Chris Rimple Project Expert Team Resource Leveling Chris Rimple Project Expert Team MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Introduction Slides, with questions and screenshots, available on website http://www.mpugphx.org Time is limited; questions may be deferred until end of presentation Questions may also be submitted from the MPUG-Phoenix website MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Agenda Leveling Defined Benefits of Leveling Leveling Settings Priority Defined Demonstration Resources Questions MPUG Phoenix Chapter

What Is Leveling? Resource Leveling is the process of balancing resource utilization to prevent over-allocation and to maximize efficiency MPUG Phoenix Chapter

What Does That Mean? Resource Leveling prevents two tasks from being assigned to the same person at the same time Resource Leveling ensures that all people are assigned tasks to maximum capacity wherever possible MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Benefits of Leveling Prevents resource over-allocation Assists in maximizing resource utilization More flexible than using predecessors Allows MS Project to automatically adjust to changing priorities, durations, and resource availability MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Calculation Types Automatic (Default) Manual Performs leveling for any change in priority, duration, resources, or other properties Sometimes difficult to find leveling results in large projects Can be slow with large or linked projects Manual User initiates leveling when desired Usually easier to identify and revert changes that result from leveling MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Leveling Order ID Only Standard Priority, Standard Tasks with the lowest ID numbers are performed first Standard Tasks are performed based on predecessors, slack, fixed start dates, and constraints Priority, Standard Tasks are performed based on priority first, then remaining Standard factors MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Leveling Preferences Level within available slack Select to “keep your project as short as possible”; doesn’t always work Leveling can adjust assignments Select to adjust tasks for each resource separately Leveling can create splits in work Select to allow tasks to be split MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Understanding Priority Priority is 0 – 1000 in increments of 1; default priority is 500 Priority of 1000 means “Do Not Level” Summary task priority is ignored Priority has no relationship to ID; tasks can be listed in any order MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Demonstration Over-allocated resources Leveling by ID Only order Show resource utilization Leveling by ID Only order Clear and show leveling Leveling by Standard order Leveling by Priority order Adjust priorities and level again Tracking Gantt MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Resources MS Project online help MS Project website http://www.microsoft.com/project MPUG-Phoenix website http://www.mpugphx.org See a Project Expert Team member or email your question expert@mpugphx.org MPUG Phoenix Chapter

Questions? MPUG Phoenix Chapter