Resource Leveling across Multiple Projects

1
Resource Leveling across Multiple Projects

• Jon Smith, PMP
• Keane, Inc.

2
What is Overallocation?

• When you give a resource more effort in a time
  frame than they have time to accomplish (ex.-more
  than 40 assigned hours in a week)
• Set by Tools, Level Resources setting Default
  is Day by Day, Default should be Week by Week for
  most industries (and Manual)
• Red on resource assignments means confusion not
  overallocation IGNORE IT

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How do you see Overallocations?

• In a single file, on the Resource Usage view
• In a workgroup environment, on the Resource Usage
  view of the Shared Resource Pool file
• In a Project Server environment, on the Resource
  Usage view of a consolidated file (tip select
  projects in Project Center with the Ctrl key,
  then click on the Project icon) (tip give PMs
  read privileges to projects they dont manage,
  but have shared resources, except the Cost fields)

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Tips for the Resource Usage View

• On the left-hand side, add
• Project Field gives you the name of the project
  on each task
• ID Field gives you the Task ID on each task
• Priority (optional) (high is 999, low is 1)
• On the right-hand side
• Change the Timescale to Months Weeks, from
  Weeks Days (tip create a macro since you have
  to do this all the time)
• Use the Overallocation Setting on the right-mouse
• Overall
• Create a custom combo view with Resource Usage on
  the top and Task Details Form on the bottom (and
  use the right mouse button on the bottom to
  modify the form)

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Leveling Tips

• DO NOT USE THE AUTOMATIC LEVELING
  TOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• (It extends Duration as its primary method and
  that should be your VERY LAST CHOICE)
• Level left to right, top to bottom, week by week
• Once a person works overtime, unless you raise
  their Availability, the Overallocation Symbol
  does not go away

6
Some Leveling Methods

• Fake Predecessor
• Re-assign Resources
• Assign Additional Resources
• Change the order of tasks
• Split Tasks
• Adding Lag/Lead
• Hill and Valley
• Work Contours
• Lower Productivity / Extend Duration on
  non-Critical Path tasks
• Lower Productivity / Extend Duration on Critical
  Path Tasks (always your last choice)