Guild of Project Controls: Compendium | Roles | Assessment | Certifications | Membership

Tips on using this forum..

(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?

(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.

overloaded resource pool=pushed out end dates

8 replies [Last post]
Wed, 2010-01-27 13:05
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Hello,
I have a resource pool of 13. They have been given a task that takes 10 days to complete. Not a problem...however, the current task will require 50 resources and I have only 13. MSProject only shows me that the resources are overloaded. I want the leveling algorithm to show me that it will actually take 40 days to complete.
Days 1-10, 13 resources; days 11-20, 13 resources; days 21-30, 13 resources; and days 31-40, 11 resources.
What am I missing?
Thanks,
Eric
Top

Replies

Thu, 2010-01-28 12:18
#1
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Thank you Vladimir and all,
I believe I have exhausted all investigations and have used all input.
Thank you for a satisfactory conclusion.
Eric
Top
Thu, 2010-01-28 09:43
#2
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 3 days 5 hours ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Feb 2001
Posts: 2748
Groups: Accreditation Editors, Board of Advisors, Civil Engineering, GPCCAR Editors, Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, Regional Representatives, Spider Project Team, TURNAROUND & SHUTDOWN (T/A & S/D)
I expected that you will get the answer to set activity effort and assign your resources. For effort driven activity the duration is calculated basing on the number and calendars of assigned resources.

This problem is usual in projects. In Spider Project we use different technique, defining quantity of work, resource productivities, mimimal and maximal quantities of assigned resources. The software calculates planned duration basing on these data.

Best Regards,
Vladimir
Top
Wed, 2010-01-27 22:43
#3
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Trevor,
Thanks for the help. I had decided to chop up the task but had hoped that I was overlooking something.
Be well,
Eric
Top
Wed, 2010-01-27 21:31
#4
Trevor Rabey
User offline. Last seen 1 year 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 530
Groups: None
Eric,
I hear what you say you are hoping for, but is it not better to just make a proper model and solve the problem by working with the tool the way it is designed to be used?

What I would do.
Chop the task up into 8 x 5 days tasks.
Create the 13 resources and assign them as required to the tasks.
Level first with all options turned off, then try other options one at a time.

You can send me the file so I know what we are talking about. I am on skype.
Top
Wed, 2010-01-27 20:47
#5
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Thanks, Trevor.
I was hoping to be able to accept work calling for +13 resources and have the software calculate an end date taking into account the resource overload.

The settings in the Resource Leveling/Leveling Order: have boxes 2 & 3 checked.
Top
Wed, 2010-01-27 20:09
#6
Trevor Rabey
User offline. Last seen 1 year 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 530
Groups: None
"automatically" stretch the timeline to 40 days"
Won’t happen, can’t happen, should not happen.
The basic problem here is that the task is too long and has too many resources assigned. If you chop things up a bit, all problems will disappear.
What leveling options do you have checked in Tools, Level Resources?
Top
Wed, 2010-01-27 16:47
#7
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Thank you, Mike
I do have the max units on the Resource Sheet set to 13. I’m wanting MS Project to "automatically" stretch the timeline to 40 days to work the request.
Stretching the bar out to 40 days is not desirable as I’ll be handing this file off to others to move forward with.
Go well,
Eric
Top
Wed, 2010-01-27 16:43
#8
Mike Testro
User offline. Last seen 8 weeks 1 day ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 4418
Groups: Building Information Modelling, Content Moderators, GPCCAR Editors
Hi Eric

Set the maximimum resource allowed at 13.

Otherwise just stretch the bar to 40 days and be done with it.

Best regards

Mike Testro
Top