Please help! - Repetitive ("bucket") task scheduling

[Marko]

Hi,

I have an issue at my workplace:
It's not a problem assigning resources of known dates and durations, however
for my position (admin. based) I need to account for all my time during the
week. To do this, I've set up 6 or 7 tasks that I am working on during the
week (any task which I think I'll be booking time against), but obviously
it's not guaranteed, a) if I'll actually book time to that task, and b), how
much time I'll book. I simply want the ability to have a few tasks to book my
time against, which will total the given hours in the working day. For your
information, I just gave each task a duration of 60 days and a resource
allocation of 1% (so as to not overallocate myself.)

The problem is that when I book time to those tasks (using Project Web
Access), it seems to alter the remaining work available for the remaining
days in the week. The week after seems to reset itself. I can do a little
"post tweaking" to make the %ages look correct in MSP itself, but in the
resource allocation and PWA, the number of hours available for work actually
goes above the 7.4 hours allocated.

I've messed around with "fixed duration" and the other options, but can't
seem to get it to work.

Sorry for the ramble! but is there any simple way I can just allocate myself
as a resource against a few tasks, which I may or may not book my time
against all of them, but the time I split between some (or all) of them, adds
up to the working day, BUT doesn't have a knock on effect with the %ages and
hours available for the remainder of the week?

Any solutions, gratefully received! (But please make it simple as I'm an
MSP beginner!)

Thanks.

 

[John]

Hi,

I have an issue at my workplace:
It's not a problem assigning resources of known dates and durations, however
for my position (admin. based) I need to account for all my time during the
week. To do this, I've set up 6 or 7 tasks that I am working on during the
week (any task which I think I'll be booking time against), but obviously
it's not guaranteed, a) if I'll actually book time to that task, and b), how
much time I'll book. I simply want the ability to have a few tasks to book my
time against, which will total the given hours in the working day. For your
information, I just gave each task a duration of 60 days and a resource
allocation of 1% (so as to not overallocate myself.)

The problem is that when I book time to those tasks (using Project Web
Access), it seems to alter the remaining work available for the remaining
days in the week. The week after seems to reset itself. I can do a little
"post tweaking" to make the %ages look correct in MSP itself, but in the
resource allocation and PWA, the number of hours available for work actually
goes above the 7.4 hours allocated.

I've messed around with "fixed duration" and the other options, but can't
seem to get it to work.

Sorry for the ramble! but is there any simple way I can just allocate myself
as a resource against a few tasks, which I may or may not book my time
against all of them, but the time I split between some (or all) of them, adds
up to the working day, BUT doesn't have a knock on effect with the %ages and
hours available for the remainder of the week?

Any solutions, gratefully received! (But please make it simple as I'm an
MSP beginner!)

Thanks.

Marko,
I saw your original post a few days ago - apparently no one replied so
I'll give you my two cents.

Project is an application for scheduling planned tasks to achieve an end
milestone or product. It is not really structured for use as a catch all
for things that might occur. The former is scheduling, the latter is
accounting. In your particular case I suggest you not use Project at
all. Trying to use Project for your activities only complicates what is
a fairly straightforward time accounting activity.

I suggest you use Excel and set up a simple list of all the possible
tasks you might be doing in any given time period. As you work the
various tasks, enter the hours worked and keep a running total.

Just an observation. It seems you are trying to use a full blown
application to do what would normally be entries on a timesheet or
timecard, that is, recording hours worked against multiple charge
numbers or work orders.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP