(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?
(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.
Enclosed please find a link to a resource leveling test schedule as to compare how different software handle the resource allocation.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/u9s6qk45pjn9q6t/j3013_8_1.xml
I want to know the resulting duration but equally important the detailed resource usage plan as it is a requirement that all resources within each activity work together as a team and not at different times. Say one resource is a crane and another is a crane operator, you cannot schedule crane and crane operator at different times, this goes for all resources.
As I do not have Asta PP I am enclosing the schedule in MS Project XML format so you can import it and run the resource leveling. In order for those of us not having Asta PP we need you post the resulting resource distribution in PDF. I downloaded the free viewer but not sure if it will work, the Asta PP file will also be welcomed.
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Ben wrote: "We have however now added it to the wish list of enhancements for consideration in future releases so thank you for bringing it to our attention."
Hi, Ben. Certainly not calling you out -- but your sentence above leads to an issue that we discussed many months ago.
I think that the issue that Rafael has raised is a good one -- it is functionality that a portion of your current user base would undoubtedly find useful. It's good that you are being so responsive, adding it to the "wish list" of enhancements for future consideration.
However, can I suggest that a significantly higher percentage of both current users and potential future customers of Asta would gain benefit from being able to compute a bedrock CPM metric that Asta does not currently include: critical path drag?
The Wikipedia page for critical path drag currently receives over 1,200 views per month, and it's increasing monthly. (You've probably also read the MIT paper by Blake Sedore on using drag analysis in manufacturing to optimize throughput.) So even though it's a relatively new metric, it is both basic and "critical" in several disciplines and, I'd suggest, should after all these months be nearing the top of Asta's wish list?
I understand there are a lot of factors involved in deciding on software enhancements in new versions (been there, done that). But sooner or later, Asta WILL include drag computation. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to say that it was "one of the first" packages to do so, and that there is "basic and critical CPM calculations that Primavera doesn't do, but Asta does"?
Just askin'. :-) And, as I offered previously, I'd be happy to discuss any questions your product/programming folks might have regarding critical path drag and its computation. (Tho' Vladimer and Spider Project did pretty well even without me.)
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan
Ben,
If Asta solve the issue will not be a surprise to me, it is my hope they will. What surprises me is that no Asta PP user disclosed the issue before as for Asta to take care.
Thank you very much,
Rafael
Hi Rafael,
I've just editted my original post below as I have found someone to help me with this test this morning,
Ben
Ben,
My question is aimed at anyone who is proficient in the use of Asta PP even when this particular issue is not particularly difficult. I do not know Asta PP as to make an informed statement on how it works, I depend on proficient users. I would like for some of the downloads to be from Asta PP but my point is that there are many others and they are still in the hiding. Among them those self proclaimed experts take no time to make their postings and suddenly they disappeared.
I am asking just to make a resource leveled run on a test file most of us know and understand is intended to be resource leveled as per the most common requirement that resources work together such as; a driver and his car, a crane operator and his crane, a mason and a helper, a crew and the supervisor. The file is available for download, it shall not take more than a few minutes to run it on Asta PP and post the resource plan in PDF on any file hosting service for us to download.
Sub-optimal resource planning is acceptable even if not close to optimal, but unfeasible resource planning should not be accepted.
I am suspicious about the lack of response by anyone of the hundreds who already downloaded the files, not a single satisfactory response yet!
Best Regards,
Rafael
Hi Rafael,
I have a suspicion that your post is aimed at me - which is fine, but please do name me or perhaps contact me privately if you are calling me out. I am sorry that I am only a sales person and not being an expert user for planning software.
However, I have just spent 10 minutes sat with one of our support consultants to examine this test. Unfortunately, it appears that our levelling capability is deficient in that it levels the resources independently and not as a gang in the manner you have requested. Thus we cannot perform the levelling that you have requested - so if you need that capability, you'd best buy Spider! We have however now added it to the wish list of enhancements for consideration in future releases so thank you for bringing it to our attention.
