Creating Effort Driven Schedules Creating Effort Driven Schedules

Creating Effort Driven Schedules

Creating Effort Driven Schedules u. Objectives ü Understanding Your Job and the Tools Job ü Understanding Task Types ü Six Steps to an Effort Driven Project Schedule

Understand Your Job, The Tools Job u. Project Leader’s Job ü Determine the amount of work (effort) the task will take (according to a documented procedure, remember? ) ü Determine which resource to assign to the task ü Determine resource availability and calendar adjustments ü Determine Task Dependencies ü Manage Resource Over-allocations u. MS Project’s Job Duration = ü Calculate Duration of the Task ü Calculate Start and Finish Dates ü Help Identify Resource Over-allocations Work Units

Understand Task Types u. Fixed Unit Tasks ü MS Project default, when effort driven scheduling is enabled ü Adding more resources makes task duration shorter ü Removing resources makes task duration longer u. Fixed Work Tasks ü All tasks of this type are effort driven ü Tasks behave similarly to fixed unit tasks with regard to adding and deleting resources ü Provides more flexibility than fixed unit tasks (IMHO) u. Fixed Duration Tasks ü Not recommended for effort driven tasks ü Duration is kept constant when resources are added or removed ü Work is added or removed when resources are added

Example 1 u. Purpose ü Illustrate task types ü Illustrate “The Rule” Duration = Work Units ü Show “The Rule” can affect tracking

Example 1 - Lessons Learned u. Lessons Learned ü Task Types are used to fix one of the variables in the equation: Duration = Work Units ü Entering actual start and finish dates is equivalent to adjusting the task duration ü Updating Task Actuals using the task form can give unreliable results*

Effort Driven Schedules u. Six easy steps (42 substeps, 19 caveats : ) ü Setup Tool Options and Project working times ü Define Resources and their Working Times ü Input the Work Breakdown Structure Your Job ü Define Task Dependencies and Priorities ü Assign Resources & Input Assignment Effort Estimates ü Let MS Project Calculate Dates and Durations Tools Job

Step 1 - Set the Tool Options Set Default Task Type to Fixed Work Set Project Start Date Tools Options Schedule Tab Project Information Dialog Tool Options Dialog

Set Project Working Time u Edit the project calendar to allow for non-productive time ü Use Non-working time to identify company holidays ü Use Non-default working time to allow for project overhead Set Project Working Time Tools Change Working Time Dialog

Set Project Working Time (cont. ) u When you adjust the project calendar, adjust the calendar options accordingly Set Duration Translations Tools Options Calendar Tab Tool Options Dialog

Example 2 – Allowing for Overhead u. Purpose ü Illustrate what happens when calendar option do not align with the project calendar

Example 2 – Lessons Learned u. Account for non-productive time by: ü adjusting the working times on the project’s standard calendar ü and setting the calendar options accordingly u. Recommend setting productive time to one of the following: ü 50% - 4 hours per day, 20 hrs per week ü 63% - 5 hours per day, 25 hours per week ü 75% - 6 hours per day, 30 hours per week

Step 2 – Define Your Resources u Enter Resource Names and Max Units on Resource Sheet Define Resources View Resource Sheet View in MS Project

Max Units ü Used by MS Project to identify resource over-allocations ü Use Max Units to reflect the percentage of time a resource is assigned to your project ü Max units field is not to be confused with the units field that is used for resource assignments ü Dedicated = 100% ü Shared = some % ü varying availability

Resource Availability u. Adjust resource calendars ü to account for those people who do not work a standard week, or are unavailable ü affect how assignments are scheduled ü Use non working time for those out for full days ü Use non default time those who work short days

Example 3 - Lessons Learned u. Purpose ü Illustrate the use of Max units field ü Illustrate how the units field relates to Max units field ü Illustrate how to use resources calendars

Example 3 - Lessons Learned u. The Max Units field: ü should be used to designate what percentage of time a resource is assigned to your project ü is used by MS Project to identify resource over allocations ü Is not to be confused with the units field used for resource assignments u. Individual Resource calendars are used to: ü Adjust calendars for non-working times (i. e. vacations) and non-standard working times (part time resources) ü They are not meant to be used to help you track project actuals

Step 3 – Input the WBS Use Task Entry View More Views Task Entry Set Details to Resource Work Format Details Resource Work Task Entry View in MS Project

Step 4 - Task Dependencies & Priorities u Task Dependencies ü Describes how a task is related to the start or finish of another task ü Recommend using finish to start dependencies primarily ü All tasks should have predecessors (apart from the first task) ü Do not set dependencies between summary tasks ü Can be used for resolving resource over-allocations (but not recommended)

Step 5 – Assign Resources Use task form to assign resources, workload, and adjustments Task Entry View in MS Project Duration = Work Units

Step 6 – Calculate Date and Durations u. Allow MS Project to calculate task durations, start and finish dates ü Remember your job and the tools job! ü MS Project calculates durations using the formula: Duration = Workload (Effort) Units ü Never enter in planned start dates. Doing so will create unwanted task constraints

Effort Driven Scheduling u Not very well documented in literature, but. . . ü Not rocket science u Understand ü “The Rule” ü Your Job and the Tools Job u Remember ü Six step process for creating an effort driven schedule