ms project general introduction
TRANSCRIPT
MS Project
Terms
Duration
Work
Resource
Resource Units
Effort-Driven
Fixed Duration
Fixed Units
Fixed Work
Over-allocation
Leveling
Duration & Work
Duration - The total span of working time or elapsed time required to complete a task.
Work - The total effort required to complete a task.
Resources Resources are the people, equipment and supplies used to
complete tasks in a project.
Resources that are assigned to tasks but do not create work are known as material resources.
Resource Units indicate how much of a resource's available time, according to the resource calendar, is being used to work on a particular task. In a project schedule, resource effort is expressed as assignment units or sometimes just as units.
Scheduling Formula
Duration = Work ÷ Resource Units
Fixed Units
As the task's assigned units remain constant, an increase / decrease in assigned work will result in a corresponding increase / decrease in task duration.
Fixed Units is the default task type for new tasks.
Fixed Work
If assigned work should remain constant, then as a task's duration goes up assigned units will go down (and vice versa).
If assigned units are greater than max units, a resource over-allocation will arise.
Duration = Work ÷ Resource Units
or Duration = 1 ÷ Resource Units
Fixed Duration
For a constant task duration, as assigned work is increased so will assigned units.
Decrease the units and the work will correspondingly reduce.
Duration = Work ÷ Resource Units
If assigned units are greater than max units, a resource over-allocation will arise.
Effort-Driven
Only comes into play after the initial resource assignments have been made
Work stays constant
When resources (manpower) are assigned or removed from a task, Microsoft Project will extend or shorten the duration of the task to accommodate change in resources
This is the default option for new tasks
Over-allocation
Situation when more hours of a resource are allocated than are available
Identifying Over-allocated Resources
Special leveling indicator
Resource Usage View – over-allocated resources are red
Over-allocation can be resolved by leveling project
Leveling
Resolving resource conflicts or over-allocations by delaying or splitting certain tasks.
During leveling, assignments are rescheduled according to the resource availability profiles, assigned units, and resource calendars, as well as the task's duration and constraints.
It is instigated either automatically or (more commonly) by the command level now.
Tools | Level Resources . . . (hour by hour)
Questions?