusion is agree with your answer.
I can't do this.

"I'm not sure why you changed the work contour manually."
I should do several tests on the product to be sure the behavior
is what our
teams expect.
So at the beginning of the project, the project manager would to
apply a
special work contour.

[Julie] And then save a baseline. The schedule of work is saved.

Their needs can changed(actual work not the same as the work, so
Project
changes the allocation).

[Julie] Yes, that is by design -- again the math must remain in
balance.

And our project lead needs to know the capacity of each resources
by day and
change the project in real time.

[Julie] Yes, through tracking.

Resources work to solve bug, to develop new functionnality, the
work can
moved.

So I can't use the work contour to manage that and manually it's
not possible.

[Julie] I gues I'm not seeing the problem. If your resources don't
work as scheduled -- what do you want project to do with the work
the didn't do? If you say a resource was scheduled to work 20 hours
this week and they only worked 10 -- do you want the 10 hours they
didn't do to go away? If so, drop the remaining work.

I think I should use the work planified and that's all.

[Julie] I disagree. Planning it is only half of the game. You need
to have a plan then see who you are excecuting the plan. You need
to know whether you will meet the deadlines and work requirements
don't you?

To establish peak of charge or other things it's not possible
actually,
maybe in the next version

[Julie] Sorry, I don't understand your comment.

Best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT

 

[Steve House]

Here's why ... you have said your task is fixed duration so that tells
Project not to change that term in the equation. You are assigning
resource at 500% for 80 days at 8 hrs/resource/day for a total of 3200 man
hours. But that is based on the assumption that the resources are assigned
a flat-line of 500-500-500 etc each day for the duration of the task. But
then you tell it NOT to use the flat line but to start it small, like 50%
the first 8 days, increasing to 100% the next 8, 200% the next, and so
forth, rising to 500% for the middle 16 days, then dropping back day by day
again until it ends with a small amount of work on the last 8 days. (So as
to approximate a normal distribution with a peak of 500) If you graph the
work, hence the resource assignment percentage, day-by-day for the duration
of the task, the work contour is following a normal distribution bell-curve
rising to a peak of 500% rather than jumping to 500% immediate when the task
starts and staying there for the duration. If the curve starts low, goes up
to 500 in the middle and tapers off again, the average level is less than
500%, in fact, it's only 250%. The only way the duration can remain at 80
days with the average assignment level now less than 500 is for the total
work to drop to 1600 hours. But if instead of fixed duration you make the
task fixed work or fixed units before applying the bell curve contour you
would find that in fact the work does remain at 3200 hours while the mean
assignment percentage of 250% causes the task duration to go to 160 days.
--
Steve House
MS Project Trainer & Consultant

Julie/Alex,

I think I have the same problem as Alex. I understand that Work = Units *
Duration. the question is if i have a fixed duration task and i assign a
resource and plug in the units. Project will calculate the Work for me
using
the formula. in this case, I have an activity with 80 days duration. I
assign
a resource to it and plug in 5 units. I have 8hr/day schedule. Once I do
that
Project calculates the Work which is 3200h. So far so good. Now, if I
change
the contour from flat to Bell (lets say). the hours change to 1600 (not
sure
why). if i go back to the hours i plug in 3200 the Units change to 10. why
is
it doing that?

Hello Alex,

My comments are inline.

Hi Julie,

Thank for your answer.
Yes I knew about the impact of the type on the work.
I expected from the Microsoft Project to keep the work and my
duration
exactly as I want.

[Julie] Project works with a mathematical formula where Duration =
Work * Units. When you set one variable (Duration) any change in
Work or units requires a change in the other. The math must
continue to be true. Baseline work does not change as you change
actual work -- and it is the comparison of Baseline work to Actual
work that helps let us know whether we are on track or not.

So my conclusion is agree with your answer.
I can't do this.

"I'm not sure why you changed the work contour manually."
I should do several tests on the product to be sure the behavior
is what our
teams expect.
So at the beginning of the project, the project manager would to
apply a
special work contour.

[Julie] And then save a baseline. The schedule of work is saved.

Their needs can changed(actual work not the same as the work, so
Project
changes the allocation).

[Julie] Yes, that is by design -- again the math must remain in
balance.

And our project lead needs to know the capacity of each resources
by day and
change the project in real time.

[Julie] Yes, through tracking.

Resources work to solve bug, to develop new functionnality, the
work can
moved.

So I can't use the work contour to manage that and manually it's
not possible.

