Resource Planning

Two years later and I am still clueless about resource leveling, could you please enlighten me if in P6, it is possible to automatically change durations just to honor resource availability

Anoon,

When binding to a contract, a milestone is set and it may link to LD for most of the cases. This is why activity calendar is first to meet the milestone. If activity calendar is not visible due to resource restriction then it should be brought up to the client to approve the new milestone date. If client insist the original milestone, the contractor or PM will now decide and re-do the resource planning to meet the milestone for as far as he can get. That is why more resources are coming from overseas.

I hope this answer you question.

Anoon,

calendars show when the work can be done. It does not make sense to ignore non-working periods.

I see the problem if our approved schedule is unrealistic.



Yes, Spider Project can handle limited resources for huge projects, programs, portfolios.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hi Rodel,



Yes, but I mean considering calendars of limited resources (no consideration of unlimited resources - as where your activity calendars were supposed to have been derived).



Meaning you got to decide between your activity calendar and resource calendar knowing that if you use resource calendar, your schedule (duration) will certainly extend, therefore creating further problems.



I supposed Vladimir’s Spider was designed to handle limited resources on large scales projects?



Best regards

Hi Anoon,

the Client dictates the requirements and can reject the schedule that was submitted if it does not comply with the requirements.



In Spider Project the work can be done during those periods that are working in both activity and resource calendars.

Activity calendar set restrictions on activity execution (like only on Summer, or during the day time), resource calendar defines the work time of the resource. It does not matter which one is first.



Vladimir

Anoon,

In general practice Activity calendar first. It will give you the full duration of the job. Resource calendar will take place if the delay occurs where you need to plan your resource to catch up the delays. This is where the PM decides to have 2 shift or accelerations of resources. This will depends on working area, safety & environmental issues and risk management. If the area is too crowded for increasing the resource productivity will become an issue including safety and risk that is why shifting of works are considered. While considering the shifting, safety, environmental and risk is again analyzed if the area is recommended for double or triple shifts. Again if not possible then working extra hour maybe appropriate.

Is that making sense?

Hi Vladimir,



"And usually the Contrator shall submit resource loaded schedule in the certain period (like 30 days) after the contract was awarded." And I may add, for Client/Owner’s approval (or record only?)?



The question here is, Can the Client dictate the "resource planning" of the Contractor based on its methodology (if ever the Client don’t like or does not approve the schedule)?



Hi Rodel,



"Activity first" - so which calendar governs (in case of conflicts), activity calendar or resource calendar?



Best regards

Anoon,

If you read my post #63, it clearly stated that activity first before the resources for most of the projects.

1) When preparing a schedule for a bid documents, resources are on summary level on the schedule because the detail task was not yet created as per construction methodology but the schedule represent the whole scope in the contract.

2) Once the project is commencing or awarded, the PM will resource the project with the help of planner, estimator and HR. The planner will breakdown the schedule into manageable detail and start resource planning with the help of construction manager based on construction methodology and submit to PM for approval.

Hope this answer you question.

Is it first place or not, but these requirements are not rare. And usually the Contrator shall submit resource loaded schedule in the certain period (like 30 days) after the contract was awarded.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hi Vladimir,



I supposed when the Client/Owner accepts the Contractor, that means that the Contractor is qualified for the job.



And I don’t believe that the ability to prepare a proper schedule (resource loaded), is one of the basis for Contractor’s pre-qualification (maybe), but I supposed they are not counting on that in the first place.



The Client/Owner will give the Scope and the specifications (in general), but would they dictate about the methods of the Contractor?



Best regards

Yes,

For Client/Owner resources may be Contractors, main Materials and Equipment, but the Client may require from the Contractor to submit the resource loaded schedule with certain WBS and level of details. It is required because the Client wants to be sure that the Contractor understands the job, plans it properly, and have sufficient resources to finish it on time. It may be used for the control if the quantity of resources on site is sufficient.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Anoon,

I will answer basing on Spider Project functionality but will omit the usage of typical fragment library. We shall discuss it later.

1. Start with the results WBS. Work packages in this WBS mean achieving some small result.

2, Decompose work packages creating project activities (describe actions that shall be done to achieve corresponding results.

3. Link activities of work packages and then enter links between activities of different work packages. Add and link milestones.

4. Enter activity types - some of them are duration driven, but for most their durations are defined by the quantity of work and assigned resource productivities. Enter activity types.

5. For duration driven activities enter expected durations, for others enter the volumes (quantities) of work to be done.

