Resource Leveling Multiple Projects

[JimS]

I am running Project Server 2003. I have 8 project schedules that have
resources that cross all projects. I have set the Project Priorities to
reflect the sequence that I want the projects to take. Within each project I
have assigned appropriate Task Priorities to reflect the actual work. I am
having a difficult time understanding how to resource all 8 project schedules
at the same time. Do I have to bring them into a "Master Project", then
resource level, and then save the resulting individual schedules?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

JimS --

If you want to level resource overallocations across all 8 projects, you
must open all 8 of them before leveling. A master project would be a good
way to do this pretty quickly. Hope this helps.

 

[JimS]

I have been opening all of them and then resource level schedule 1, but I
have found that this is effected by a potentially misleveled schedule 2, and

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

JimS --

My personal approach is to level one overallocated resource at a time across
all projects in the Resource Usage view and then to study the impact of
leveling on all projects in the Leveling Gantt view. I like to open two
windows for this operation by doing the following:

1. Apply the Resource Usage view
2. Click Window - New Window, select the Leveling Gantt view, and click OK
3. Return to the Resource Usage window and level the most critical resource
first
4. Examine the results of leveling in the Leveling Gantt view and clear
leveling for tasks not leveled appropriately
5. Manually level the tasks you cleared in step #4 using another method,
such as replacing an overallocated resource with an available resource
6. Return to the Resource Usage view and level the second most critical
resource and continue the above steps

In order for the above methodology to work, you must deselect the "Clear
leveling values before leveling" option in the Resource Leveling dialog
before you perform any leveling. Keep in mind that this is my personal
methodology for leveling, therefore, use it as you will. Hope this helps.

 

[JimS]

Interesting; I have never done this before, but I have not needed to resource
level across multiple projects either. I could have as many as 10-12 before
I am done.
Is there a way to open multiple schedules with a cntl-click method? I have
had to open each one (a pain).

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

JimS --

The simple way is to navigate to the Project Center page in PWA, select the
row headers of the projects you wish to open, and then click the Open
button. Project Server will open all of the selected projects in a master
project, which I believe is what you wish to do. From there you can perform
your leveling procedures. When finished, close the master project without
saving it, but click the Yes to All button when prompted to save changes to
the subprojects. Hope this helps.

 

[Jim Sipe]

The only issue is that when configuring Project Server, I was advised to make
the selection that does not allow Master Projects. Was that an incorrect
selection? Should I reverse this?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Jim --

You can safely save master projects in the Project Server database, but you
should never publish master projects that are saved in the Project Server
database. Hope this helps.

 

[Jim Sipe]

Major help . . . I believe I am "on my way" . . . thanks for all the great
help!!