There are workarounds available such as having the crane operator as the permanent resource and the crane as a consumable, adding both to an allocation group, and then adding the group to tasks. I'm still testing some other options and will report back on my findings, but I can't give this too much time today.
As an aside, Planning Planet is a community-run forum and not an avenue for software vendors to advertise their products. Vendors who use the forums to promote their products will be censored; hence my preference to allow our user community to respond to posts about our products, such as this enquiry on leveling, rather than that of a vendor employee. I believe this means you get a more rounded view of the software available to the market. I normally only reply to commercial questions. I'm sure you can understand this is preferable to all involved.
Ben
Best Regards
Rafael
For your first project you can also try using Spider Help.
On the Meny bar select; Help and support > First Project instructions
Regards,
Rafael
Hi Rafael
Where can I get a copy of the Spider Project User Manual? I recently downloaded a trial version and I need some kind of guide.
Thanks.
Regards
Suresh
After a week the downloads continue to add up but no single satisfactory answer from any Asta PP user have been received.
All I am asking is to resource level j3_8_1b using Asta PP with all resources working together as a team on each activity [the industry default] and provide the resulting resource leveled resource plan on PDF.
Best Regards,
Rafael
http://www.mediafire.com/view/h18f4xmcqymp2wh/j3013_8_1b.xml
Ben,
The purpose of my request is to explore Asta resource leveling using a standard test file. These files are used to compare the resource leveling capabilities of different algorithms, they are known by many in the industry.
It came out of another Planning Planet thread where the resource leveling capabilities are explored but not a single Asta PP user joined the discussion, therefore I am looking at several forums to get an answer from Asta users. It is an answer that should come for people proficient with Asta and with full access to the software. FYI I explored other settings you can define outside the calculations settings but at the activity fields, they did not produced expected results, it got to be by proficient users, same as with any other software.
After leveling resources using these test files it is not enough to check the duration but also to make sure the resource plan keeps the requirement for all resources work as a team. Say an activity that uses a driver and a car keeps them working at the same time, say an activity that uses a crane, flying forms and a labor crew keeps them working together at the same time, it is the default on all software I know except perhaps Asta, this is very weird.
I was hoping Asta people would be willing to discuss the issue in an open and transparent way.
All I am asking is for any experinced Asta PP user to resource level the schedule and provide a link to download the results that show the allocations. Something as follows.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/5rmy85g9dwbna92/j3013_8.sm.txt.mpp.pdf
Using the XML demo file you fixed as to be visible by Asta I could not get the required allocation for resources to work as a team, the lack of a satisfactory response tells me there is a very high probability Asta resource leveling is flawed.
After a few days I posted the file and my results there have been enough downloads, still adding up but as of today not a single satisfactory response that settles the issue.
Best Regards,
Rafael
Mike,
Thank you, now after discovering the possibility for some Asta flaws I can understand your position about resource leveling other than manual. I would not be surprised if the combining the resources into a "gang" with a named progress driver is not very functional, perhaps just a label for purpose of reporting.
It would be good to see what is the opinion of Asta and what would be their response.
Best Regards,
Rafael
Hi Rafael
Sorry to disapoint you but you know my views on resource levelling any project.
Best regards
Mike Testro
Good morning Rafael,
I'm sorry to hear that you have been disappointed with the Asta Project Viewer, but I think you have misunderstood the point; it is supposed to be for viewing (read-only access) Asta, Microsoft and P6 project files for free on any PC - most people are very happy to have this capability. It gives a significant advantage over using and sharing only PDFs for example, so I would counter your argument that it is "useless".
In response to your earlier question however, it does utilize the views which are set up in the initial project fields however (you can't further edit the views in the viewer).
Hopefully a member of our user community will be able to help you with your resource levelling test as I'm afraid I don't really understand the request nor the purpose of the test/your objectives?
Best wishes,
Ben
Mike,
Can you please do it for us and publish the resulting resource allocation in pdf.
