How to "Level a Task"?

Question

I have 2 questions where the 1st leads into the 2nd.

I have a task that is 80 hrs.  I have 2 resources assigned.

1. If I create the task and have both resources at 100% then the work load is divided into 40 hrs each or 1 week.

When I change #1 resource to only be available for 50%, I would expect the duration to change to 1 1/2 weeks, but it does not it changes to 2 weeks.  The work load distribution stays at 40 hrs each but the duration goes to 2 weeks with #1 working 4 hrs a day for 2 weeks and #2 working 8 hrs a day for only 1 week. 

What do I need to do to get #2 to keep working on the project until it is done and reduce the duration from 2 weeks back to 1 1/2 weeks?

I did find that if I go into the Task Usage and change the duration to "Lower" than the task should take it adjusts the Work accordingly and then when I adjust the Work back to 80 hrs it does allocate the work load correctly at 27 and 53 hrs respectively and it comes out to 1 1/2 weeks.  Manually manipulating this for more than 2 tasks would be a lot of work.

This leads to question 2

2)  If I manipulate the Work and Duration as above and then go to #2 resource's calendar and add 5 days of Vacation during this period it does not allow me to adjust the work load so that #1 resource continues to work on the project until done or #2 comes back and then it gets done.  What happens is that #1 is done working after 1 1/2 weeks and nothing is completed until #2 comes back and then #2 finishes the task only.  If I have 2 tasks that are Finish-Start then #1 resource does not do anything until the 1st task is complete. 

How do I get Project to automatically level the work load?

Answer 1

Hi,

John's explanation is excellent ; still I would like to answer your final question straightaway:

How do I get Project to automatically level the work load?

You can't. It doesn't. Forget it.

Sorry but that's it.

Greetings,

Answer 2

MHenrichs,

First let me just say that Project is a scheduling tool not an assistant. It can only work with what it knows. I doesn't make decisions.

In your first item the Duration field in fact does change to 1 1/2 weeks. I assume you are looking at the Gantt bar which probably extends to the middle of the following Friday. When you set up the original task, both resources work an equal amount for one week. I assume you have a fixed work type task. Once the task is set you now change the parameters but only for resource #1. For lack of other information Project assumes resource #2 stays as is so he/she works their 40 hrs and resource #1 works 4 hrs/day until he/she has completed their 40 hours. The total work content is still 80 hrs but Project's work equations has adjusted the duration as necessary.

Project's work equation will respond differently depending on whether the task is fixed duration, fixed units, or fixed duration. And once a task is set up, changing the work equation parameters, (duration, work, units), will change the task's "structure" in different ways. I suggest you Google the Project 2010 work equation and learn more about how it works. The basic equation, (duration = work/units), is the same but how it responds to input is a little different for Project 2010.

Hopefully a better understanding of how Project's work equation calculates the schedule will answer both of your questions. If not, post back. Meanwhile if you want to customize the work on a task, as far as I know there are two basic ways. First, manually contour the work on the Resource or Task Usage views, or second, create custom work calendars for each resource specifying exact work days and hours.

One other comment. Project does have a leveling feature but it will NOT do what you want. Project's leveling feature is strictly for re-distributing the work to relieve resource overallocation based on task priority.

Hope this helps.

John

Answer 3

MHenrichs,

I assume it was you who gave Jan and me credit for helpful answers. Thank you for that. Would you also please consider marking this post as answered so it will not remain open indefinitely.

If you have further questions that follow this same thread, then by all means leave it open and ask away. If you have a new question, please submit a new post. Thanks.

John

Answer 4

Thanks for the input.  Now I can go away and hide.

Sorry for the delay in getting back but I wasn't getting notified that anyone answered.

Thanks