Multiple Resources on one task

[Andrew Parish]

I know that the general advice around multiple resources is "don't". I'm
hoping that if I describe the scenario I'm struggling with, someone can
point me at a better way of doing it.

Consider a task that will require 21 days of effort. I have 3 resources that
have the skills that can be applied to the task - lets call them A, B and C.
A has 100% availability, B has 50% availability and C has 75% availability.

Project quite rightly assigns 9.33 days of effort to A, 4.67 days to B, and
7 to C.

Now, C is sick couple of days which are duly blocked out in his resource
calendar. This has the effect of extending the duration of the task to take
into account what is he needs to complete his share of the task. In reality,
those 2 days could be undertaken by A and B once they've finished their
share and I'd end up with resources that are used to 100% of their
availability; in practice, according to Project at least, I'll have a
couple of people waiting around for C to finish his work before they can all
start on the next task.

What I'm hoping that Project can do for me is take all of this into account,
load everyone up as fully as possible to schedule the task to be completed
in the shortest amount of time.

Am I fighting a losing battle, or is there a way that this can be achieved?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Andy

 

[davegb]

Andrew,
I'll start by saying that I don't subscribe to the idea that a task
should only have one resource. I agree that this makes life simpler
sometimes, because it makes the situation you're describing simpler at
first. But it also creates a big problem. For example, I have a task
that requires a team of resources to be present at the same time, like
a surgical team. I break that task down into many tasks, one for each
resource, and then assign each resource to it's own task. Now I have,
say, 5 tasks. But they all have to start and finish at the same time.
How do I force them to do that without setting constraints, which
causes another set of problems? So I believe that it's simply not
practical, in many cases, to have a single resource on each task.
That opens the door to your problem. And the answer is, no, Project
can't figure all that out. You have to go in and manually correct the
assignments when C goes out sick for 2 days and now it makes more sense
for A and B to take over and do C's work. The software can't possibly
know that the limitations you originally put on the resources no longer
apply.
Bottom line is, scheduling is as much art as science, and requires a
level of thought far beyond the capabilities of current software
technology. That's why, on large projects, at least one, and possibly
more, full time schedulers are required. And that a PM can't do his/her
own scheduling. There just isn't time to do that and manage a project.

 

[JulieD]

Hi Dave

(we meet again) ...
just to comment on your statement ...

I'll start by saying that I don't subscribe to the idea that a task should
only have one resource.

totally agree with you - when the 'one task - one resource' guideline is
generally dispensed the words "as far as practical" are normally added ...
because there are tasks where you do need people working together (e.g.
meetings / surgical teams etc) ... no problem putting multiple resources on
these tasks as it would not make sense to break these down any further,
because, as you quite rightly explain it becomes a logistical nigthmare
trying to schedule and manage them.

I am still waiting for MS to add a "on this task resources must work
together" check box on the task information dialog to make this even easier
to manage.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Julie,

I would change in your text "even easier" into "feasible at last" )

 

[JulieD]

quite so

--
Cheers
JulieD

Hi Julie,

I would change in your text "even easier" into "feasible at last" )

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/
+32-495-300 620

----snip---

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

I have often advocated the "1 task = 1 resource" approach in this group but
I try to always add a qualifier, defining a "resource" as skill set
consisting of either an individual or a group of individuals that must
always work together in the schedule as a single unit. The reason I suggest
it so often is that too many people get lazy and try to avoid breaking down
the WBS into sufficient detail to properly schedule the work and thereby
losing sight of the idea that a task is the observable physical activity
done by a warm body that leads to a single clearly defined outcome. The
surgical team Dave mentions may consist of a number of individuals but
together they make up a single package of skills that must function together
as if they were a single person possessing all of the skills. The surgeon
can't do his part of the job on Monday while the anesthesiologist does his
on Tuesday, thus from a scheduling standpoint taken together they are "one
resource." As a result our schedule can have a single task "Perform
Appendectomy" rather than breaking it out into its component subtasks.