Proprietary and Confidential P0 Resource Leveling Made Easy Fall 2001 NOTICE: Proprietary and Confidential This material is proprietary to marchFIRST

Proprietary and Confidential P1Resource Leveling Made Easy

Fall 2001

NOTICE: Proprietary and Confidential

This material is proprietary to marchFIRST. It contains trade secrets and confidential information which is solely the property of marchFIRST. This material is solely for the

Client’s internal use. This material shall not be used, reproduced, copied, disclosed, transmitted, in whole or in part, without the express consent of marchFIRST. © 2000

marchFIRST © All rights reserved

Resource Leveling Made Easy

COMMONMinneapolis, Minnesota


AgendaWhat are we going to learn?

1. The Purpose of a Schedule

2. The Three Kinds of Tasks

3. How to Create a Resource-Leveled Schedule

4. How to Track a Resource-Leveled Schedule


The Purpose of a Schedule 1


The Purpose of a ScheduleA schedule should tell you …

>What things must be done

>When things ought to be done

>When things can be done

These objectives can be accomplished by …

>A task list

>A task list with durations and logical relationships

>A resource-leveled schedule


Modeling a ProjectA model is a simplification of reality.

>A project schedule is a model of a possible reality.

>It is not accurate in every detail.

>The value of a project schedule …

> IS based on how well it helps you answer the 3 basic questions

> IS NOT based on how closely it reflects reality


Too Much Detail

>Some details are easy to add to a stand-alone task.

> Example: Code review attended by 3 developers.

>Too much detail in one area REQUIRES extra complication in other areas.

> Example: Two of the developers required for the above code review are assigned to their own development tasks during the same time period.

Develop A

Develop B

Develop C

Review A


Too Much Complication

>If you assign three developers to the review task, you must split the other tasks, or else …

> Two of the developers will have to work overtime to stay on schedule

> You won’t stay on schedule

Develop A

Review A

Develop B

Develop C


Between an Rock and a Hard Place>If you want to create your schedule with split

tasks you have two options:

> Split them manually

>When tasks move, the splits do not dynamically change.

>This means a lot of work and rework to keep the schedule leveled.

> Use the resource leveling feature of Project

>Start assigning priorities to tasks.

>Fine tune priorities to get the results you want (trial & error).

>Pay very close attention to task types.

>Clear and re-level frequently.


An AlternativeThere is another way to create a resource-leveled schedule.

>It involves building the schedule with resource leveling in mind (as opposed to treating it as an afterthought).

>The actual task of resource leveling is much easier.

>It is much easier to optimize the schedule.

>In many cases, it results in a tighter schedule.


The Three Kinds of Tasks 2


The Building Blocks

>LOE Tasks

>Driving Tasks

>Milestone Deliverable Tasks


LOE (Level of Effort) Tasks>Most resources will have at least one LOE task

> Project Management

> Project Admin

> Project Support

>One resource per task

>Never part of critical path

>Duration and units are set manually

>Work is calculated

>Task type should normally be Fixed Duration


Driving Tasks>The building blocks of the critical path.

>Three types of driving tasks

> Solo

> Lead

> Ensemble

>Task type should normally be Fixed Work


Driving Tasks – Solo>One resource per task

>Work is estimated

>Units are calculated manually by subtracting LOE units from available units

>Project calculates duration


Driving Tasks – Lead>Primary resource

> Work is estimated

> Units are calculated manually by subtracting LOE units from available units

> Project calculates duration

>Supporting resources

> 0 hours work, 0% units

> Add estimated hours to LOE tasks


Driving Tasks – Ensemble>First resource

> Work is estimated

> Units are calculated manually by subtracting LOE units from available units

> Project calculates duration

>Other resources

> 0 hours work, 0% units


>Select first resource carefully

>May need a completion milestone with a lag to account for turnaround time


Milestone Deliverable Tasks>Can assign one or more resources

> 0 days duration, 0 hours work


>When should you use a milestone deliverable task?

