How do I keep two resources working together?

[MichaelJ2653]

I have assigned a person and machine as resources to a fixed-work task.
Now, the machine is broken, so I set the machine's resource calendar to
non-working for the duration of the estimated repairtime. The man and the
machine must work together, so the man SHOULD be available for other tasks
while the machine gets serviced. However, the resource calendar has the man
happily working on the task during the machine down-time. Then, after the
man is finished the machine is happily working by itself for the rest of the
work. So, is there a way that free's up the man for other tasks when the
machine is out for service. In otherwords, the man and machine must be
linked somehow - but just for this task.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Michael,

This is indeed a weakness of MS project.
The only workaround I know (other than manually fixing dates, which is
hardly a solution) is as follows
Do not enter unavailability of the machien (or maybe even of all the
resoruces, but in your case the machine will do) as nonworking time.
Instead enter the maintenance or repair as a task with a must start on
constraint
Then go to tools, resource leveling
In leveling parameters cross out "Leveling can adjust individual
assignments"
Then leveling will keep the machine and the operators together.

HTH