Modelling men and material logistics

The mere appearance of some leveling on the video timing from 1:52 to 2:25 does not guarantee materials are leveled. 

By using date constraints we can mimic the “leveled schedule” and prove that the schedule was not leveled properly.  It is simple procedure, just freeze start dates as shown in the submitted “leveled schedule”, then use the software to calculate day by day supply and installation of materials; if at some point inventories become negative then the schedule was not properly leveled.   

The following figure displays day by day supply and installation of bricks anyone can use to verify inventories at the end of each day.  For a better view download the HD PDF.

High Definition PDF

The following image shows the histogram.

Because at some point(s) inventories become negative the schedule was not leveled properly.

Why not show inventories using P6 model?  ==>>  Inventories

Thank you Johannes,

from your video I understood that P6 can level materials if their availability wil be set as units/time (by days or hours).

In most cases we do not know this. Materials are supplied at certain moments or at certain activities and when and how they will be used depends on the schedule that will be created basing on this and other constraints.

In our example materials are not used in accordance with their availability (first days only 667 bricks per day instead of 1000 available). And so bricks availability for future days shall be automatically increased by the number of bricks that were not used earlier.  It does not look like P6 can do it.

But thank you once again, now I know P6 capabilities and how to force P6 to create automatic schedule that is the same as created manually or in Spider Project.

Best regards,

Vladimir

Hi Vladimir

Here is my answer regarding the leveling of material resources.

The leveling of material resources is probably not as efficient as in Spider but surely feasible and useful in Primavera P6 . I recorded a video so you can see all the settings I have used.

Regards Johannes

The procedure proposed by Johannes is manual; it is not automatic resource leveling.

• The procedure is convoluted.
• The procedure does not make much sense even for such a simple scenario.
• Not all walls are equal, not all walls share the same ratio of bricks around openings to total bricks, therefore in order for the example be more realistic different production rates for each wall shall be modeled. The schedule shall allow for transparent, easy to verify and adjust production rates for each wall.  Whenever a production rate is adjusted the activity duration shall automatically be adjusted by the schedule model.
• The procedure is error prone as it is shown by looking at the inventories on the “resource leveled” schedule based on such procedure.

The following image shows how the schedule can be so easily leveled if using software capable of automatic resource leveling materials.

The following image illustrates, among other requirements, how easy it is to consider different production/installation rates.

Raymund,

answers to your questions are below.

1. Why was both activty cannot start at the same time despite having 10000pcs available?

Because material will be expired before any activity is finished.

2. What event has drived the second activty to start 5 days later?

This event is next delivery that defined when materials will become available.

3. Is Delivery Date of Material considered as an Activty?

Yes, deliveries are presented as activities.

Rafael,

Related to your presentation of the scenario, I have a question.

1. Why was both activty cannot start at the same time despite having 10000pcs available?

2. What event has drived the second activty to start 5 days later?

3. Is Delivery Date of Material considered as an Activty?

Please Clarify.

Regards.

Yes Johannes, it is OK now.

But I repeat my questions:

I did not find where and how did you set material delivery and so why did P6 moved second activity.

So please explain how material restrictions (availability) were set and used.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hi Vladimir

Should be oke now.

Regards Johannes

Hi Johannes,

access to the video is dehied.

At the request of Raymund de Laza I share this video to better clarify the leveling of resourses

Regards

Johannes

•  “The Efective date of the Second Team of Worker shall be set 5 days later”.
• This is manual leveling forced by a change in resource calendar, this is not automatic leveling.
• I agree with Vlladimir.

The best way and perhaps the only way to understand and prove how second activity was delayed because of materials leveling is to disclose all model settings as for anyone to be able to test it in their own computer.

Hi Raymund,

if I understood properly effective time of second resource was set 5 days later manually.

But it means that you leveled materials, not P6!

Vlad,

Thanks for the Spider Demo. I was able to open the File created by Rafael.

I need some time to familiarize myself with Spider because some Technical terms confuse me. (For example using Volume as Quantity) and sure will provide you my queries.

Related to P6, The Primary Resource (Worker=Labor) will dominate the schedule of activity rather than the Material.

The second activity moves when Resource Leveling is executed because the Labor Resource as a result of AI shall Start 5 days later in order for the available initial materials to be consumed just before the second delivery of material. The Efective date of the Second Team of Worker shall be set 5 days later.

Material Resouce can also be Reource Leveled but will consider the entire duration of the activity (No Overlapping). Hence, to present it in P6, each activity shall be broken down to 2 activties.

Thanks and Regards,

PS. The Spider demo is limited, How to avail a full version for a limited time, say 1 Month?

Thank you Raymund!

I understood that you suggested to create and assign separate labor resource to each activity that consumes the material.

I did not find where and how did you set material delivery and so why did P6 move second activity.

So please explain how material restrictions (availability) were set and used.

Regards,

Vladimir

P.S. Did you try this project with Spider Demo? Do you have any questions?

Hi Everyone,

Herewith is the link for the demo of Resource leveling.

https://we.tl/t-g794Rb8iI6

Regards,

SCHEDULE DRIVEN BY DATE CONSTRAINTS AS TO VERIFY JOHANNES SCHEDULE

MATERIAL RESOURCES ARE OVERLOADED - IT IS NOT A FEASIBLE SCHEDULE

You can zoom and download the image.

Hi Johannes,

Rafael simulated your resource constrained schedule by adding corresponding date constraints and found that in your example material was not leveled properly.

