One resources multiple tasks, set durations (newbie)

[keithy]

I am setting up a project that requires me to assisn one resource to multiple
tasks (in chronological order), with different % of assigned work and set
durations:

IE
Resource = Sam( works on 4 projects at the same time)
Project 1-
task 1) 120 man hour task, 20days to finish, 3/1-3/29, 75% work output,
(meaning he can work on the task only 75% of the time)
task 2) 60 man hour task 15day to finish , 3/29-4/19 50% work output
task 3) 20 man hour task 10day to finish, 4/19-5-3 25% work output

Projects 2,3,4
same idea different start dates

Ultimaltey, I want to track the daily work hours to make sure I'm not
overallocating the resource.

My problem is that I cannot get the "days to finish" to match up with the
actual working dates and total number of hours to be worked. The project is
highly deadline driven and I cannot change the # of working hours or the
dates.

Hope this makes sense

Thanks
keith

 

[Jim Aksel]

Assuming Sam is available 100% of the time (8 hours/day) and his allocations
to projects are as you stated (Ramp Down from 75% down to 25%). You have
exactly one resource. I assume the tasks must be performed in order with
Finish to Start task dependency relationships between them (within any one
project).

Sam will be overloaded if the sum of any two tasks is more than 100% of his
time. So, he cannot start Project2 at 75% until he is at the 25% state on
Project1. The logic will carry forward.

The easiest way to do this is set Task1 of Project2 with a Start to Start
Link running concurrently with Task3 of Project1. Task1 of Project3 can
start concurrently (Start to Start Precessor Link) with Task3 of Project2.

So you are linking via a Start-to-Start (SS) dependency between Task3 of the
prior Project and Task1 of the "next" Project. Anything else overloads Sam.

Looking at the detail, Sam will have some spare time on his hands. He'll
start at 75%, drop to 50%, then up to 100%. He'll toggle between 50-75-100%
busy until the last Project which will eventually trail him off to 25%.

You can find out more about dependency types (Finish-to-Start,
Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish, and Start-to-Finish) in the Help pages of
Project. This link also gives a demo:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/HA010930891033.aspx

If you want to raise Sam's utilization, you will need to perform the tasks
out of sequence. If you want to complete the task in less than 45 work days,
you will need additional help to complete the tasks in a shorter duration.

Did you realize that if you assign Sam 100% to the project and tell him to
work one project in its entirety before starting the next that he can
complete all 4 projects in 100 work days? Your way it will take 150 work
days.

If you assign Sam 75% to all tasks and only let him work 6hr/day, you will
be done in 134 days.

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