No error message if resource assigned task while on leave

[Stephen Moras]

Hi guys,

If i assign a resource in MS Project to a task while tht resource is on
leave, Project conveniently changes the start n finish date to a period when
teh resource comes back from leave. This cahnge is not very obvious. How do
ig et Project to give me a error message or any message stating that i am
assigning a resource when he is not available or tht i am allocating a
non-available time?

 

[John]

Hi guys,

If i assign a resource in MS Project to a task while tht resource is on
leave, Project conveniently changes the start n finish date to a period when
teh resource comes back from leave. This cahnge is not very obvious. How do
ig et Project to give me a error message or any message stating that i am
assigning a resource when he is not available or tht i am allocating a
non-available time?

Stephen,
Well I guess I'd have to say that Project can't be a "watchdog" over
everything. Project does have some options to provide messages for
various things but the one you are looking for only occurs under
specific circumstances. For example, if a task is of Fixed duration type
and Tools/Options/Schedule is set to show scheduling messages, then when
the user attempts to assign a resource (with non-zero Work) whose
availability is not compatible with the task's duration span, then
Project will issue an error message. So if your schedule is comprised
mainly of fixed duration tasks, then you will get scheduling messages.
Otherwise, you have to realize that Project Management is a "heads up"
application.

Let me just say one more thing. The default task type is Fixed Units.
With that setting the user is basically saying it is "OK" to re-schedule
tasks as long as the assignment units is consistent. So, if your tasks
are the default task type, Project does not consider it an "error" to
re-schedule a task to be compatible with a resource's availability.

Probably not the answer you were looking for, but as Rolling Stones say,
"you can't always get what you want. . . you get what you need."

John
Project MVP

 

[Stephen Moras]

Hi John,

The info that you gave at least helped me understand it better. But like u
said still doesnt solve my problem. If some resource is overallocated i cam
just go and see it in the resource graph n correct it..But this problem is
not visible anywhere..No visual or test indicators.. The fact that now every
time i enter a date, i have to check whether its the same or Project has
changed it without informing me is concerning. It emans more overlaod and
more time spent checking stuff..And yes all my tasks are default type n not
fixed duration..Thats how i want it..Resource driven..

I am bit suprised that this option is not there, i would have thought it to
be a basic requirement.

Thanks anyway..Appreciate it.

 

[John]

Hi John,

The info that you gave at least helped me understand it better. But like u
said still doesnt solve my problem. If some resource is overallocated i cam
just go and see it in the resource graph n correct it..But this problem is
not visible anywhere..No visual or test indicators.. The fact that now every
time i enter a date, i have to check whether its the same or Project has
changed it without informing me is concerning. It emans more overlaod and
more time spent checking stuff..And yes all my tasks are default type n not
fixed duration..Thats how i want it..Resource driven..

I am bit suprised that this option is not there, i would have thought it to
be a basic requirement.

Thanks anyway..Appreciate it.

Stephen,
I fully admit there are several things that might seem obviously useful
in the way of Project's "features". Some of them do get incorporated
into newer versions, but there will always be a wish list.

Meanwhile, in your case, you might want to try using the Compare Project
Versions utility. It is available as an add-in for Project 2000 and was
included as a built in utility with Project 2003 (I don't know about
Project 2002). That utility will create a difference report and makes it
fairly easy to see what has changed between two related Project files.
It isn't quite the convenience you wanted but it is a whole lot better
than manually comparing different versions of a particular file. Of
course there is also VBA which can be used to detect a whole lot of
things.

John
Project MVP