Allocating Resources within the Master Schedule

[DanielMTZ]

I have a question that at first seems rather obvious but the more I think
about it, the more difficult it is for me to answer on my own. I'm hoping,
maybe not for a definitive answer, but perhaps some clarification and some
input as to how other people may be handling similar situations.

Anyway, I have a Master Schedule setup (currently consisting of 4 projects)
and I'd greatly appreciate some input as to what would be considered the most
prudent approach (in terms of effective resource leveling and perhaps other
things I can't think of) when it comes to assigning resources: should I
assign them at the Master Project Level over all the projects, or should I
have the resources already assigned within the individual projects before
they're inserted into the Master Project? There are many tasks within all the
projects which allows them to be run together or concurrent with other tasks
- predecessors and successors.

Please forgive my ignorance if the solution is rather obvious. Again, any
and all help is GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

DanielMTZ --

If you need to assign the same resources across two or more of the projects
in the master project, I would strongly recommend that you begin first by
creating a shared resource pool file. To do this, open a new blank project
and apply the Resource Sheet view. In this project, enter the names of all
of the resources who will work in at least one of the projects in the master
project. Save this project with a name like Shared Resource Pool and leave
this file open. Next, you will need to open each of the four projects
individually and do the following:

1. Click Tools - Resource Sharing - Share Resources.
2. In the Share Resources dialog, select the Use Resources option and
select the Shared Resource Pool file.
3. Click the OK button.
4. Save and close the project.

You will need the repeat the above set of steps for each of the four
projects that you want to include in the master project. Then save and
close the Shared Resource Pool file.

Then you can now create the master project by creating a new blank project,
clicking Insert - Project, selecting the four projects, and then clicking
the Insert button. The software will insert each of the four subprojects
with all of the tasks collapsed. When you expand any one of the projects,
the software will prompt you to open the Shared Resource Pool file, which
you should do. In this master project, you can now begin assigning
resources to tasks in any of the four subprojects. To make sure you do not
overallocate any resource across the projects in any time period, while in
the master project you can open a new window containing the Resource Usage
view by doing the following steps:

1. Click Window - New Window.
2. In the New Window dialog, select the Resource Usage view from the View
pick list.
3. Click OK.

While assigning resources to tasks in the master project, you can flip back
and forth between the windows containing the Gantt Chart view and Resource
Usage views to make sure you have not overallocated a resource. Each time
you save your master project, the software will prompt you to save each of
the subprojects, which you should do, and to update the Shared Resource Pool
file, which you should also do.

The key here is to create and use a shared resource pool file with your
master project. Hope this helps.

 

[DanielMTZ]

Hi Dale,

Thanks for the quick and very helpful response! I have a resource pool going
only I didn't realize that I needed to have it within each individual project
- Thanks again.


Daniel M.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

DanielMTZ --

You are more than welcome, my friend! I applaud you for wanting to avoid
making overallocations across multiple projects. The time you spend doing
this during the planning process will save you time and frustration with
attempting to level overallocations later.