Resource Pool using MS Project 2003

[robertpoddar]

Hi

Could someone please let me know who can i assign common resources across
multiple projects. To give a better idea, we are a team of 4 project managers
working on 10 products, but using the same resources.
Each of us, independantly prepare the project plan and during the review of
the plan, we get know that the resource we planned to use cannot be alloted
the tasks, since he / she is working at the same time on another project.

1. I have heard about resource pool using MS Project 2003, but was never
able to understand how to go about doing it, even when using the MS Project
Help option.

2. In this resource pool option, would it possible to know, when the
resource would be available?

thanks and regards,

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

robertpoddar --

Before you create a shared resource pool file, you (or someone) needs to
open every one of the 10 projects and standardize the naming convention for
every resource in the Resource Sheet view of each project. For example, if
the resource is named Mickey Cobb in one project, Margaret Cobb in another
project, and mcobb in the third project, you would need to name this
resource exactly the same in all three of those projects. One done, save
each of the projects, but leave each project open.

Next, open a new blank project, apply the Resource Sheet view, and then save
the project in the folder where the other 10 projects reside. Name it
Shared Resource Pool.mpp or something like that. Return to the first of the
10 open projects and click Tools - Resource Sharing - Share Resources.
Select the "Use resources" option, click the From pick list and choose the
shared resource pool file, and then make sure the "Pool takes precedence"
option is selected. Click the OK button. The system will copy the
resources from the first project into the shared resource pool file
automatically. Save and close the first project. Repeat these steps for
each of the other 9 projects. When you finish, save and close the shared
resource pool file as well.

From this point forward, whenever any of your PMs open a project, he/she
will be prompted to open the shared resource pool file as well. At any
time, any of you can open the shared resource pool file, apply the Resource
Usage view, and see what each resource is doing across all projects. Hope
this helps.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rod Gill]

Further to Dale's excellent post don not at any time, ever from now rename
any of your files, move them or over-write them without first detaching them
from the pool. If you do any of these, you roll the dice and one day
(tomorrow or in a few years) one or more of your files will corrupt, so
train your PM swell!

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

robertpoddar --

Before you create a shared resource pool file, you (or someone) needs to
open every one of the 10 projects and standardize the naming convention
for every resource in the Resource Sheet view of each project. For
example, if the resource is named Mickey Cobb in one project, Margaret
Cobb in another project, and mcobb in the third project, you would need to
name this resource exactly the same in all three of those projects. One
done, save each of the projects, but leave each project open.

Next, open a new blank project, apply the Resource Sheet view, and then
save the project in the folder where the other 10 projects reside. Name
it Shared Resource Pool.mpp or something like that. Return to the first
of the 10 open projects and click Tools - Resource Sharing - Share
Resources. Select the "Use resources" option, click the From pick list and
choose the shared resource pool file, and then make sure the "Pool takes
precedence" option is selected. Click the OK button. The system will
copy the resources from the first project into the shared resource pool
file automatically. Save and close the first project. Repeat these steps
for each of the other 9 projects. When you finish, save and close the
shared resource pool file as well.

From this point forward, whenever any of your PMs open a project, he/she
will be prompted to open the shared resource pool file as well. At any
time, any of you can open the shared resource pool file, apply the
Resource Usage view, and see what each resource is doing across all
projects. Hope this helps.

Hope this helps.