> When a deliverable is due from a resource who is 100% LOE (e.g., project manager)

> When a relatively minor task MUST be performed in parallel with one or more driving tasks


A Resource-Leveled Schedule 3How to Create 3


Five Easy Steps

>Build Basic Schedule

>Prepare Tasks and Resources

>Estimate Work and Units

>Level Resources

>Optimize Schedule


Build Basic Schedule>Create a complete list of tasks at an appropriate

level of detail.

>Link tasks to predecessors and successors as required.

> Don’t create links based on resource constraints.

> Don’t link to or from summary tasks.

>Assign resources to tasks.

> Assign all resources that will probably book time to the task.

> List primary resource first.


Prepare Tasks and Resources>Create an LOE task for each resource.

> Set initial start date, duration, and units as appropriate.

>Convert all tasks with multiple resources to one of the following:

> Lead Driving Task

> Ensemble Driving Task

> Milestone Deliverable Task

>Adjust availability of resources.


Resource Availability


Estimate Work and Units>Estimate and set work contributed by the

primary resource on each driving task.

>Repeat as necessary:

> Adjust units on driving tasks (primary resource only)

>Available units – LOE Units

> Adjust work/units on LOE tasks

>Estimate work that will be contributed by secondary resources on driving tasks and milestone summary tasks, but do not set it on those tasks.

>Adjust LOE work to account for this “invisible” work.


Level Resources>Display the resource leveling view

> Gantt view on top, filtered to show detail tasks only and one resource at at time

> Resource Usage view on bottom

> Display Assign Resources Dialog Box

>Link tasks to remove overallocation

> Wherever a resource is overallocated, link the overlapping tasks making them sequential.

> Add a note to the successor task

>UID xxx = RC Link

>Which means that the predecessor task is linked to this task only because of a resource constraint


Resource Leveling View


Optimize Schedule>Resource Adjustments

> Assign a different resource to a task.

> Add resources to an effort-driven task.

>Relationship Adjustments

> Break unnecessary links that may be delaying a task.

> Add negative lag where possible.

> Revise resource constrained links to make better use of slack.

>LOE Adjustments

> Start Date and Duration

> Create layered LOE tasks (don’t overdo it; KISS)


No Leveling: 8.56 days, 150% allocation


Resource Leveled: 9.83 days, 100% allocation


A Resource-Leveled Schedule 4

How to Track 4


Multi-Tasking>Resources should not feel compelled to work all

tasks sequentially, just because the project manager scheduled them that way.

>The tasks most often worked in parallel are the ones marked as having RC Links (resource constrained).

> They can be worked in parallel by assigning a different resource without increasing duration.

> They can be worked in parallel by a single resource by increasing the duration and decreasing the units on each task.

>Try to avoid excessive multi-tasking because of the overhead involved in switching from one task to another.


Weekly Tracking Meetings>Ask these 4 questions of every task that was

worked on or should have been worked on during the previous week:

> When did it start (or will it start)?

> When did it finish (or will it finish)?

> Does the effort estimate need to be modified?

> How much of the task is finished?

>Update the project schedule based on the data collected.


Helpful Hints on Updating ActualsYou only have to work with tasks that have actual hours and were not previously marked as complete.

>Make sure all tasks are Fixed Work.

>Clear the Actual Work field.

>Check/Set the Lag so the Start date is correct.

>Check/Set the Work field.

>Check/Set the Duration so the Finish date is correct.

>Set the Percent Complete.


Recheck Resource Levels>No overallocation more than a few weeks out.

>Some overallocation over the next few weeks is OK.

> It may mean nothing if the peaks and valleys cancel each other out at 100% or below.

> It may mean that the resource is planning to work overtime to get back on schedule.

>If a resource is seriously overallocated …

> The resource is planning to do some heavy overtime.

> The estimated effort may need to be adjusted downward.

> The start date and/or duration may need to be adjusted.

> Some combination of the above.

> Don’t assume. Check with the resource.


Q&AThe major topics covered in this session:

1. The Purpose of a Schedule

2. The Three Kinds of Tasks

3. How to Create a Resource-Leveled Schedule

4. How to Track a Resource-Leveled Schedule

Documents

Proprietary and Confidential P0 Resource Leveling Made Easy Fall 2001 NOTICE: Proprietary and Confidential This material is proprietary to marchFIRST