(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.
We have multiple activities (tests) which need to be planned using a number of test properties (vehicles) to maximise utilisation and shorten total test time.
The vehicles are allocated against the tests based on a number of perameters. - Currently this is done (badly) in peoples heads.
We are just starting to use P6 and I wondered if I can use it to automatically allocate the tests (activities) against the available test properties (resources) based on the resource properties.
eg Test A requires V8 engine and AWD
Test B requires any engine RWD
Test C requires any engine and AWD
Vehicle 1 is a V8 RWD, Vehicle 2 is a V6 AWD.
Test A and C can use Vehicle 2, Test B can use vehicle 1
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It looks like Roles are fields for an unfinished functionality, as per all references, including Ron Winter and P6 manuals available in ORACLE web site, P6 cannot assign resources automatically, you have to select them manually.
Anyone can manually resource level and draw bars using Excel or MacPaint. There are a few free templates available for such simple CPM schedules using Excel.
Maybe ORACLE finished implementing the functionality and Zoltan will show us how P6 can automatically execute the assignments Davis is looking for.
The assignment of skills to individual resources without taking into consideration their different productivity is not good enough for a great number of situations. Very frequently you substitute a high production resource with another with less productivity at other times you substitute a single resource with two of the same skill as to make up for the reduced productivity and vice versa.
Zoltan, does P6 selects and assigns resources automatically basing on roles assignments?
you can do the same in P6 by using roles theses can be skill sets
Yes, Simon, it is typical skill scheduling problem.
P6 has not required functionality but Spider Project does what you needs.
You may use Spider Project Lite for solving this task and then export created resource schedule to P6.
Spider Project Lite is most simple and cheapest version of Spider Project software. You can download Spider Lite Demo from www.spiderproject.com. Demo is full functional and can be used for free if the number of tests that you schedule does not exceed 40. If you will need more advanced functionality look at Spider Project Desktop and Professional.
Let me know if you are interested to get Spider file with your project. With Demo you will be able to open and play with
By the way 4th test may be done using Vehicle 1 or Vehicle 3. The choice may depend on user defined priorities (if you prefer Vehicle 1 set its priority as the highest and it will be selected if available), test cost (if depends on Vehicle used), test duration (if changing the vehicle changes test duration).
Regards,
Vladimir
Hi all, thanks for the replys
I think Rafael is closest to the understanding of the problem.
There is an error in my example... a better example is:
eg
Test A requires V8 engine and RWD any bodystyle
Test B requires a sedan, any engine, AWD
Test C requires any engine and AWD
Test D requires a V8
Vehicle 1 is a V8 RWD coupe, Vehicle 2 is a V6 AWD sedan. Vehicle 3 is a V8 AWD sedan
Test A can use Vehicle 1 only, Test B can use vehicle 2 or 3, Test C can use vehicle 2 or 3, Test D can use vehicle 1 or 3.
As you can see there are lots of different combinations of tests possible:
The base plan could be:
Vehicle 1: Test A then Test D
Vehicle 2: Test B
Vehicle 3: Test C
But if test A overruns Tst D could be moved to Vehicle 3, and Test C moved to Vehicle 2...
This is nice and simple when there are only 4 tests and 3 cars, but typically we have 100 vehicles and several hundred tests.
I only have P6, and am unlikely to get any alternatives signed off in the business.
I interpreted the problem as a Skills issue. The discrepancy I understood as a typo by Davis, therefore my example is not an exact match, is intended for illustration of the concept, the typo can easily be fixed by David. There are 3 possible options for engine; V8, V6 or Any of the two, there are 3 possible options for WD; AWD, RWD or Any of the two. This mean there are 9 possible combinations each to define a skill. At the moment only two skills are required but it can soon get complicated.
If latter on you want to include FWD - front wheel drive and other engine options such as 4 cyl the you will have 16 possible combinations, if you want to differentiate in-line engines versus v engines it will further increase the possible combinations that can be available.
In any case such scenarios, if this is what Davis is looking for I doubt P6 can handle it other than by manual resource leveling, precisely what Davis is looking to avoid. Imagine if the combinations are increased, that date constraints are added and the tests are 10 a day, manual assignment while looking for optimization can be a nightmare.
Assigning the resources to the appropriate skills by itself is time consuming, manual allocation of resources that will yield optimal or near optimal allocation, no way.
As far as I recall what P6 call Roles are essentially labels, similar to P6 material resources, resources that cannot be leveled and seems like necessary for purpose of costing independent of the other resource types.
Zoltan, let's wait until Simon will clarify his problem.