I got so disapointed with Asta PP and because the lack of response I already erased the demo and the viewer. The demo lasts only 14 days and is a nuisance the persistent request to upgrade to pay version. The demo is limited to 20 tasks though I manage to have it working with a bit more tasks, I believe, and the viewer is almost useless.
The default in all scheduling software is for all resources to belong to a common team, what you are saying does not makes much sense as it would be too far from the common industry assumptions it would render all file imports very unreliable. Weird but who knows, please show us it works.
Best Regards,
Rafael
Hi Rafael
Have you tried combining the resources into a "gang" with a named progress driver.
Best regards
Mike Testro
Ben,
Can you help me with my request using the fixed file you submitted?
Please keep in mind it is a requirement that all resources within each activity work together as a team and not at different times.
Is there a way I can use Asta viewer to see the resource leveled job?
I downloaded the demo and I cannot get it to resource level the resources working at the same time. The following PDF is what I got. But it does not meets the usual resource leveling criteria of resources to work as a team. I cannot believe there is such omission in Asta PP that would render most of their resource leveled schedules not feasible.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/5rmy85g9dwbna92/j3013_8.sm.txt.mpp.pdf
Best Regards,
Rafael
Is it possible Asta PP have such few users that there is no audience and no single current Asta PP user reply to my request?
Suddenly all Asta PP Gurus disappeared, not a single one is willing to take the challenge for an open and transparent discussion, they simply vanished.
Good software shall allow you to decide which resources must work together as a team and how many different teams are required. In case all resources are allowed to work independently just assign each resource to a different team.
I have seen some MS Project resource plans that allocate team resources to work at different time the activity is scheduled. Investigating this specific test schedule it came out that this might happened with MS Project.
Because of similarities with MS Project I suspect is also possible that for some schedules Asta PP did not scheduled the resources within each activity as meeting resources working together as a team at the same time, as if a crane can be assigned at different time to a crane operator. This would render such resource leveled schedule unfeasible.
This is something I want to investigate with MS Project as well as with Asta PP to make sure I get it right. I do not have any of these software and therefore I must recur to those who do.
Ben,
Thanks for the fix, it works now with Asta Viewer. I am new to Asta Viewer and I am struggling to get the resource leveling to work, I can only see the unleveled schedule and for purpose of this discussion the resource leveled schedule is needed.
I am also looking to make report changes using the viewer but cannot even get to change the displayed columns, maybe you can help. For the moment I am using the viewer as if a multi page PDF.
I do not expect a viewer to have full functionality as to re-schedule the job but if you re-schedule the job using the resource leveling and post Asta file then maybe I will be able to take a look at the resource leveled job using the viewer same as if using Spider Viewer and Spider files.
Best Regards,
Rafael
Ben,
the file was created, most probably, with Spider Project. It appears that *.xml and *.xer files created by Spider are a bit different than the ones created by MS Project and Primavera.
For example XER toolkid cannot read *.xer files created by Spider. When I wrote to them they also said that the file structure was a bit different than the one created by Primavera.
Best Regards,
Bogdan
Hi Rafael,
Both the Asta Project Viewer and Asta Powerproject software reject this XML file as it does not conform exactly to Microsoft Project's file format - what software created it? It doesn't appear to have come from MS Project. Interestingly, MS Project 2007 does open it, and Asta can read the file once saved from Project back into XML... It may be that MS Project itself is not being as rigorous in testing the validity of the file.
(as an aside, Asta Powerproject v13.0.02 can now open .mpp files if MS Project also resides on the same machine).
The fixed XML file is here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z8rv1847q5hu1yl/j3013_8_1b.xml?dl=0
Thanks,
Ben @ Asta
I downloaded the viewer but cannot see the MS Project XML file, any help would be welcomed.
In the following link you will find Spider Project Model in PDF in case the XML file does not works with your software.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/2e3ksvzwglfv6w2/Spider_Project_Model_for_3...
Best Regards,
Rafael
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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