Assigning resources

[Stefan Robert]

Hi,

I am working with MS Project and I have some difficulties understanding
how assigning ressources work.

Lets say I have a Task that is of type "Fixed Work".

I assign 16h for the work and 16 hours for the duration of the task.

I have two resources that can give 4 hours a week.

Then, If I used Alt+F10 to assign resources and I select both resources
at 100%, the duration of my task will reduce to 15hours.

However, If I do the same thing but by selecting "Information on the
task" and in the Resource tab I select the same 2 resources for the
task, the duration of the task will shrink to 8 hours (like I expected)

Why is there a difference in using the Assign Resource in the tool menu
and by going to the form giving information on a task?

Thanks

Stefan

 

[Stefan Robert]

Followup on this,

in the Assign Resource form, if I select each resource separately, I
get the condition that I described first (duration drops to 15 hours)
However, If I select both resources (with CTRL) in the form and press
on Assign I get the proper behaviour.

Is this a bug?

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Stefan,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

We will need to know a lot more on how you've set this up before a sensible
answer can be given. How did you set Fixed Work. Was this before or after
you assigned the resources? Did you enter work before assigning resources?
How did you tell Project that the reources only work 4 hour per week? Did
you select both resources at once and then assign 100%. Have you got any
calendars set up? What is the project working week?

You might like to have a look at my series on Microsoft Project in the
TechTrax ezine, particularly #10 and 11, at this site:
http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the article before leaving the site,
Thanks.)

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[Stefan Robert]

Hi Stefan,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

We will need to know a lot more on how you've set this up before a
sensible answer can be given. How did you set Fixed Work. Was this
before or after you assigned the resources?

Fixed work is setup by default when I create a new task.

Did you enter work before assigning resources?

I entered work and duration before assigning resources. for my example,
I assigned 16 hours of work with 16 hours of duration for this task.

How did you tell Project that the reources only work 4 hour per week?

Each resources is based on the Standard Calendar. I modified the work
schedule of each resource to only have 4 hours a week of availability.

Did you select both resources at once and then assign 100%.

Ok, this is where I get my problem.

If I select both resources at ounce in the "Tools -> Affect
Resources..." (Alt-F10) form and giving them 100% effort, the task
duration shrinks to 8h... which is what I expected.

Now lets take the same task and remove all resources affected to it and
return the task and duration to 16 hours. If I assign 1 resource to
it, the duration does not shrink (of course). If I assign later on
another resource, the duration shrinks to 15 hours if I use the "Tools
-> Affect Resources..." (Alt-F10) form.

If I use the method you use in your article, everything seems to be
calculated correctly.

I would like to know why is Project behaviour this way with the "Tools
-> Affect Resources..." (Alt-F10) form.

Have you got any calendars set up? What is the project working week?

Yes, The working week is 40 hours a week with week-ends off. This is
the standard calendar that is assigned to the Project.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Stefan,

I've been working on your problem for an hour or so and sometimes I can
repeat your symptoms and sometimes not I cannot explain the anomolies. I
even get the task unaccountably split! This might be a function of entering
work first without any assigned resources. I would advise entering the
Duration first and then assign the Resources all at once. This should then
calculate correctly.

Sorry for the delay,


Mike Glen
Project MVP