Bernard, you are right - finding a precise optimum is impossible in a reasonable time. It does not mean that you should not try to optimize resource-constrained project schedule and to receive the results that are pretty close to the optimal solution. If you will try resource constrained scheduling in Spider Project you will find that the resource-constrained schedules produced by this package are usually much shorter that the schedules produced for the same projects by other PM software. It happens because its developers did not decide that it does not make sense to try to improve project schedules just because they could not guarantee that the results are optimal. Skill scheduling makes the task even harder, as other advanced options like variable resource assignments, shift simulation, etc. But if these tasks are hard for the PM software then they are even harder for people who do not think with the computer speed.
Try Spider Project and you will see that the task is hard but not impossible - it was solved in 1993 when the first version of Spider Project was launched to the market.

The current discussion of roles is not what I understood as the question from the original post. It was my understanding that km m wished to be able to assign two different resources (or two different roles) and have the software choose one or the other.

This is a bit different than assigning a single role and allowing the software to choose a specific resource/person from within that role’s pool (even when specific resources/people could be assigned to multiple roles/pools).

Bernard Ertl
InterPlan Systems - eTaskMaker Project Planning Software

Ronald, who will assign resources at last - you or P3e?
During the execution resources should be reassigned because the schedule will change. How P3e will reassign resources? What you described is manual resource assignment with P3e advise.

The final answer is MSP cannot automatic perform the role and resource function.

As for P3e, I think it does not have the automatic assignment function at present.

Dear All,

MSP Method for multi-resource allocation.

Said you have 50 different activity uses 10 type of role
Like Electrical Engineer, Mechancial Engineer, System Designer ... etc.

Assuming each resource have only one role and each role have one or more resources.

This is how I think in MSP it might work.

Allocate Role to each activity and their requirement.
Run Resource Levelling.

At the time you should also have a matching table between role and resource.

Sort the activity by role, start date, then duration. Now you can assign the name resource with with your matching table. One by one with the logic like if there is a overlap use 2nd name resource.

By the time you reach this stage 99.9% of the activity should already have a name resource because when resource leveling it should not have any conflict with activity and resource.

This is kind of manual approach to the problem, however, this will help to minized the visit individual activity.

Dear All,

I know this might be a wrong forum for P3e but, in P3e you can assign role and resource.
Role being the type of resource like Skill Engineering Level 2 or Cable jointer.
And resource (named) being the actual resource like Mr. A and Mr. B is both Cable Jointer.

When running the schedule in P3e, the system can automatic assign the appropriate resource to each specific tasks as the resource is avaliable.

I think you can use the similar concept in MSP to use ROLE for your resource assignment and then resource levelling. Once resource is leveled you can then export the activity list and assign the different name to the activity. That way you can have as many named resource for single role.

I don’t understand what do you mean by splitting the task.
You can assign two resource types (pools? - resources grouped by skills) using following types of assignments:
1. Assigned resources will work together. If one is absent the second will not work too.
2. Assigned resources will work independently. One of them can start to work and the second will join when will be ready and if the work will not be finished to this moment.
3. Assigned resources will work independetly. Each of them will do the specified amount of work and then will be assigned to another activity even if the first activity execution is not finished.

A task may have an attribute "splittable" if its execution may be stopped and resources reassigned to another task with higher priority.

Please specify your question if my answer is not satisfactory.

It is not too complicated for software packages. It is natural to use computer power to solve tasks like this. You can try it in Spider Project (Demo can be downloaded from http://www.spiderproject.ru/spider_e.php).
In this package you can define any number of assignment pools and include in each pool resources that have special skills. Each resource can belong to unlimited number of assignment pools.
Then instead of assignment to work any special resource assign the whole pool and define a number of pool resources that shall be used or their total productivity. In Spider Project you can define activity duration or activity volume - a physical quantity of work to be done (in meters, tons, etc.). Assigning resources you shall define their productivities and activity duration will be calculated. Resources belonging to assignment pool can have different productivities. So you cannot tell what will be activity duration before scheduling when the software will choose which resources to use where.
Project manager can define resource priorities that will be taken into account when the program will choose pool resources to be used. If priorities are not defined then the softwarte will choose those resources that are free at the moment and will do the work for the least price.

It would certianly be very helpful for your initial recource leveling.

But I would still rather leave any decision like that in the project manager’s hands, that’s what they are there for. To try and code or prioritise into a program all the factors a project manager takes into account when he assigns a person/ a resource to an activity is just not feasable.

During the execution phase you will be playing musical chairs, because your program will every now and then change a resource in the middle of an activity.

Regards,

Erik Jonker

Hi Moradi,
Unfortunately MSP does not have that function. It would certainly help a lot, in certain applications. You would normally just check for overallocations, and either use another resource or reschedule the activity. Resource leveling also irons out any overallocations, but you would still have to check that your schedule meets its targets. If targets aren’t met, you have to reshuffle your resources and bring back the program.

What you described is basically the same as resource leveling, the only thing is that your activity dates don’t change. I would imagine that it is just too complicated for planning packages.

This effort is probably what keeps us employed.

Regards,

Erik Jonker