6. If absent, create a list of project resources and enter their quantities.

7. Define activity and resource calendars. Activity calendar defines the periods when it can be performed. Resource calendar defines resource work periods. Activity can be performed only when the time is working for all calendars - activity can be performed and assigned resources are available.

8. Create crews - groups of resources necessary for doing the work on different activity types. We call these groups multi-resources.

9. Assign crews (it means assigning all crew resources). If resources shall work only together they belong to the same team. If resources can work independently assign them as the separate team.

10. Enter productivities of assigned resources for those activities whose duration is defined by work quantities.

11. Create a list of materials.

12. Assign materials to activities and resources (fixed quantities, or quantities per hour, or work volume units).

13. If materials are restrited create the supply schedule (when and what material quantities will become available).

14. Now you are ready for scheduling.



The better way for creating schedule model - use typical fragment library and corporate reference-books. But this is Spider Project specific.



Let’s return to calendars.

There are separate activity calendars (when activity can be performed), resource calendars (resource work time), and dependency calendars (applied to dependency lags).

Activity will be performed at periods when the time is working for both activity and all resources assigned in the same team.

If resources do not belong to the same crew and can work on activity independently then they shall be assigned as different teams.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Vladimir,



Re:"The Client/Owner define the requirements to the project schedule, Contractor developes the schedule."



What do you mean by requirements? Up to what level of specifics (generally)?



Please don’t say, depending on the contract.



I supposed "Resource(s)" for the Client/Owner will be the Contractor, Permanent Materials and Permanent Equipment.



How does "Resource Planning" for a Time Schedule relates or affects the Client/Owner?



Best regards

Hi Vladimir,



"Activities are planned first" - What’s the consideration here? Highest priority (meaning Activities sequencing will drive the schedule - first)?



"The schedule shall respect all constraints - activity sequencing, resource availability, Calendars, everything."



Order (I’ll limit to three):



1. Activity(s) sequencing

2. Resource Availability

3. Calendars - (might involve both Activity and Resource)



For number 3, which one should be considered first, Activity Calendar or Resource Calendar?



You might say that it will depend if your Schedule is Task Dependent or Resource Dependent, but please remember, "Activities are planned first".



Hi Mike,



Would you mind answering with substance?



Best regards

Hi Vladimir



Precisely.



Best regards



Mike Testro.

Hi Anoon,

activities require resources to performed.

Activities are planned first - you shall decide what to do first and then who will do what.

If necessary resources are not available activity performance will be delayed.

The Client/Owner define the requirements to the project schedule, Contractor developes the schedule.

The schedule shall respect all constraints - activity sequencing, resource availability, Calendars, everything.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Happy Easter to All,



Question(s):



Activity Requirements vs. Resource Requirements



or Activity Planning vs. Resource Planning



1. Which comes first?



2. How is it related or what is the relationship between activity and resource?



3. Who’s responsibility is what? or i.e. Who is the primary responsible to prepare the Activities (Work Packages / Milestones) and/or Resources? The Client/Owner or the Contractor?



4. What is most important? Activity sequencing? or Availability of limited Resources (including Calendars, other Constraints)?



Please answer by instinct without considering any form of Contract.



Thanks

When the project is late the Owner usually looses more.

To have early warnings if there are problems is necessary. The lack of resources on site is one of these warnings. It is better to know resource requirements than blindly believe contractors.

"So why the Client should bother about how many tilers the Contractor is supposed to assign?" because if he doesn’t bother about it, either making sure that the contractor has it figured out, or doing it himself, then his project will be late.

If it turns out that the client has not done it, often the contractor doesn’t do it, because he can’t, then no one has done it.

The client can want and wish or hope for anything he likes, but he won’t get it unless someone figures it out.

You may think that this doesn’t happen, that the client just leaves it to the contractor, and the contractor doesn’t do it, and the client never properly investigates to discover it. But it does happen, Ive seen it.

Trevor,



I supposed the Client or Owner is not "dictating durations", but I believe they are guessing durations and let the Contractors validate that guess.



So why the Client should bother about how many tilers the Contractor is supposed to assign? When all the Client wants is a Tile this much, and to be finished or delivered on this time?



All the rest, you can refer to the Contract.

Mimoune,

I am with Vladimir on this one.

If you simply dictate some durations and then say that it is the contractor’s problem to manage his resources, you can be sure that his problems will become your problems.

If you don’t bother to work out that it takes 17 tilers to lay the tiles in 20 days, how will you know that he knows how to manage that, and how will you know that if he turns up with 3 tilers every day the task will be late? When will you know? You won’t know until day 20 has gone by. Of course you can sue him but that won’t get your project back on schedule and 20 days has gone, never to return.

