Is it normal to have many base calendars defined?

[Pinocchio]

May I use this newsgroup to ask the following questions to experienced MS
Project users:

1. How many base calendars are normally defined for an average project ?
- generic base calendars
- resource-oriented base calendars
- task-oriented base calendars
Is it a rule to have many base calendars defined, or rather an exception?

2. How do you keep all those calendars in sync.
- is there standard macros/utilities to help syncronize/monitor base
calendars?


I guess each project/company is different, but I am curious to know how base
calendars are used in the practice.
Your MVB (Most Valuable Beginner)
Running Project 2002

 

[John]

May I use this newsgroup to ask the following questions to experienced MS
Project users:

1. How many base calendars are normally defined for an average project ?
- generic base calendars
- resource-oriented base calendars
- task-oriented base calendars
Is it a rule to have many base calendars defined, or rather an exception?

2. How do you keep all those calendars in sync.
- is there standard macros/utilities to help syncronize/monitor base
calendars?


I guess each project/company is different, but I am curious to know how base
calendars are used in the practice.
Your MVB (Most Valuable Beginner)
Running Project 2002

Pinocchio,
You've asked a question that doesn't have a definite answer. The number
of calendars will vary as much as the number of users. I had one client
who had a separate calendar for virtually every task and resource
(ridiculous in my mind, but the client loved it). I have also had
project files, (the norm in my case), that only had one calendar which
was a modified base calendar showing company holidays.

I guess if the user wants Project to keep track of resource off-time,
there is an advantage to having a unique calendar for each resource.
Project will automatically take the resource calendar into account when
assigning resources to tasks. However, although it may seem like a great
idea to have Project keep track of resource availability, that can
sometimes lead to "overmanagement" of a project and not really be worth
the effort, at least in my opinion. Other users may have another
viewpoint.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

 

[Pinocchio]

Thanks John,
I am new to MS Project and Project Management and appreciated your answer.

I take your warnings about the risks of project overmanagement seriously. I
also agree that a project manager should not bother maintaining resources'
calendars. I notice, from what I read in this newsgroup, that some companies
are using this software in ways I didn't expect (syncronization with Outlook
calendars, scheduling of meetings,...).

Still too early for me to say, but I would be tempted to work only with
generic resources and use timephased availabilities instead of resource
calendars.
So I will try and follow your advice: only one customized base calendar!

Your MVB (Most Valuable Beginner)
Running Project 2002

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

I tell my students that they should create a base calendar for each major
shift group and legal jurisdiction in which their project takes place. Here
in Canada, for example, the province of Ontario has different legal holidays
from the province of Quebec so if my project has resources in both
jurisdictions, I'll need at least one base calendar for each. If we work
around the clock, I'll need a base calendar for my day-shift workers,
another one for the swing-shift workers, and yet another for the folks on
graveyard. So now we're up to 6. I'd pick one of those calendars, the one
that is most generic, covers the majority of the workers involved in this
specific project, or even the nominal work hours at the project's
headquarters and make it the Project Calendar. Remember one of the basic
uses of the Project base calendar is to answer the question of "if I have a
task that can start Monday at 10am and will take 24 hours to complete, what
date and time will it finish?" Since work, hence progress, can only take
place when the resources are there to do it, the calendar is crucial to
determining which of the minutes during the 24-hour clock-day will buy you
some progress towards completion.