Resource Overallocation When there Isn't

[Brianp2001]

I have a simple project with four 1 hour tasks that need to be
completed on the same day. The tasks can be done in any order and need
to be completed by the same resource. The work is 1 hour and the
duration is 1 hour. When I assign my resource to the 4 tasks, Project
shows my resource as over allocated. My resource has an availability
of 8 hours of work in a day. So, 4 hours of work in a day should not
show my resource as over allocated. By changing the resources units
for the tasks, changes my work or duration which it shouldn't. He will
be allocated 100% to each 1 hour task. I would agree that if Project
thinks the time of each task is at 9:00 am he would be over allocated,
but project assigns start and finish in day intervals and the exact
hour the resource completes the tasks doesn't matter, just that they
are completed in that day.

Anyone have a solution for this scenario?

 

[DavidC]

Hi,

Are the tasks sequential or are they set as start as soon as possible and
independent of each other? I suspect that if they can be done in any order
then you correctly do not have them linked.

If you have the same resource allocated to more than one task happening at
the same time then Project will show the resource as overallocated, and you
will need to level the project. Also check and make sure that the number of
units for the resource hasn't been set to zero.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Brian,

What makes you say Project works in days intervals?
Project works in minutes intervals, and even when a resource is
overallocated for only a minute it will be shown as red.
So as you do not sequence your tasks they indeed all start at beginning of
day and your resources are terribly overallocated;

Best read FAQ 34 in
http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm

It explains this in more detail.

HTH

 

[Steve House]

It becomes a lot clearer what is going on if you go to the Tools, Options
menu, View tab and select a date format that shows both date and time. Your
4 1-hour tasks will all show starting at 8am and ending at 9am if you are
using the default calendar. Now, the % Units assignment of a resource is
NOT the percentage of his total work hours that he is booked. Rather, it is
the RATE at which he converts hours of time spent into hours of work. Your
present booking has him trying to be in 4 places at once and somehow
magically create 4 hours of work during only 1 hour of time! In other
words, he's booked a total of 400% between 8 and 9 am! One person simply
can't do that - 100% where 1 hour of time gives you 1 hour of work is the
best any individual can possibly do. What needs to happen is for the tasks
to be spread out so the first one goes from 8 to 9 am, the second from 9 to
10, etc, and that's exactly what resource leveling accomplishes. Tools,
Level Resources will do the trick but note, the default setting is for it to
go on a day by day basis and it will ignore task overlaps of less than a
full day in length. So before hitting "Level Now" be sure to change to
"Look for overallocations" setting to "Hour-by-Hour." If there is a desired
order for him to work on the tasks, setting task priorities will determine
how they end up being sequenced, with highest priority worked first, the the
next lower, etc