Forum Discussion
Auto schedule tasks with over-allocated resources
I need to manage a project using the Project tool. I can’t seem to get it to automatically adjust the resources assigned to tasks when tasks with the same resources overlap. Here’s a simplified example:
Project Characteristics:
- No set end date -> The goal is to define the end date based on the total task duration (within certain limits). We have information on the hours each task should take and the start date. Based on these criteria and the resources assigned to each task, we’ll determine the project’s end date and adjust accordingly.
- 2 tasks (simplified example)
- 2 resources: “Player 1” and “Player 2,” both dedicated 100% to the project.
- Schedule: Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM. Spanish public holidays included.
- The task start dates are fixed.
Task Details:
Task 1 - "Breathe"
- Duration: 100 hours
- Start date: 12/02/2024 (a "Must Start On" constraint has been added)
- Assigned resources: Player 1 and Player 2
- Task configuration:
- Duration: 6.25 days -> Estimated automatically by Project. I don’t have a days duration limitation, only by hours. The Estimated checkbox is also marked.
- Schedule mode: Auto Scheduled
- Resources: Player 1 (100% units) and Player 2 (100% units) -> This indicates that both resources can dedicate 100% of their time to the task, but if it overlaps with others, it should adjust automatically. In this simplified example, manual adjustments are possible, but this won’t be feasible in a real-world scenario with many tasks and resources.
- Task type: Fixed units, and Effort-driven is marked -> The goal is to adjust as needed when resources are added or removed, changing only the task's end date and the hours allocated per resource, not the total hours.
Task 2 - "Complete Mission 1"
- Duration: 50 hours
- Start date: 12/02/2024 (a "Must Start On" constraint has been added)
- Predecessor: Task 1 ("Breathe") with a Start-to-Start dependency.
- Assigned resource: Player 1
- Task configuration:
- Same as Task 1, except it has Task 1 as a predecessor.
The Issue:
Based on the setup, Tasks 1 and 2 will overlap. Both resources will dedicate 9 hours daily to each task, causing "Player 1" to work 9 hours on "Breathe" and 9 hours on "Complete Mission 1" simultaneously. This results in an 18-hour workday, exceeding their 9-hour limit.
Attempted Solution:
I tried to resolve the overlap by leveling resources through "Leveling Options" with the following configuration:
- Leveling calculations: Automatic
- Look for overallocations on a: Day-by-day basis
- Clear leveling values before leveling: Checked
- Level entire project: Checked
- Leveling order: Standard (no priorities assigned)
- Level only within available slack: Not checked
- Leveling can adjust individual assignments on a task: Checked
- Leveling can create splits in remaining work: Not checked
- Level resources with the proposed booking type: Checked
- Level manually scheduled tasks: Checked (even though all tasks are auto-scheduled)
Desired Outcome:
I need Project to automatically adjust the resource's available time (9 hours) between the daily tasks (in this case, two). It should delay the end dates and assign 4.5 hours to each task. This adjustment must be automatic because, in the real-world scenario, there are many tasks and resources in the project, making 100% manual adjustments unfeasible.
If anyone knows what I might be doing wrong or if my approach is flawed, I’d greatly appreciate the help.
ifmaac,
First of all, please don't cross-post (i.e. two separate Project based forums).
The first issue I see is the use of hard constraints (i.e. Must Start on). For a good dynamic plan all tasks should be allowed to "float" based on task interdependencies (Predecessors). The first tasks in a plan will automatically start on the Project Start date. After that all tasks should have a least one predecessor and one successor.
The second issue I see is it appears you are expecting Project to optimize resource assignments via the leveling feature. Leveling does NOT optimize resource usage, the best it can do is to shift a resource's assignment based on priority.
So, unfortunately your "flaw" is a misunderstanding of what leveling does.
John
Hello! Thank you for your quick reply, and sorry for the cross-post. In that case, when a resource has overlapping tasks should I specify the resources availability for that task considering that they have another task (or tasks) at the same time? For example:
Task 1 Breathe
Resource: Player 1 - 50% units
Resource: Player 2 - 100% units
Task 2 Complete Mission 1
Resource: Player 1 - 50% units
How can I control a resource's allocation considering that some days it will be able to dedicate 100% of its time to a task while in other instances when handling multiple tasks simultaneously it may only be able to allocate 50% or less to the same task? Should I specify the available hours for each resource day by day? Or is there an easiest way to approach this?
Hi, I'm sorry for the cross-post. I was just trying to get a response to my question so I asked in different online platforms, I don't want to waste your time because I value your responses and I really need them. I don't know if I should reply through here or in the Community.
How can I control a resource's allocation considering that sometimes it will be able to dedicate 100% of its time to a task while in other instances when handling multiple tasks simultaneously it may only be able to allocate 50% or less to the same task? Should I specify the available hours for that resource manually for each day?
Ifmacc,
First, it doesn't really matter which forum you post although the Answers forum is more for generalized questions about Project and/or the various versions whereof, whereas this Tech Community forum is for more specialized or in-depth issues about Project. Those of us who answer on this and the Answers forum are all volunteers who give freely of our time to help Project users. Non-technical Microsoft employees do often field questions on the answers forum but generally defer to one of us for more technical issues. Posting to more than one forum will not get you a quicker answer.
That said, if you know in advance the availability of resources then you can set that up via the Resource Availability section on the Resource Information sheet. Generally however, the Max Unit value of a resource on the Resource Sheet is set at 100% (i.e. full time) unless the resource is a part-time employee. Then the Max Unit value should be set to whatever best describes their availability.
For variable availability, the best you can do is to assign resources based on the information you have when the assignment is made. Assignments can be adjusted after the task starts but that will have an impact on how the remaining work is spread, each situation will be unique. There is no automated feature to adjust resource assignments "on the fly", its all part of "managing" the project.
John
Hi Ifmacc,
As John has already mentioned, Project does not determine the dedication of resources to resolve over-allocation conflicts between tasks. Why 4.5 hours for each task and not 3 and 6? or 2 and 7?, 1 and 8?,...almost infinite combinations. And if the conflict were between 3, 4, 5 tasks...what dedication of the resource to each task should the software put in?
Today, the most convenient decision is decided by the software user, Project has no criteria and options for this.
I hope I have helped you.Ignacio
With the understanding that Project cannot make a determination of resource dedication to a specific task, how does someone assign that manually when two tasks overlap with the same resource? Is there somewhere you can input to split the work 50/50 across both tasks when those tasks overlap?
Hi Corey
From the Resource Usage view, you can view resource over-allocation and manually enter the resource's work in hours per day, or another time period depending on the zoom applied, on the task, so that the sum of hours assigned to the resource does not exceed its available time for that period (8h/d for example).
You can also assign a partial dedication of the resource throughout the entire task in the Units field, on the Resources tab, in the Task Information form (double click on the task), or if you prefer, by displaying a task form by splitting the screen of the Gantt chart view in Menu > View > Split view > Details.
In both cases you can enter for each task, for example, 0.5 or 50% in Units assigned according to your configuration. In this case, half of the resource's work day time is assigned to each task (they will normally last twice as long) throughout its entire duration, even though the over-allocation conflict does not exist throughout the duration of the task.Ignacio
