MODULE 15: RESOURCE LEVELING

Overview

The resource leveling module introduces the means to eliminate the overallocation of resources on tasks . This should be done manually by the project manager or MS Project 2000 can do it automatically.

Objectives

The participant will:

• Be able to find resource overallocations.

• Be able to eliminate resource overallocations automatically.

Preparation

Review the contents of this module and do each of the exercises at least once to familiarize yourself with the logic and outcome.

Presentation

The activities in this module cite the aims of each exercise and whether the level is suitable for basic or advanced users.

ACTIVITY

15.1 How to use the Timescale command.

EXERCISE 15.1 ¢ LEVEL: BASIC ¢ CHANGE GANTT CHART TO SHOW MONTHS AND WEEKS

• Open Golf1G.

• Pick View menu.

• Choose Gantt Chart.

• Pick Format menu.

• Choose Timescale command.

• Under Major Scale, pick months.

• Under Minor Scale, pick weeks.

• Count = 1.

• Click OK button.

Dialog

Explain that when a project manager is attempting to manually level a project, it is easier to see the overallocations on a more detailed project plan. This is why it is reasonable to change the timescale.

Manual leveling	Manual leveling should be tried before automatic leveling. Attempt the following to eliminate an overallocated resource.
	¢Delay start of tasks by entering a delay value
	¢Increase max. units of resource available
	¢Assign different resource to task
	¢Change relationships between tasks
	¢Specify overtime
	¢Extend working hours
	Before we start to examine specific overallocations we need to have a suitable timescale displayed on the Gantt chart. We will display months and weeks.

ACTIVITY

15.2 How to add the Resource Management toolbar.

EXERCISE 15.2 ¢ LEVEL: BASIC ¢ ADDING A TOOLBAR

• Pick View menu.

• Choose Toolbars command.

• Select resource management toolbar.

• Look at the new toolbar on the top of your screen.

Dialog

Explain that there is a toolbar specific to managing resources. Now we will add the resource toolbar to the screen.

ACTIVITY

15.3 How to use the go to overallocation button.

EXERCISE 15.3 ¢ LEVEL: BASIC ¢ FINDING THE OVERALLOCATION

• Scroll left to display initial task.

• Select first task.

• Pick Window menu. Choose split.

• Select bottom view.

• Pick View menu. Choose Resource Graph.

• Pick Format menu. Choose Details. Select peak units.

• Click on the top view to select the Gantt chart.

• Click on Go to Overallocation button.

• Repeat.

Dialog

Explain that the user can use a combined view to see which tasks are overallocated and who is overallocated. The bottom view will show the resource graph.

ACTIVITY

15.4 How to fix the overallocation.

EXERCISE 15.4 ¢ LEVEL: BASIC ¢ SOLVING THE OVERALLOCATION

• Go to Task 6 (the first overallocation).

• Select bottom view.

• Click on information button. Resource information box appears.

• Set Max. Units = "2" (200 percent) for JCB. Click OK.

• Select "JCB driver" and repeat.

• There is still an overallocation of 1 unit in the first week. How do we fix this?

• Select top view.

• Pick View menu.

• Choose Tables. Select More Tables.

• Pick Delay. Click Apply.

• Apply delay of 7 elapsed days to Task 6.

• Note the overallocation has been eliminated.

Dialog

Explain that how an overallocation is solved is the choice of the project manager. MS Project cannot make that decision for you. In this exercise, the project manager has chosen to add an additional resource to eliminate the overallocation. The JCB is overallocated because we have two tasks running in parallel. We could move one install task to start after the other but that would increase the timescale by an unacceptable amount. Instead we will allocate more resources to this.

Automatic leveling	MS Project 2000 does this by delaying the start of tasks until the resources are available.
	MS Project 2000 looks at each overallocated resource in turn and searches for tasks it can delay from those causing the overallocation. MS Project 2000 can't delay a task if the task is constrained by:
	¢must start on
	¢must finish on
	¢as late as possible
	¢priority = don't level
	A task can't be delayed if an actual start date has been entered, unless task has already been rescheduled.
	For each potential task MS Project 2000 considers:
	¢relationships
	¢ slack time
	¢start date
	¢priority
	¢task constraints
	To decide which of several tasks to delay MS Project 2000 uses the following order of delay (standard leveling):
	¢greatest slack
	¢highest Priority
	¢highest ID

ACTIVITY

15.5 How to list the tasks associated with the landscaping crew.

15.6 An alternative way to list the tasks associated with the landscaping crew.

EXERCISE 15.5 ¢ LEVEL: ADVANCED ¢ HOW TO FIND THE TASKS OF THE LANDSCAPING CREW

• Select top view.

• Pick View menu. Choose Resource Sheet.

• Select bottom view.

• Pick View menu. Choose More views. Select Resource Form. Apply.

• Select "Landscape crew" on top view.

EXERCISE 15.6 ¢ LEVEL: ADVANCED ¢ HOW TO FIND THE TASKS OF THE LANDSCAPING CREW (AGAIN)

• Select top view.

• Pick View menu. Choose Resource Usage.

• Select bottom view.

• Pick View menu. Choose Gantt Chart.

• Select "Landscape crew" on top view.

• The tasks of the crew are displayed on the bottom view.

• Scroll through the timescale to display the tasks.

Dialog

Explain that there are various ways to show information so that the project manager can make decisions on how to solve overallocations. For these exercises, we wish to see the tasks that the landscaping crew have been assigned to. We also want to check on the usage of the landscape crew and the tasks they are on.

ACTIVITY

15.7 How to level overallocated resources automatically.

15.8 How to level automatically using priority settings.

EXERCISE 15.7 ¢ LEVEL: BASIC ¢ RESOURCE LEVELING, ALL TASKS SIMILAR

• Create new project.

• Create 4 tasks, A, B, C and D, 1 day of effort each.

• Select all 4 tasks.

• Pick resource assignment icon and assign "Joe."

• Split Window. Select bottom view.

• Pick View menu. Choose Resource Graph.

• Pick Tools menu. Choose Resource Leveling.

• Pick Level now (entire pool).

EXERCISE 15.8 ¢ LEVEL: BASIC ¢ RESOURCE LEVELING, DIFFERENT PRIORITIES

• Pick Tools menu. Choose Resource Leveling.

• Select Clear Leveling.

• Pick Tools menu. Choose Resource Leveling.

• Order = Priority, Standard. Click OK.

• Select Task D. Click on information icon.

• Select General tab, Priority = 550. Click OK.

• Pick Tools menu. Choose Resource Leveling.

• Pick Level now.

Dialog

Explain that automatic leveling is done by MS Project based on when resources are available. If you have constraints in a project, this will affect how MS Project levels overallocations. If you have priorties set for tasks this will also affect how MS Project levels overallocations.