Re: Can levelling eventually drive one insane? The real question i
From: kraus (kraus_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 12/16/04
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Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 06:41:02 -0800
Thanks for your guidnace Steve
"Steve House [MVP]" wrote:
> Almost. There is a check box to remove leveling before leveling. That
> means if the task was split because of a conflict on Tuesday and that
> conflict has subsequently been removed, that delay will be removed and the
> split task joined up before the new leveling is processed.. Now, your
> initial premise is flawed because the fact that he was booked on Tuesday in
> another project does not in itself mean this project's task will be split or
> that the Tuesday only task has priority. The setting of priority of the
> projects also enters the picture and the setting whether the task even CAN
> be split also enters. You're booked M, T, W and in a second project Tues.
> It might be valid to split the first task so it now goes on Mon, Wed, Thur.
> But it might also be valid to shift it completely so it goes Wed, Thur, Fri.
> Or maybe the Tue only task gets moved to Thur, if your 3 day task is a
> higher priority, leaving the first task on Mon, Tue Wed. Theres nothing
> about his being assigned in project 2 to a Tues task before you work on your
> M,T,W task in project 1 that gives it priority for his time. The problem
> is, we're trying to second guess the algorithm that Project uses and doing
> that boils down to reverse engineering a highly proprietary part of
> Project's design. The best advice is to make a copy of your files, try it
> and see if the results meet your business objectives. If they do, kewl! If
> not, go back to the drawing board. Remember, all it is, is a glorified
> calculator. The documentartion does not cover exhaustively all the possible
> combinations.
>
> --
> Steve House [MVP]
> MS Project Trainer/Consultant
> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
>
>
> "kraus" <kraus@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:05EC1647-78DF-4AE4-B7C2-25CEC6864FBE@microsoft.com...
> > OK, I think I am getting warmer. One more thing then to make sure I
> > understand; I'll use an example.
> >
> > I have Joe who has 3 days worth of work starting Monday; however, another
> > project already has Joe resourced for 1 day; Tuesday. So when I level, I
> > would have Joe for the full day Monday and then the task would split over
> > Tuesday because the other plan already has him resourced and finish the
> > task
> > on Thursday; Monday + Wednesday + Thursday = 3 days.
> >
> > Assuming that this is correct then if Joe is removed from the other plan
> > and
> > I go and level after that the Tuesday will still not be utilized because
> > MSP
> > does not look for under allocation, only for over allocation. I would then
> > need to go in the plan and adjust Joe's time so that he can work on
> > Tuesday
> > instead??
> >
> > Make sense?
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > "Steve House [MVP]" wrote:
> >
> >> No, leveling never maximizes resource availability. In fact, it doesn't
> >> change resource availability at all or increase the allocations of
> >> resources
> >> that are underutilized. If you are scheduling from start date forward,
> >> all
> >> leveling does is delay work if necessary to resolve overallocations. If
> >> you're scheduling from finish backwards it moves work earlier in the
> >> schedule for the same reason. That's all it does. In the simplest case,
> >> Joe is assigned to 1-day task A Monday @ 100% and also to 1-day task B
> >> also
> >> on Monday and also @ 100%. If he's not otherwise occupied Tuesday,
> >> leveling
> >> will move one of the tasks to Tuesday. That's it - it never does
> >> anything
> >> else.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Steve House [MVP]
> >> MS Project Trainer/Consultant
> >> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
> >>
> >> "kraus" <kraus@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:5BB2DB8A-D1F4-4947-BAF4-BE9BDA64E0E4@microsoft.com...
> >> > Thanks Steve.
> >> >
> >> > Maybe you can clarify something then. Levelling in combination with
> >> > "start
> >> > as soon as possible" should maximize te resource availability. But
> >> > using
> >> > my
> >> > example below it doesn't do that. I have to drag the task back to start
> >> > earlier which inherits a start no earlier than constraint at which
> >> > point I
> >> > can select the task and change ot to start as soon as possible. The
> >> > task
> >> > then
> >> > stays where I left it.
> >> >
> >> > Does this make any sense?
> >> >
> >> > "Steve House [MVP]" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Seconding Jack's comments. The only thing leveling does is shift work
> >> >> to
> >> >> resolve overallocations. It never, ever, tries to use resources to
> >> >> their
> >> >> fullest extent; the only thing is does is resolve situations where you
> >> >> have
> >> >> overbooked the resource to do more than they are capable of. If I
> >> >> have
> >> >> Joe
> >> >> booked for 8 hours on Task A Monday and also for 8 hours on Task B,
> >> >> he's
> >> >> expected to do 16 hours of work in an 8 hour day and that's
> >> >> impossible.
> >> >> Leveling will move one of those tasks to Tuesday, assuming the
> >> >> resource
> >> >> is
> >> >> free. Why doesn't it increase or decrease allocations? Because it
> >> >> doesn't
> >> >> know why you've booked him at less than the max and doesn't know
> >> >> anything
> >> >> about the priorities of the business or the project. Maybe there's a
> >> >> very
> >> >> good reason, like work to be done outside the micro-unicverse of the
> >> >> project, that means on THAT day he's only available a couple of hours
> >> >> for
> >> >> project related work. You, the PM, know that when you assign him only
> >> >> 25%
> >> >> on task X Tuesday even though his overall maximum availability is
> >> >> usually
> >> >> 100%. But Project can't know anything about what else might be going
> >> >> on
> >> >> with the resource and so it respects your management decision.
> >> >>
> >> >> MS Project is a glorified calculator, not a manager <grin>.
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Steve House [MVP]
> >> >> MS Project Trainer/Consultant
> >> >> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "kraus" <kraus@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >> news:687246DD-F9D9-42B7-B199-90890CB8A582@microsoft.com...
> >> >> >I have noticed that levelling does not make the best uyse of a
> >> >> >resources
> >> >> > time. I have a current project where I have a resource at 70% (3.5
> >> >> > days/wk)
> >> >> > who is not currently on any other project within the company. I have
> >> >> > a
> >> >> > task
> >> >> > at 5wds (7.14 days duration) that runs from Jan 11 - 21. This
> >> >> > equates
> >> >> > to
> >> >> > 2.68wds during the week of Jan 9 and 2.32 wds during the week of Jan
> >> >> > 16;
> >> >> > nothing else is being worked on that week. In fact, the entire month
> >> >> > of
> >> >> > January is a mystery. The breakdown is as follows:
> >> >> > Week of Jan 2 - .32wds
> >> >> > Week of Jan 9 - 2.68wds
> >> >> > Week of Jan 16 - 2.32 wds
> >> >> > Week of Jan 23 - .25 wds
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I thought levelling/MSP would ensure the resources are used to their
> >> >> > full
> >> >> > potential each week and provide the shortest duration. But it
> >> >> > doesn't
> >> >> > appear
> >> >> > to be working that way.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Can someone please provide some insite on the levelling algorithm?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > The tasks that I have outlined above should have been completed
> >> >> > within
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > first 3 weeks with time to spare.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > dave
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
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