Re: Isn't there a "Machine" Resource Type???

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I made the split go away, but I did more than one thing to fix it, so
I do not know which one was the reason.

1. I corrected a bad setting in the task. I had accidentally set the
task to [Start No ... Than] instead of ASAP. I don't remember
if it was set to no sooner than or no later than, but it is ASAP.

2. I added the "Task May Split" option to the "Task ***" view.
Next I set all tasks _NOT_ to split.

3. I added the "Constraint" option to the "Task ***" view.
Next I set all tasks to _ASAP_ except for the first one
which is "Must Start On <start date>."

After this, I did a Level Now and got good answers.

THEN -- a few moments later, Project "went into the weeds"
(i.e., 100% CPU). I do not know why. :-(

So, you are in Belgium? I hope my American expressions do not
create confusion!

There have been times in the last week when I got my project back
to good working order by deleting the project file and re-entering
the tasks from the keyboard. MAYBE THE UNSTABLE FILES
WERE imported from Excel in a way that resulted in extremely
non-optimal choices? I believe Project is NOT simply hung, but
it is calculating the leveled scheduled -- and taking a very, very
long time to do it. However, Project is a very nicely multi-threaded
software. I can still move around in the program while it is making
100% CPU! But, while it is 100% CPU, I cannot save, exit, or use
most of the other functions. And other programs also have no
trouble getting CPU time while this is happening. This is why I
know Project is not actually “hung up” in the classical sense.

I MUST USE EXCEL to manage the task and resource data for this
project. The project has about 500 tasks, but they are basically
an almost identical set of tasks entered eight times. After I copy
this set of tasks in Project, I paste it seven times. After pasting, I
do [Menu\Edit\Replace] on the task names to make each of the 8
sets unique. Then I correct a few links, and this is my project.

I will finally tell you now: This project is a model of a automated
industrial process involving chemical processes, exotic equipments,
and workers with different skill sets. It is virtually identical to the
classical "Job Shop Scheduling Model." Some call it the "JSP" or
the "Job Shop Scheduling Problem." Right now, there are 100's of
graduate students around the world earning their Ph.D.'s working
on this problem. It is not solvable in a general way. However, it
is my view that MS Project 2003 can be used in certain special
cases to produce very high quality approximate solutions. Also,
because it is made in the excellent tradition of MS Office products,
I can link it with VB to ERP systems over ODBC or ADO, etc. I
Dare not say more.

Thank you very much for your interest in this simple model. It is
my lack of experience that brings me to this forum. It is your
generous assistance that will help me to succeed in this endeavor
despite my current limitations.

Regards,

-- Jim

======================

"Jim Rodgers" wrote:

Hi Jan,

I moved the files to another computer and did a fresh install of
Project 2003. The project does not hangup on this other
computer. However, now it is splitting tasks again. I'm thinking
maybe there is a setting that prevents the splits on one PC, and
that setting causes this file to hangup on the first PC.

The one split I am focused on this morning is a task that Project
starts during a non-working time for the only resource assigned
to it. It should not be trying to start there. Other tasks like it do
not have this problem. As I send this to you, I am now examining
both that task in detail (not that much to look at, actually) as well
as looking for other such tasks that are splitting. My calendars for
the resources seem to be correct on the new PC.

On both systems the following check boxes are CLEARED:

1. Menu: Tools\Level Resources\Leveling can create splits
in remaining work

2. Menu: Tools\Options\Schedule\Split in-progress tasks

The tasks in this version of the project are Fixed Units,
Effort-Driven, ASAP, etc.

Leveling clears first. When only cleared and not leveled,
the splits go away.

I am very surprised at the variability inProject function from
PC to PC and from file to file.

I will consider if I have time to remove condifenbtial info to
send you one of these files to examine. What hours GMT
are okay for me to send this to you?

With great appreciation,

-- Jim

========

"Jan De Messemaeker" wrote:

Hi Jim,

Probably, you have assigned a resource to a both a task and its summary
task.
If it's not too big, you can send it to
jandemesATprom-ade.be
Then I'll have a look.

Hope this helps,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project MVP
http://users.online.be/prom-ade
"Jim Rodgers" <JimRodgers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:062A439C-FD2E-475E-B62A-EE76F5BDE1CA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Well, dang it! All of my files are unstable. If you select "Level All
Now,"
then the program goes to 100% CPU for up to hours.

What could I possibly have done to cause this????




"Jim Rodgers" wrote:

Let's just assume that I have finally gotten over my disillusionment
about
the interface.

I'll say this now: I am using Fixed Units and Effort Driven is checked,
but
only because that was th default. Since Effort Driven does not really
matter
in my case, I'm just leaving it alone. If I have to correct an entry
error
to resources on a task, I may also have to go back and fix the duration
again. This works, so I will only complain to my dog about it.

I have splits turned off (I think) from the two checkboxes where this is
controlled. I have Auto-Calculate ON and AutoLevel OFF. I have
"Leveling
can adjust individual
assignments" checkbox is turned OFF, too. I deleted the more recent
files
that cause Project to crash, and I have gone back to the earlier [100%
hand-entered] models that are stable. I created some Macro buttons for
Clear, Level, and a VB Form that displays the last milestone date in the
project (my "answer").

