How do I change resource leveling from days to weeks in Project?

[Ed]

I want to be able to change the minor unit of leveling from days to weeks.
Right now MS Project levels my assigned resources using absurd numbers like
1.67 hrs per day, etc... due to it's leveling algorithm. I just want it to
schedule by weeks (i.e. 8 hrs per week) because I don't micromanage my
resources down to the day.

Even if I change the Resource Usage minor unit display from days to weeks MS
Project is still redflagging my resources because it is leveling tasks down
to the day even though it is not displayed that way.

If I try to manually eliminate the redflagging by assigning hours day by day
it then puts splits all over my tasks. Absurd micromanagement.

An example:
If I enter 16 hours (2 days) effort for a task that spans 1 week MS Projects
levels it into 16/5 = 3.2 hrs per day. If I then put in another 24 hr task
for 3 specific days during that same week using the same resource at 24 hrs
MS Project declares I have overscheduled the person on 3 days (and
underscheduled them on the remaining two).

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

I nearly failed to reply besides the question... what you complain about has
nothing to do with what Project calls Resource Leveling!
With the data you give the resource IS overallocated full stop. Project
calculates everything by the minute regardless of timescales in the view.
What you can do to get a result closer to what you want in declare the first
task as 2 days duration, 16 hours of work, then let resource leveling do the
shifting.

Sorry but in my view (I know not everybody shares that) saying that the
first task will take a week is "absurd micromanagement". You try to level
part of the tasks (the first one) then rely on Project to level the
combination of the 2. Doesn't work I'm afraid.

HTH

 

[snetzky]

Did you change the setting in the Resource Leveling dialog to Week by
Week? Admittedly, Project will tell you this resource works this many
hours on this job each day, but there's no reason you have to use those
numbers for actual scheduling. I would think the critical thing would
be to get a rough idea during the initial planning process and let
things sort themselves out as you collect actuals from people each
week. Unless they are extremely anal retentive, my guess is that they
will work based on "this is what I have to get done this week, as
opposed to "I have to work 2 hours on this task today."

This is the thing I think catches most schedulers up (I know it did me)
when they first start up. The schedule is not sacred, it's a tool to
identify when you are going to miss deadlines before you miss them.

Don't serve the tool, let the tool serve you.

Larry

Larry