All,



IMHO, the Owner or Client has nothing to do with "Resource Planning", - the Client’s resource is the Contractor.



"Resource Planning" is the contractor’s problem depending on his/her methodology and as long as it is in compliance with the requirements.

Vladimir



i can’t disagree with you ;) i want just to say that planner who worked before as supervisor or in generally worked as contractor (the guy who really do the work in site) are very aware about the importance of resource leveling, i think it is very obvious, work completion depend on resource deployed.



Anoon.



we level at level 3 (it may be level 4 for other definitions); work package, let’s say compressor foundation for civil we put only two activities excavation, and concrete work, ( notice here concrete work is reinforced concrete, the steps , re-bars, formworks, pouring, foundations protection are considered for assessment of progress but not for planning)



now we assign resource concrete work with a unite rate of say 10 m3/day and the total quantity 500 m3 ( notice here it is equivalent quantity, concrete + rebards)

we do the same for all the packages.



we assign a normal and max usage for the resource, and schedule and level.



once we have the durations, now the hard part, the contractor must level his resources to respect those durations, he may further develop a more detailed programs ( put the real activities rebars, formwork, pouring with real resources labor, batching plant..), or use traditional method, ask field supervisors how each one need labors and equipment to finish the package in time, it is very interesting experience to see supervisors fight over resources (actually i attended a real fight about that;)



best regards

Anoon,

Majority of the company that I work with are having this practice. When the company submit a bid having a schedule of level 2 or 3 resourced and cost loaded as required. This will include critical path, identified risk, S-curved and histogram but management level. Meaning the resources are not breakdown as detailed but showing the total number of workforce from start to peak to finish.

When Project start the planner start to derive the baseline from the level 3 down to manageable level of details that the project required to handle all the scope as per submitted schedule on the contract (level 4 or 5 will be created with the same critical path) and resubmit for approval. Resources are more detailed and more defined and a cost account has been created as per WBS but more detail. All unknown scope but already have budgets are separate and not included for BAC until it’s been identified and added to the baseline. (Mostly provisional sum and management reserved). These levels of detail are useful for what if scenario and conditions required needed to be meet.

Mimoune,

I don’t understand with what you disagree.

The owner may think that contractor’s resources are unlimited and it means that he does not level resources at all and can use less detailed schedule that sets contractual milestones.

But clever owner will try to set the requirements to the contractor resources and to control if the contractor workforce is sufficient for proper project performance.



Anoon,

usually the resource loaded schedule is considered at level 4 or even 5. But I don’t approve these levels. The schedule can be shown with different details but if instead of one you manage several schedules of the same project it is hard to avoid errors and besides it is a lot of unnecessary work.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Mimoune,



Thanks for digging up up this three year old thread, and it seems that until now, it is not understood on where "Resource Planning" can be applicable?



And they said, resource planning can only be applied if your schedule is "detailed" which means measurable, adjustable and corresponds to other variables.



So what is the level (level 3,4,5...) of this so-called "detailed schedule" wherein you can practically assign and adjust resources?



Would this mean as well that for level 1 or 2 schedules (representing only work packages), you can never expect to assign resources (practically) or make whatever adjustments as regards resources?

thanks all for your valuable input



Rodel you catch exactly what i want to achieve, once i get the needed productivity of concrete work to be done to respect the said milestones, it is up to the contractor to manage his resource to respect those duration. after all it is up to the contractor to manage his resources.



and for resource leveling, Vladimir i absolutely disagree;)( at least that’s what i notice from my little experience)

that’s depends on the planner background, if he started work from the contractor side, it is the first thing that he cares about,but if he had only work for the main contractor, generally they tend to think that resource are unlimited or that it is the problem of contractor not them.



best regards

thanks all for your valuable input



Rodel you catch exactly what i want to achieve, once i get the needed productivity of concrete work to be done to respect the said milestones, it is up to the contractor to manage his resource to respect those duration. after all it is up to the contractor to manage his resources.



and for resource leveling, Vladimir i absolutely disagree;)( at least that’s what i notice from my little experience)

that’s depends on the planner background, if he started work from the contractor side, it is the first thing that he cares about,but if he had only work for the main contractor, generally they tend to think that resource are unlimited or that it is the problem of contractor not them.



best regards

thanks all for your valuable input



Rodel you catch exactly what i want to achieve, once i get the needed productivity of concrete work to be done to respect the said milestones, it is up to the contractor to manage his resource to respect those duration. after all it is up to the contractor to manage his resources.



and for resource leveling, Vladimir i absolutely disagree;)( at least that’s what i notice from my little experience)

that’s depends on the planner background, if he started work from the contractor side, it is the first thing that he cares about,but if he had only work for the main contractor, generally they tend to think that resource are unlimited or that it is the problem of contractor not them.



best regards

Anoon,

My understanding of detail is these: For Reinforced concrete works (i.e. Foundation) you have different work forces required to complete the job. You need work force for excavation, another for carpentry works, steel man for reinforcing and Mason and laborer for purring of concrete. This required different task to get the correct workforce to level.