I asked you to explain P6 material leveling on the example that we discussed - small project consisting of two independent activities, one material and two deliveries. It is very simple, does not include other resources, activities and dependencies. So I hope that it will be easy for you. Below I copied project description from the earlier post:

"Let's assume that material (bricks) is supplied twice: at the project start and then at the start of eleventh work day. Each time it is 10000 pieces. This material is used on activities 1 and 2, each has 15 work days duration and needs 10000 pieces of this material (bricks as an example).

Activities 1 and 2 consume this material uniformly, do not depend on each other, and are not interruptable."

Thank you in advance,

Vladimir

Hi Rafael and Vladimir

We have debated the question of whether Primavera P6 can level materials resources on earlier occasions. In the video you could clearly see that the bricks, a material resource, can be leveled.

Please check the video timing from 1:52 to 2:25.

This is not a data constrained schedule, but clearly, a  resource-constrained schedule.

Regards

Johannes

 

Hi Johannes,

please show or explain what and how shall be set for material leveling in P6 using simple example that we discuss:

two activities and two deliveries of one material.

I don't have questions on labor resources leveling.

Your example is not clear.

Vladimir

Hi

Here is an example on how to level material resources and labor resourses in Primavera P6

Raymund,

Project file may be downloaded from https://quickfileshare.org/1QH4/Material_Leveling.001.sprj

Let me know if you will have any questions.

And please explain how to level material resources in P6, I am still waiting for your explanation.

Regards,

Vladimir

Rafael and Vlad,

Spider Demo was installed and I request to send me the Sample Schedule presented by Rafael.

Thanks.

Raymund, I did not have any problems when downloaded file using your link.

It looks like your antivirus protection does not permit to download unknown exe files. I cannot imagine other reason.

Look at the downloading settings of your antivirus.

Try again going to http://www.spiderproject.com/index.php/spiderproject/spiderdemo, selecting English Professionsl and then Download.

I did not meet this problem before. Looks like your security settings are too strict.

Vlad,

I tried downloading Spider but I am getting an error :

The following error was encountered while trying to retrieve the URL: http://spiderproject.com/ru/download/demo/Eng_Spider_Prof_Demo.exe

Access Denied.

Access control configuration prevents your request from being allowed at this time. Please contact your service provider if you feel this is incorrect.

Your cache administrator is webmaster.

Hi Raymund,
Picture does not explain what settings shall be selected for getting shown result. I did not find material leveling in P6 and hope that you will explain where this option can be found.
Spider Demo can be downloaded from www.spiderproject.com.

Vlad,

The picture explains it well.

It is being done according to the interpretation and my understanding of the sample scenario.

Can I request to have a demo of the Spider?

Thanks.

Regards,

Raymund, Spider thinks as I explained and delayed an activity automatically. Now for some reason it is called AI.
You always state that P6 does this but never explain how.
This is what I asked you - how to make P6 to level project materials.
Please explain.

Vlad,

What drives it to Start 5 days later?

Is there any Events or Activty that drives it?

The reason you provided does not make the Activty to start at a certain period automatically.

P6 can do as well what Rafael's presented.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:7104:]]

Regards,

Raymund,

activity 2 starts 5 days later because if it will start earlier material will be expired before its finish.

Each activity consumes material as planned (uniformly 667 per day).

Rafael,

What drives activity 2 to start 5 days later?

What is the consumption each day for each activity?

My answer:

Best Regards,

Rafael

Hello Vlad,

Material consumption on both activities is 667 pieces per day (10000 in 15 days).

The productivity of each activity is 667 pcs per day.

Both Activity will consume 10000 pcs in 7.5 days. 10000pcs / 1334 = 7.5 days

Let's assume that material (bricks) is supplied twice: at the project start and then at the start of eleventh work day. Each time it is 10000 pieces.

Activities 1 and 2 consume this material uniformly, do not depend on each other, and are not interruptable.

The next delivery is on the 11th day. Means that Both Activity will be suspended until the availability of the next delivery?

I am interested to see how you present this in Spider.

Hi Raymund,

I wrote that activities 1 and 2 require the same amount of material for each work day.

In your solution they need 500 pieces per day for first 10 days and 1000 per day for the last 5 days.

This schedule is not feasible. Activities are executed by the same crews that cannot work first much slower and then much faster than expected.

Material consumption on both activities is 667 pieces per day (10000 in 15 days).

I am curious if P6 automatically cut each actiity for two with different and not planned material consumption?

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:7102:]]

Dear Raymund,

I did not find this and hope that you will explain how to do material constrained scheduling in P6 using very simple example.

Let's assume that material (bricks) is supplied twice: at the project start and then at the start of eleventh work day. Each time it is 10000 pieces. This material is used on activities 1 and 2, each has 15 work days duration and needs 10000 pieces of this material (bricks as an example).

Activities 1 and 2 consume this material uniformly, do not depend on each other, and are not interruptable.

Please explain how to set this project in P6 and automatically schedule it taking into account supply constraints.

Thank you in advance,

Vladimir

Vlad,

P6 can manage whenever a men or material can be available and it can schedule the activity accordingly.

Zoltan,

I understood the requirement as the need to create and optimize project schedule basing on supply and resource constraints that are different at different times, and provide reports on resource and material flows.

Are you sure that P6 can take into account material supply constraints when calculates project schedule?

Oracle P6

Hi Morne Iohann,

men and material flows are modeled in Spider Project software.