Project 2007 - preventing overallocation?

[timbobd]

I have a project with defined tasks and related level-of-effort estimates in
hours. I have manually created a leveled and optimized plan in Excel and want
to enter this plan into Project 2007.

I entered all tasks with LOEs as "work" hours as well as specific
dependencies but am having problems when assigning resources. Basically I
just want to assign the tasks and have Project schedule them at the earliest
time without overallocations. However, Project is overallocating. For
example, a task with no dependencies may be moved to start on the project
start date even though the resource already has 40 hours for the first week -
I thought that I read that tasks with type "Fixed Units" would not allow
overtime.

Any tips or hints on how to do this? So far I am slowly entering one task at
a time and manually correcting errors. This is very time consuming and
pain-staking. FYI I am not using resource leveling due to past experience and
warning from fellow project managers.

Thanks in advance!

Tim D

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Not using resource leveling, but wanting Project to level is like refusing
to step in a car and regretting you have to walk.
The only function in Project that does what you want IS resource leveling.
And your fellows advising you against definitely haven't read the
explanations... sorry.

Greetings,

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

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Tim,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

It seems to me you have created a schedule in Excel and you just want
Project to copy it. I'd stick with Excel if that's the way you intend to
go! You need to enter tasks, their durations and the precedence links,
followed by the resources assignments, into Project and let Project do what
it is designed for - to create a schedule for you based on the data you've
entered. To get a workable schedule, you must level to remove
overallocations. If you want to do that manually, you're in for a lot of
work, whereas Project can do that so well for you with its built-in
levelling algorithm. I think you've been ill advised to ignore Project's
levelling, probably by persons who don't know how Project works. Why not
try levelling first, which will take a few seconds and see what it gives
you - you can always unlevel if necessary. At least you will get a workable
project which you can refine if necessary.

A final point, if you import dates, each one will create a constraint which
will almost certainly affect the flexibility that you need with Project.
You should seldom, if ever, enter dates into Project (other than the project
start date).

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials

 

[timbobd]

Thanks to Jan and Mike for their replies.

I have a mandate to enter my project in Project, else I would stick with
Excel, which I can get to do what I want.

My colleagues are not well versed in Project, as you suspected. Same here.

I have tried resource leveling, and it seems to be going ok now. As with
past attempts, it looks like I can get my plan in with cycles of level-view
report-manually adjust-level again-etc. I am still getting overallocated
resources, but not excessively so, and sometimes move tasks out a month or
two out for no obvious reason (I can manually move them back to start
earlier, but the next time that I level it is pushed out again). However
given enough time I should be able to get this done. It just seems to require
more work than it should.

 

[Mike Glen]

You're welcome, and good luck

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials

 

[GTS]

Hi Timbod,

I'm not an expert, but if Project is moving tasks for no obvious reason, you
probably have a constraint in there that you don't know about. (it might be
in a task that the moving task is attached to). Moving it manually back might
set up another constraint that will bump something else over later.

See if there are any contstraint dates that are in the Advanced tab, or if
it says something other than As Soon As Possible.

Hope this helps.