Say: m3/hr for excavation (machine and operator), m2/ hr (carpenter, labor for formworks), ton/ hr (steel man), m3/hr (Mason, laborer, equipment and operator).

If the said Activity is not detailed to task how can you get the correct workforce required when you level the resource?

Anoon,

these are activity requirements:

1. The quantity of work is measured by single physical unit,

2. The same crew is doing the work from the beginning to the end,

3. Productivity is the same from the beginning to the end (if external conditions are the same - season, weather),

4. The payments are the same (for an hour or volume unit),

5. Activity belongs to the certain work package,

6. Activity duration is reasonable, in accordance with the period of schedule analysis (40 hours rule is an example), but this is optional if the quantity done can be measured in physical units.



In this case you will be able to apply the norms - production norms, unit costs, material requirements per volume unit and you will be able to prove that your schedule is created basing on the corporate or inductry standards. It is not easy to justify the schedule that is based on somebody’s vision.

Vladimir and Rodel,



Thanks for the answers.



A simple "reinforced concreting works" may not turn-out to be simple when you are going to apply resource levelling.



So as Vladimir wrote:"So levelling can be applied only to the detailed schedules where resources are properly assigned."



So - What is a Detailed Schedule?...Where you can assign resources that could be measurable and adjustable?

Anoon,

it can be applied to activities that have certain volume unit and the crew that is doing this specific work from start to finish.

Reinforced concreting works include activities like reinforcing and concreting that have different measures (tons and cubic meters) and crews that do them. Resources have productivities measured in different units, the crews do not work in parallel.

So levelling can be applied only to the detailed schedules where resources are properly assigned.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Anoon,

It’s very simple. It either by acceleration or de-acceleration of resources (resource driven activity). It’s called leveling of resources to justify the needs of a project.

Ex: Reinforced concreting works have duration of 20 days having a good productivity say 1:1 but don’t have any constrained on resources. Now on scenario given there is a parameter milestone that an equipment delivery is due in 15 days and have no location to stored what should the action to be done? Level the resource on the parameter given and see how many resources required to attained Milestone date on the same volume of concrete.

All,



Vladimir said: "Duration is defined by activity volume and total productivity of assigned resources. It can be increased or decreased only if the quantity, calendars, or workload of assigned resources are variable."



To what level of the schedule this definition applies?



I mean for example, an activity is called:



"Reinforced Concreting Works" - how do you measure or level resources and adjust duration(s) (using the above definition)?

Valdimir,

Absolutely got the point. It’s the quality of planner and I agree with a good help of the software.

Best Regards,

Rodel

Rodel,

few planners level resources, so they do not notice these problems.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

I agree that Primavera may not be that précised and leveling module is far from optimal but still doing the work. For some reason they retained the crown where planners have no choice as the company dictates what to use.

The good thing is planners are flexible.

I mean the following:

Activity has physical volume that is measured in physial units (meters, tons, cubic meters, etc.). Assigned resources have productivities that are measured in activity volume physical units per hour, materials may be assigned as quantities per volume unit, etc.

Both P3 and P6 have poor levelling algorithms and produce schedules that are far from optimal.

Duration is defined by activity volume and total productivity of assigned resources. It can be increased or decreased only if the quantity, calendars, or workload of assigned resources are variable.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Vladimir,

What do you mean by Quantity and productivity not exists in Primavera? For Labor Primavera have hours or unit, Non Labor hours or unit and Materials quantity. Productivity= Unit/time. I believed those are the same? The leveling of P3 is more powerful than P6. P3 has a capability of Forward/backward leveling and can decrease or increase duration while P6 only resolve conflict of resource but doesn’t touch duration.