[Julie] I gues I'm not seeing the problem. If your resources don't
work as scheduled -- what do you want project to do with the work
the didn't do? If you say a resource was scheduled to work 20 hours
this week and they only worked 10 -- do you want the 10 hours they
didn't do to go away? If so, drop the remaining work.

I think I should use the work planified and that's all.

[Julie] I disagree. Planning it is only half of the game. You need
to have a plan then see who you are excecuting the plan. You need
to know whether you will meet the deadlines and work requirements
don't you?

To establish peak of charge or other things it's not possible
actually,
maybe in the next version

[Julie] Sorry, I don't understand your comment.

Best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT

 

[Hadi]

Steve, thank you for the detailed explanation. that helps alot. So once I
change the contour from Flat to Bell, the "average" Unit is changing and
hence the hours will change.

thanks again.

Here's why ... you have said your task is fixed duration so that tells
Project not to change that term in the equation. You are assigning
resource at 500% for 80 days at 8 hrs/resource/day for a total of 3200 man
hours. But that is based on the assumption that the resources are assigned
a flat-line of 500-500-500 etc each day for the duration of the task. But
then you tell it NOT to use the flat line but to start it small, like 50%
the first 8 days, increasing to 100% the next 8, 200% the next, and so
forth, rising to 500% for the middle 16 days, then dropping back day by day
again until it ends with a small amount of work on the last 8 days. (So as
to approximate a normal distribution with a peak of 500) If you graph the
work, hence the resource assignment percentage, day-by-day for the duration
of the task, the work contour is following a normal distribution bell-curve
rising to a peak of 500% rather than jumping to 500% immediate when the task
starts and staying there for the duration. If the curve starts low, goes up
to 500 in the middle and tapers off again, the average level is less than
500%, in fact, it's only 250%. The only way the duration can remain at 80
days with the average assignment level now less than 500 is for the total
work to drop to 1600 hours. But if instead of fixed duration you make the
task fixed work or fixed units before applying the bell curve contour you
would find that in fact the work does remain at 3200 hours while the mean
assignment percentage of 250% causes the task duration to go to 160 days.
--
Steve House
MS Project Trainer & Consultant

Julie/Alex,

I think I have the same problem as Alex. I understand that Work = Units *
Duration. the question is if i have a fixed duration task and i assign a
resource and plug in the units. Project will calculate the Work for me
using
the formula. in this case, I have an activity with 80 days duration. I
assign
a resource to it and plug in 5 units. I have 8hr/day schedule. Once I do
that
Project calculates the Work which is 3200h. So far so good. Now, if I
change
the contour from flat to Bell (lets say). the hours change to 1600 (not
sure
why). if i go back to the hours i plug in 3200 the Units change to 10. why
is
it doing that?

Hello Alex,

My comments are inline.

Hi Julie,

Thank for your answer.
Yes I knew about the impact of the type on the work.
I expected from the Microsoft Project to keep the work and my
duration
exactly as I want.

[Julie] Project works with a mathematical formula where Duration =
Work * Units. When you set one variable (Duration) any change in
Work or units requires a change in the other. The math must
continue to be true. Baseline work does not change as you change
actual work -- and it is the comparison of Baseline work to Actual
work that helps let us know whether we are on track or not.

So my conclusion is agree with your answer.
I can't do this.

"I'm not sure why you changed the work contour manually."
I should do several tests on the product to be sure the behavior
is what our
teams expect.
So at the beginning of the project, the project manager would to
apply a
special work contour.

[Julie] And then save a baseline. The schedule of work is saved.

Their needs can changed(actual work not the same as the work, so
Project
changes the allocation).

[Julie] Yes, that is by design -- again the math must remain in
balance.

And our project lead needs to know the capacity of each resources
by day and
change the project in real time.

[Julie] Yes, through tracking.

Resources work to solve bug, to develop new functionnality, the
work can
moved.

So I can't use the work contour to manage that and manually it's
not possible.

[Julie] I gues I'm not seeing the problem. If your resources don't
work as scheduled -- what do you want project to do with the work
the didn't do? If you say a resource was scheduled to work 20 hours
this week and they only worked 10 -- do you want the 10 hours they
didn't do to go away? If so, drop the remaining work.

I think I should use the work planified and that's all.

[Julie] I disagree. Planning it is only half of the game. You need
to have a plan then see who you are excecuting the plan. You need
to know whether you will meet the deadlines and work requirements
don't you?

To establish peak of charge or other things it's not possible
actually,
maybe in the next version

[Julie] Sorry, I don't understand your comment.

