Project 2007 resource leveling

[alistairrossbrown]

Hi,

I have a situation where the resource levelling in Project 2007 is
driving me nuts.

I have a 5 day task (task 1) for which I have assigned a resource for
20% of their time; I have set this as a fixed duration task.

I then have another task (task 2) that is longer than the first task,
let's say 10 days. I want the resource to use the spare 80% of their
time working on task 1 until task 1 is complete and then work on task
2 for 100% of their time.

When I have tried setting this up in project, if I set the resource to
be available on task 2 for 100% of their time, task 2 doesn't start
until task 1 is complete and the resource is under utilised for the
duration of task 1. Not what I want.

If I set the resource to be available on task 2 for 80% of their time,
then for the duration of task 1 they are 100% utilised, but once task
1 is complete they are then only 80% utilised for the rest of task 2.
Again not what I want.

The only way I have been able to solve this problem is to split task 2
into 2 tasks, lets call them task 2a and task 2b. I then allocate the
resource to be allocated for 80% of their time on task 2a and then
100% of their time on task 2b. This gives me the correct resource
allocation, but means i have to manually work out the task durations
for task 2a and 2b.

Please tell me that there is another way to do this??

Thanks

Alistair

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Alistair,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

Project cannot do this as it stands. Levelling only delays tasks as you
have found. You seem to have got the best solution. However, if this is a
frequent and demanding task, you might get some vba development advice if
you try posting on the microsoft.public.project.developer newsgroup (forum).
Please see FAQ Item: 24. Project Newsgroups. FAQs, companion products and
other useful Project information can be seen at this web address:
http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

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 my free Project Tutorials

 

[vanita]

Hi Alistair

Resource levelling in MSP is little tricky.

For your problem you could go ahead with assigning 20% resource to Task 1.
Now for Task 2:
1. Assign total work required from the Resource for full task duration. So,
MSP will automatically divide this work equally in the full task duration.
2. Schedule might show overallocation in those days when Task 1 and 2 are
happening simultaneously.
3. Adjust the resources for Task 2 manually in Resource usage view with 80%
for those days when work is happening simultaneously with Task 1 and 100% for
the rest of the days.
OR
Use an appropriate Resource usage curve for the Task 2. This option is
available by right clicking on resource assignment in the Resource usage view

Assignment information box. This will show differential resource usage

during the task duration.

I hope it helps
Vanita