Why do new calendars appear in my project files?

[Steve]

I am running Project 2002 SP-1.

I note the proliferation of calendars in my projects. I see huge lists of
calendars appearing the organizer. Each will have the name of some calendar
followed by (almost) sequential integers. E.g., I created a calendar called
"equipment" and assigned it to a resource in a resources.mpp file that has
all the resources I use.

In the projects I will see a list of calendars called equipment,
equipment1,equipment2,...etc. Sometimes very long lists.
I suspect that this is somehow connected to the use of a resource file by
many different projects. I have deleted thses extra calendars, using the
organized only to have them reappear. They do not seem to show up in the
Global.mpp file, only the individual project files.

 

[JulieS]

Hi Steve,

I believe you are creating extra work for yourself. When you created the
resource "equipment" a calendar was automatically created for that resource.
Instead of making a new calendar for the resource, you may just edit the
already created calendar.
Open the resource pool, view the resource sheet and double click on the
"equipment" resource to open the Resource Information dialog box. Click the
working time tab and edit away.
I suspect that the extra calendars are either additional resources that were
created (check the resource sheet) or additional calendars that were created
in the method you describe.

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

 

[Steve]

Julie,

Thank you for responding. Perhaps I wasn't clear: I did not create a
resource called equipment. I created many resources (machinery, etc) all of
which are equipment. I then created a calendar called equipment to schedule
all of the equipment.

Steve

 

[JulieS]

Hi Steve,

Sorry for the confusion. I have tried to replicate your problem and have
been unable to.

That being said a couple of questions I would ask:

1) In the "sharer" files (those projects attached to the resource pool file)
are they set so that "Sharer takes precident" or "Pool takes precedent"?

2) You mention that you are seeing multiple "equipment" calendars in the
organizer. What file is open when you see those in the organizer?

3) If you open just the resource pool file with the option to open
read-write what files does the pool think it is supplying resources to?
(Check Tools>Share Resources).

Julie

 

[Steve]

Julie,

Here are the answers to your questions:

1. I always specify that "Pool takes precedent". I am scheduling a
manufacturing operation composed of people and equipment. Work comes in as
manufacturing tasks, and (for each job) I create a new schedule (*.mpp) file
drawing on a common resource pool composed of people (sometimes on different
shifts and calendars) and equipment (typically machinery resources).
I have struggled with ways to define availability of machinery and people to
deal with the issue of what ultimately limits the rate of production? People
or equipment. Machine operations often take many weeks and, while the
personnel calendars honor shifts and things like Holidays, a setup may remain
on a machine effectively removing that machine for the list of available
equipment. (anyway, all this is to say that I've experimented with lots of
calendars).

2. I see multiples of all of the calendars (equipment, calendar 1, double
shift, 24hrs).
These always appear in the individual program files (schedules that draw on
my RESOURCE.MPP file containing the resources and their calendars. I notice
them when I assign a calendar to a task as I work with the schedule. Say, if
I open the task information window and assign a calendar to a task. I then go
it the organizer and, under the caledar tab, you will see hundreds of
calendars with the names of the calendars if created to which sequential
integers have been appended, I assume by MSProject in an attempt to make each
one have a unique name.
I will select all these calendars, and delete them. However, the reappear
later, maybe days or weeks later if I do another update of the work. I
suspect this is somehow linked to the resource update operation that Project
does as you edit the schedule.

I may(usually do) have several project files open as I work the schedules. I
frequently have the RESOURCE.MPP file open as well to assign resources to the
tasks in the schedules. I have MANY links between tasks in projects as work
in one job effects the availability of machinery for another. There is a lot
of interdependence between files.

3. I often open the RESOURCES.MPP file and look at the list of resources and
the programs they are assigned to. I see all the projects using the
resources. (it would be nice if one could expand the column widths in some of
these views since the path names can be long). I use this as a means of
updating (usually breaking links) the relationships of programs that have
completed to sever the effect these files have on the others. My resource
file has evolved over time and unless I cut the links, old resources keep
reappearing in the resource file.

One note I should probably mention: The hourly rates of the resources change
with several factors and I use an Excel spreadsheet (RATES.XLS) to handle
these. The $$/hr fields in the RESOURCES.MPP file are linked to cells in the
RATES.XLS spreadsheet. So I always get the "update links" dialog box when I
open the RESOURCES.MPP file.

I've been working on this for years. Sometimes I feel as though I've created
a monster!

Steve

 

[JulieS]

Hi Steve,

Thanks very much for the detailed answers to my questions. I have to admit
I am stumped. I have tried a number of things (creating files with the same
named calendars as other calendars existing in other files and then attaching
to a common pool, copying files, using resource base calendars as task
calendars, etc.) and am unable to create the multiple sequentially named
calendar files.

What you describe (how you set up the sharer files) looks perfectly
reasonable.

The only "yikes!" that struck me from your post is it appears as though you
have been working with the same pool file for years? I know it's a huge
amount of work, but I don't know if a re-build of the pool file may be in
order. It sounds as though over the years duplicate calendars have wormed
their way into some files and I imagine what ever created them may still
continue.

Was the pool file originally created in an earlier release of Project?
Again, I don't recall seeing the duplication problem in Project 2000 but who
knows - I most likely wasn't really looking for it.

I will keep pondering and experimenting to see if I can replicate the
problem....so sorry I couldn't come up with the "magic" answer. If other
folks are still reading this thread I hope they will jump in with some more
ideas...

Julie

 

[Steve]

Julie,

Thanks for the reply.
I suspect file corruption may be the cause. Question, which file? Most
likely it is the RESOURCE.MPP file - sort of like "Typhoid Mary". Yes, this
file has been around for years and has changed a lot.

I noticed several times getting a "cannot open file" when I try to save a
project file I've been working on. Usually when this happens, I've been using
the RESOURCES.MPP file.

My fix is to satrt over! WHat a drag.

In browsing through the forum topics on keyword "calendar" I have located
several threads where people are describibg exacgtly what I'm experiencing:


Title: "Duplicating Calendars" date: 9/15/2004
User "deluth

Title: 'Muiltiple Calendars" date: 10/26/2004
User "RD"

Title: file size exploding" date: 9/28/2004
User: Ian Coletti - he responded to someone elses's query.

Seems like there is a bug somewhere!

I'm going to rebuild my resource file from scratch and see if this goes away.

Steve

 

[JulieS]

Hi Steve,

Yes, if I had to guess which file was probably corrupt - my guess would be
your resource file. As you so aptly point it, it may be your "typhoid Mary."

Good luck and let us know if we can assist again the in the future.
Julie