"Quantity and Productivity fields do not exist in P6"

yes they don’t exist per se, but you can simulate them. i am talking about p3 i am not sure about p6



and yes i define resources. for example concrete

i define resource concrete and i define it as driving, as a budget quantity i put the total volume of concrete for this activity, and i put unite rate as the actual productivity, p3 will automatically calculate the duration of this activity.( the activity must be independent not task, it is like productivity task in spider)



now as i said before, i define the normal and max limit of this resource, and let p3 level the activities, p3 has an interesting features to "adjust" unit rate to satisfy the maximum limit of the resource, thus the durations may increase or decrease.



so for simplification i can put those value

resource concrete : normal 20 m3, max 40 m3

unite rate for one activity : 10 m3



now after leveling, i should found different unit rate( and thus different duration) for each concrete activity based on the start milestone and finish milestone of the package. (drawing available, arrival of equipment).



now the quality of leveling of p3 is another subject ;)



best regards.

mimoune

Hi Mimoune,

Quantity and Productivity fields do not exist in P6.

Levelling does not make sense if you do not assign resources.

If you talk about single activities with the expected start and milestone defined finish you can define them as hammocks. They will last from the start event to the finish event.

Knowing durations you can estimete required productivity.

But if you want to adjust a set of activities then it is harder. Somebody shall estimate at what activities additional resources can be used. It is not necessary to re-estimate the durations of all kind of jobs.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

rodel and vladimir



thanks very much for your replies.

"So you shall define required activity durations" the problem is here how to make this automatic process, because as you know those milestones are dynamic and they change every time.



i will try to use this process and see if it works.

- define those activities as independent ( resource driven)

- in the first iteration define the duration as total quantity/actual productivity

- define maximum productivity as actual productivity x 2( i suppose contractor may do double shift)

- schedule and level, and let P3 crunch or stretch the durations to respect those milestones.



hope it make sens

Hi Mimoune,

“drawing available” and “equipment arrived at site” shall be added as milestones to your construction model and these milestones shall be linked with the activities that depend on them or vice versa.

You wrote that you do not care about contractor resources. So you shall define required activity durations and let the contractor to worry about resource productivities.

In any case P6 does not have the field for resource productivity.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Mimoune,

All you need is resource leveling. Do what if scenario such as resource acceleration using the actual productivity and constrain defined. (Ex: using constrain how many resources required to attain date completion having a performance productivity of ???)

Is that help?

thanks



yes the actual unit rate is known, but if we keep them we will not respect the finish of the project.



for example

drawing available 1 march

equipment arrived at site 1 june



i want to adjust the duration of activity to respect those constraints, the excavation should start 2 march and the concrete work (including curing) must be finished 30 may.

so i want from my software to calculate the new duration and by consequence the new productivity needed to be done from my subcontractor to satisfy my constraints, it is up to him to organize his resources (double shift, or increase resource etc )



best regards



best regards

Hi Mimoune,

your question is not clear to me.

You wrote that activity volumes are known and you defined unit rate (productivity of assigned resources?). These data define activityy duration. What do you mean by adjusting unit rates (productivities)? Adjusting to what?

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Three years after and I did not figure out this resource planing problems, now how to model this problem.



Let’s start with the known data.

Wbs is defined,

Total duration of the project is know (2 years)

the network logic is done, only hard logic (excavation, concrete work, erection of steel structure, piping etc),

warehouse constraints are implemented, one the package is on site the foundation should be ready.

Three years after and I did not figure out this resource planing problems, now how to model this problem.



Let’s start with the known data.

Wbs is defined,

Total duration of the project is know (2 years)

the network logic is done, only hard logic (excavation, concrete work, erection of steel structure, piping etc),

warehouse constraints are implemented, one the package is on site the foundation should be ready.

total quantity by activity is know (volume, concrete, excavation, weight of packages etc)



now what’s unknown is duration of activities to satisfy those conditions.

What I want to do is assign initial unite rate by activity lets say 10 m3 of reinforced concrete by day and do the same for all the program and let the software adjust (increase or decrease) those unite rate.



Does it make sens ! Eh at this stage I suppose resource are unlimited !!!



I use P3, and we are planning to move to P6, it seems all those fancy option of crunching stretching are removed from p6, I hope I am wrong

Best regards

Faster way requires preliminary works - creating databases with characteristic of typical activities, resources, materials, assignments, creating libraries of typical project fragments (models for standard work packages), creating templates for typical WBS and RBS.

Having these tools you will be able to create new model very fast.

The work will become easy and fast but preliminary work (creating databases and libraries) is hard and long. But this work is necessary if there is a need to implement corporate PM System.

thank you Vladimir, but i got stucked-up in defining activities and relationships before i can even allocate a single resource! is there any other faster way?