Microsoft Project Team Blog

Task  | Start Date| End Date | Predes. | Resource |Duration

------------------------------------------------------------

Task1 | 17-Aug-09 | 17-Aug-09|         |  R1      | 1 Day

Task2 | 17-Aug-09 | 19-Aug-09|  1SS    |  R2      | 3 Day

Task3 | 18-Aug-09 | 19-Aug-09|  1      |  R1      | 2 Day

Task4 | 20-Aug-09 | 20-Aug-09|  3      |  R2      | 1 Day

In this scenario when R1 completes task3 in 1 day then Task4 Start Date will change to 19-Aug-09. Where as actually R2 will be engaged from 17-Aug-09 to 19-Aug-09 in Task2. Which means R2 cannot work on 2 task simultaneously. How can I avoid such situation.

NB: All task type are created as Fixed Duration

I level across multiple projects and utilize equipment and human resources.  Normally, I'll want to have a series of tasks within one project use an equipment resource before another project's tasks start to use the same equipment.  (A device undergoes a series of tests, i.e. tasks, in the test area, which is the assigned equipment resource.)

However, levelling will intersperse tasks from multiple projects rather than letting one project finish all its tasks before the next begins.  I want to keep them grouped together because the series of tests must occur on one device (i.e. project) at a time.

I've left the project priorities at 500 to force levelling to look at all tasks across all projects equally except where the task priorities differ.  By setting the task priority of project A's tasks to 600 and project B's to 500, I would expect all of A's tasks to be grouped together and to start and finish before B's tasks.  However, I'll sometimes see 500 tasks intermingled with the 600 tasks.

I do have the Leveling Order set to "Priority, Standard".

Can anyone help?  Thanks...

The video is playing in 2x speed - perhaps it's an issue on my end?

No problems with the video

fantastic information. This is the first time I have received a complete tutorial that goes beyond the gloomy fog of resource leveling in MS Project. All this time, I was leveling projects manually. For years people who trusted leveling in MS Project sat outside and were banned from the local cafeteria here. Now things will change.

Not even the manual explains as well as Bonny does. Wait, sorry, I just admitted that I read the manual...sorry.

Excellent video thanks.

How does one account for efficiency in resources?

Is this set by changing the person's unit number? I'd like to keep the unit for the % of the person that is assigned to the task not the efficiency.

Here is a scenario. Task A is assigned to Albert who is a whiz and can finish this in 5 days. But unfortunately Albert takes off to a job in Monaco for some reason. I hand the job over to Bob who, is here with me in Pittsburgh and works at a lower rate.  Both Albert and Bob are assigned at 100% units. What I would like to do is have the duration or effort change to reflect Bob's efficiency. Currently, I just change the duration and or effort by a rate. Is there such a efficiency indicator that would automatically effect the effort?