As Jan suggested, I tried to use recurring events, but had some
problems --
however, that was using the unstable model. I'll try it again. I assume
that recurring events only work if I assign my humans to be at these
mandatory "meetings" -- so I can prevent work from being suspended across
breaks and lunches. The "tasks" I am trying to simulate must be
completed
once started. Using recurring events to simulate breaks, etc., would
cause a
split rather than a suspension of work. Since I have splits turned off,
I
should get the desired result.

==========

To summarize, in this thread I have asked the following questions and
gotten
the following answers:

1. Is there a resource type "Machine" (allocated) in addition to "Person"
(allocated) and "Material" (consumed).

The answer is there is only ONE CLASS used for allocated resources, and
you
may use it as either Man or Machine. However, Project is limited in the
ways
they may be combined on one task. This is similar to what Tim Pyron
describes in his book when a Foreman is added to a project task to
supervise
ditch diggers. Extreme care is required when combining different classes
of
resources in one task because Project does not explicitly support it.

Short Answer: "NO, not really;" there is only one class of allocated
resources in Project.

2. How can I keep tasks from splitting?

The answer is there are two ways tasks become non-contiguous: splits
(caused
by leveling when resources are overallocated) and suspensions (the
designed-in behavior of Project that allows a task to straddle a segment
on
non-working time in the calendar defined for that resource). The splits
are
prevented by clearing a couple checkboxes, at least one of which is
checked
by default. The problem with tasks crossing non-working time segments
might
be worked-around using recurring events.

===========

I am still wondering why certain files became unstable and lock-up
Project.
I may never know. There is nothing about in Help, Technet, MSDN, Google,
etc.

I am still wishing there were a better way to keep tasks from crossing
non-working time. I should have been able to specify this behavior in
the
resource's calendar. Maybe in a future version, eh?

I'll keep an eye on this thread for any additional remarks by anyone.
And I
really do appreciate all the input.

Thanks,

-- Jim


"Steve House" wrote:

But Project DOES only use delays in leveling exactly as you say you
want.
Leveling never changes the amount of a resource's work nor the duration
of
his individual work involvment in the task nor the units that he is
assigned. The problem is that with the default settings it treats
multiple
resource assignments as individual entities so you can get the illusion
of a
duration change if one resource is delayed while the other isn't. If
two
resources A and B are both assigned to 1-day task X and only A is
overallocated, depending on the option settings, leveling can delay him
to
the next day while leaving B in place on the first day as originally
scheduled. Since duration is defined as the time between when work on
the
task begins and when it ends, regardless of who is doing each bit, the
task's duration shows changed to 2 days. But in fact, when you view
the
work of each resource, the duration of A's work is still 1 day and the
duration of B's work is also still just one day, just as before. The
aggregate duration has changed but in terms of each resource's
individual
W=D*U equation it has not. All that has really happened is that the
two
1-day blocks of work that were originally concurrent have now become
consecutive. This happens if the "Leveling can adjust individual
assignments" checkbox is turned on - to prevent them being separated,
clear
this checkbox so that if either of the resource's work has to be
delayed
leveling will move both of them together.

Fixed units, fixed work, and fixed duration only applies to what
happens
when you edit an individual resource's assignment data or make some
other
change that effectively changes one of those parameters. As I'm sure
you're
well aware, every linear equation y=mx has one independent variable x,
one
dependent variable y, and one constant m. The task type setting allows
you
to designate what term in the equation W=D*U is to be considered the
constant, allowing you to arbitrarily pick one of the two remaining
terms as
the independent variable you're going to change with the last term
becoming
the dependent variable to be recalculated to keep the equation in
balance
(and it absolutely positively will ALWAYS be in balance for every
resource
assignment, no matter what, unless you disable calculations
altogether). It
does not prevent you from changing any of the terms at any time and
there's
a set of default behaviors that apply if you manually edit the term
that the
task type says is the constant ... for example, if you manually change
the
units in a Fixed Units task it behaves as if it was a Fixed Work task.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs



"Jim Rodgers" <JimRodgers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:BC2681E4-52C1-44F5-8FC9-F0848584EC89@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks, John.

Yes, I am familiar with "the formula" of Project. What I was trying
to
say
was that while Project has this view of the world, my actual task
really
is
fixed in all three factors. I am just trying to get Project to deal
with
it.
All I want is to schedule the tasks with a leveling process that only
uses
delays. I don't want Project trying to change anything except the
start
and
finish dates and times.

I'm almost three, but now Project freezes up when I level it.

This is not the first time Project got flakey on me. The more I
change
task
parameters, the more unstable the program becomes. It's been a long
time
since I've seen software this bad. It bespeaks the need for a
complete
rewrite. (In my experience as a software developer.)

Anyway, I will now re-enter the data -- perhaps from a spread***
this
time. This usually fixes it until I start making mass changes by
selecting
multipe tasks and setting new parameters with [right-click]/[Task
Information]. After a few of those, it's off to the weeds again.

Thanks again, John. Stay in touch if you can.

-- Jim



"John" wrote:

In article <6A8BD847-7EB6-4936-BA0B-9BC7EFA705C3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Jim Rodgers <JimRodgers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


I found (maybe, I think) I need to use the Fixed Units type for my
fixed
duration tasks. This is because the "units" and the "work" ALSO
are
fixed.
However, the Fixed Units type behaves somewhat better by not
changing
what
I've entered into the program to describe my processes. *** I
JUST
WANT TO
SCHEDULE these d_mn tasks. Move them forward or backward without
.

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