The problem with resource assignments is trivial if each test requires certain resource. In this case In this case Simon's problem is resource constrained schedule optimization only.
But Simon wrote that some tests require any vehicle with certain property, so I expect that there is a number of vehicles that may be used in the same tests. In your terms there are several vehicles "equal" to Test B and several vehicles "equal" to Test C. In this case this is the problem of optimizing resource assignments together with resource constrained schedule optimization. We call this problem Skill scheduling.
The latter problem is much more complex and interesting.
I expect that Simon will explain what are his real needs and if there are other constraints.
Simon
I think I understand what you are trying to do but your example is incorrect based on your criteria becasue you say that
Test A and C can use Vehicle 2. That is not true because Test A requires a V8 and you stated that Vehicle 2 was a V6 therefore Test A can not be run on this engine.
I think that you may be looking at this backwards. Typically you set up your activites then you assign the resource to the activity. It appears that you want to set up the resouce to create the activity.
In p6 your can create the activity and create 3 seperate resources based on your criteria. The key here is to identify as part of the the activity description that the vehicel is either a V8 AWD, AWD or a RWD. Then you can use a global change to AUTOMATICALLY assign the resources to the activity based on the activity name.
So create the vehicle number with the words V8, RWD or AWD in the description. I.E.
Vehicle 1 is a V8
Vehicle 2 is a AWD
Vehicle 3 is a RDW
set up three resource Test A, Test B and Test C
now go to tools global change
create a new global change
up top in the drop down under the Select Subject Area make sure to select Activity Resource Assignments
now use this statement
Where activity name contains V8
activity name contains RWD
activity name contains AWD
Then Resource equals Test A
Resource equals Test B
Resource equals Test C
then on the right select change and this will automatically assign the correct test resource based on the activity name.
so in these 3 cases theere is something unique in the activity name DONOT use V8 AWD becasue AWD is used for Test B
this gives you the ability to automatically assign the proper resource
another way to do this is to filter for these 3 activity descriptions seperately so the filter would be
the first fileter would be
where activity name contains V8
Then right click and select assign resources and select resource for Test A
the second filter would be
where activity name contains RWD
Then right click and select assign resources and select resource for Test B
the third filter would be
where activity name does not contain V8
and activity name does not contail RWD
Then right click and select assign resources and select resource for Test C
there are several ways to do this
FROM: http://www.ronwinterconsulting.com/Reviewing_Resource_Leveled_Schedules.pdf
Page 28 - P6 Automatic Resource Leveling Limitations
• P6 cannot automatically convert one type of resource into another (say two Journeymen for one Expert.)
This means P6 Skills functionality, whatever it is, is not good enough for your needs. The best way for you to know is by giving it a try. Say 20 resources and 50 tests. With Spider it would be as easy as 123.
I do not have a clue on the duration of the tests but can be down to a few minutes/seconds.
If you cannot get what you want with P6 then you should take a look at Spider Project. Then we can complicate the model a little bit such as automatic test adjustment depending on the specific vehicle and a few other things. We can add different test crews with different productivity. Different shifts for all crews, holidays, resource maintenance etc...
Tests do not need to be linked if independent of each other, the resource leveling will assign the test based on your priorities and resource availability, you can add other specific constraints if need be.
CPM sceduling is the tool of preference for most PROJECT schedules but there are cetain scehdules that do not require the sophistication of CPM software. For a start every time you make a change on a single activity you might need to re-schedule eveithing and this will change the task start/finish time of every testing activity. Imagine a doctor using a CPM to make his schedule or Sears to plan the repairs making a call every day to change the schedule. For these schedules each task represents a different project. You are already using P6 but I do not want to misled youn into using wrong tool. If a CPM tool is what you need then Spider is among the best you can get.
If you need something like a calendar software to manage resources then ScheduleIt, a very simple tool can be what you need. This is the second time ever I have recommended someone to consider something different to Spider, someting that instead of sophisticaded I would describe as very rudimentary. If for many years your company never used CPM for scheduling the testing it might be for a good reason.
Hi Simon,
project management software creates schedules.
If you you have a number of tests to be done, dependencies between different tests, resource requirements for each test and their expected duration the software may create the schedule that takes into account existing resource constraints.
If P6 can successfully model your work depends on details of your resource assignments. In particular if it is known what resources are needed for each test or you expect that the software will select who will do what, if there are space restrictions, if you need to simulate uncertainties like test may be successful with some probability and if no additional work and tests shall be done, etc.
So there are many factors that shall be considered for deciding if P6 is the best tool for your needs. Describe your problem in more details.
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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