multiple resources/nonworking time

[Gavin]

Quick query.
I have two guys (resources) working part-time (50%) on one
task. One of them is on vacation (nonworking time) for
part of the task duration. Project calculates the duration
as if no work takes place during the vacation period, even
by the guy who is still around (and whose calendar shows
default working hours).
i.e. 2 man-day task, starts Monday. Both guys work Monday
(guy A 0.5 man-day, guy B 0.5 man-day), guy A is on
vacation Tuesday but Guy B works (guy A 0, guy B 0.5 man-
day), same Wednesday (guy A 0, guy B 0.5 man-day). That
makes 2 man-days and the task is complete, with a duration
of 3 days. However Project puts the duration at 4 days,
with both guys working on Thursday (guy A having returned
from vacation).

Any advice to get around this would be greatly appreciated.

Gavin.

 

[Rob Schneider]

Quick query.
I have two guys (resources) working part-time (50%) on one
task. One of them is on vacation (nonworking time) for
part of the task duration. Project calculates the duration
as if no work takes place during the vacation period, even
by the guy who is still around (and whose calendar shows
default working hours).
i.e. 2 man-day task, starts Monday. Both guys work Monday
(guy A 0.5 man-day, guy B 0.5 man-day), guy A is on
vacation Tuesday but Guy B works (guy A 0, guy B 0.5 man-
day), same Wednesday (guy A 0, guy B 0.5 man-day). That
makes 2 man-days and the task is complete, with a duration
of 3 days. However Project puts the duration at 4 days,
with both guys working on Thursday (guy A having returned
from vacation).

Any advice to get around this would be greatly appreciated.

Gavin.

Gavin,

Most likley you have specified that both Guys will each consume one-half
of the 2 day (work) task, e.g. 1.0 day each. See the Resource Usage
View. I suspect you'll find that both guys are not working on Thursday,
and nothing happens on Wednesday...if it were, you would see more work
as it adds up to more than 2 days (which is what you said it was).

Easier to show this than to write it down ... but all I can do is write:

Guy A works 0.5 day the first day, then taks day 2 and 3 off. He spends
the 4th day of the calendar time, after he returns from vacation.
Guy B works 0.5 day for the first two days and then stops working.

Hence you have a 4 day duration. The total work done per day is:
Day 1: 1.0 day (both Guys working)
Day 2: 0.5 day (only Guy B working)
Day 3: no work today. Guy B is done. Waiting for Guy a to return
Day 4: 0.5 day (only Guy A working)

If you give 1.5 days of work to Guy B, and 0.5 days to Guy A, then the
task becomes 3 days in duration.

 

[Steve House]

What process did you use to input the fact that this was a two man-day task,
assign the resources, and apportion the work between them? Project
calculates on a resource by resource basis and doesn't redistribute work
between them. Two resources, two man-days of work to do, implies that each
resource must do one day of it regardless of when they do it. Guy A has to
do 1 day, on the first day does 1/2 day, and then goes on vacation. He
still has 1/2 day to do. When he comes back, he'll work that additional 1/2
day. If you want B to pick up the half-day from him, you'll have to do that
by hand as Project has no way of knowing that he is even capable of doing
it. 2 man-days equal 16 man-hours. Create the task, leave the duration at
1 day for now. Create your two resources and edit their resource calendars
to show non-working time. In the Gantt chart split the screen. In the task
form in the bottom window assign guys A & B at 50% effort, manually entering
4 hours for the work for the first one and 12 hours for the work for the
second and click the "OK" button. Duration will be 3 days, 16 total
man-hours, guys A & B working together for a half day each on day 1, guy B
working by himself for a half-day each on days 2 and 3 (assuming those days
are non-working days for A).