Best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT

 

[alex]

Hi,

Thank you for your answers.

I did one more test with 2 tasks.

work by day
1 1 1 4 4 4 1 1 1
real work by day
3 for wednesday.
1 for monday

I obtain after to apply on the plan
/ / 3 0.9 0.9 3.62 3.62 3.62 3.62 0.9 0.9 0.9
1 1 1 4 4 4 1 1 1

I thought for the first case nothing will be changed but it's not the case.
so it's by design.

Best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT

Steve, thank you for the detailed explanation. that helps alot. So once I
change the contour from Flat to Bell, the "average" Unit is changing and
hence the hours will change.

thanks again.

Here's why ... you have said your task is fixed duration so that tells
Project not to change that term in the equation. You are assigning
resource at 500% for 80 days at 8 hrs/resource/day for a total of 3200 man
hours. But that is based on the assumption that the resources are assigned
a flat-line of 500-500-500 etc each day for the duration of the task. But
then you tell it NOT to use the flat line but to start it small, like 50%
the first 8 days, increasing to 100% the next 8, 200% the next, and so
forth, rising to 500% for the middle 16 days, then dropping back day by day
again until it ends with a small amount of work on the last 8 days. (So as
to approximate a normal distribution with a peak of 500) If you graph the
work, hence the resource assignment percentage, day-by-day for the duration
of the task, the work contour is following a normal distribution bell-curve
rising to a peak of 500% rather than jumping to 500% immediate when the task
starts and staying there for the duration. If the curve starts low, goes up
to 500 in the middle and tapers off again, the average level is less than
500%, in fact, it's only 250%. The only way the duration can remain at 80
days with the average assignment level now less than 500 is for the total
work to drop to 1600 hours. But if instead of fixed duration you make the
task fixed work or fixed units before applying the bell curve contour you
would find that in fact the work does remain at 3200 hours while the mean
assignment percentage of 250% causes the task duration to go to 160 days.
--
Steve House
MS Project Trainer & Consultant

Julie/Alex,

I think I have the same problem as Alex. I understand that Work = Units *
Duration. the question is if i have a fixed duration task and i assign a
resource and plug in the units. Project will calculate the Work for me
using
the formula. in this case, I have an activity with 80 days duration. I
assign
a resource to it and plug in 5 units. I have 8hr/day schedule. Once I do
that
Project calculates the Work which is 3200h. So far so good. Now, if I
change
the contour from flat to Bell (lets say). the hours change to 1600 (not
sure
why). if i go back to the hours i plug in 3200 the Units change to 10. why
is
it doing that?
:

Hello Alex,

My comments are inline.

Hi Julie,

Thank for your answer.
Yes I knew about the impact of the type on the work.
I expected from the Microsoft Project to keep the work and my
duration
exactly as I want.

[Julie] Project works with a mathematical formula where Duration =
Work * Units. When you set one variable (Duration) any change in
Work or units requires a change in the other. The math must
continue to be true. Baseline work does not change as you change
actual work -- and it is the comparison of Baseline work to Actual
work that helps let us know whether we are on track or not.

So my conclusion is agree with your answer.
I can't do this.

"I'm not sure why you changed the work contour manually."
I should do several tests on the product to be sure the behavior
is what our
teams expect.
So at the beginning of the project, the project manager would to
apply a
special work contour.

[Julie] And then save a baseline. The schedule of work is saved.

Their needs can changed(actual work not the same as the work, so
Project
changes the allocation).

[Julie] Yes, that is by design -- again the math must remain in
balance.

And our project lead needs to know the capacity of each resources
by day and
change the project in real time.

[Julie] Yes, through tracking.

Resources work to solve bug, to develop new functionnality, the
work can
moved.

So I can't use the work contour to manage that and manually it's
not possible.

[Julie] I gues I'm not seeing the problem. If your resources don't
work as scheduled -- what do you want project to do with the work
the didn't do? If you say a resource was scheduled to work 20 hours
this week and they only worked 10 -- do you want the 10 hours they
didn't do to go away? If so, drop the remaining work.

I think I should use the work planified and that's all.

[Julie] I disagree. Planning it is only half of the game. You need
to have a plan then see who you are excecuting the plan. You need
to know whether you will meet the deadlines and work requirements
don't you?

To establish peak of charge or other things it's not possible
actually,
maybe in the next version

[Julie] Sorry, I don't understand your comment.

Best regards,
Alexandre BARAULT