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What is resource workload

4 replies [Last post]
Tue, 2010-06-29 03:38
Vladimir Liberzon
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Recent discussion http://www.planningplanet.com/forum/forum_post.asp?fid=1&Cat=8&Top=75366 showed that there is a need to explain what is resource workload on certain assignment and why it is not the same as resource assignment quantity.

Workload is usually measured in percent and shows what part of the work time resource is working on activity where it was assigned. The same resource may do in parallel several activities if its total workload does not exceed 100%.
An example: an activity can last 8 hours, assigned resource R has 25% workload, it means that R will work only 2 hours on this activity during the workday. The rest 6 hours may be used on other assignments of resource R. An example; a crane may be busy on several activities during the work day in parallel.

Quantity is always physical quantity of assigned resources (like 4 workers, 3 machines, etc.).

Total resource workload is the quantity multiplied by workload. So 200% may mean 2 resources with 100% workload, or 4 resources with 50% workload. That is why total workload does not give necessary information for resource scheduling.
And unfortunately this total workload is what many other scheduling packages call resource quantity. As the result there is a risk to get wrong information on project resource requirements and create unrealistic project schedules.
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Replies

Wed, 2010-06-30 00:04
#1
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 2 weeks 5 days ago. Offline
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This functionality works on all types of activities including hammocks but usually is applied to Productivity and Hammock types of activities.
If activity is of Productivity type its duration will depend on the duration and quantity of assigned resources.
For other types activity duration will be the same, so the result of resource levelling may be used for information, or cost calculation.
Examples for hammocks:
1) If you pay different money to your workers for the work and for the idle time, the hammock with their variable assignment will show total duration and cost of idle time.
2) Manager spends maximal 25% of work time for project control but only when he is not assigned to some activity himself.

Best Regards,
Vladimir
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Tue, 2010-06-29 16:04
#2
Rafael Davila
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Vladimir,

I have a few questions on how this functionality works on Duration versus Productivity type activities but will be tomorrow, going to the ballpark, the NY Mets do not come to play in town very often. To me this is available only every other year and we love Baseball.

Best Regards,
Rafael

Mets lost the game on the 9th inning 6 to 7 Marlins but we had a good time.
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Tue, 2010-06-29 15:08
#3
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 2 weeks 5 days ago. Offline
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Variable resource workload permits to simulate complex resource assignments.

Let’s suppose that you have two excavators that may be used on some activity, but this activity can be also done by one of them if the second will not be available.
In this case you will assign two excavators with variable workload. You define maximal (2) and minimal (1) quantity of excavators that are needed. If the first excavator will become available the work will start, if second one will become available before activity finish it will join and accelerate the work. If an activity with higher priority will require the excavator one of them may be moved to this activity and then will return if first activity was not finished.

Another example.
Some work shall be done when resources are free.
You may assign resources with maximal quantity and maximal workload 100% and minimal amount and workload as 0.
Resources will be used on this activity when there are no competing assignments on activities with higher priorities.

Best Regards,
Vladimir
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Tue, 2010-06-29 10:35
#4
Rafael Davila
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Vladimir,

I have not ventured into variable work load yet and would like some insight into it. Believe it can help to satisfy resource constraints when feasible.

In Spider Project I can read activity time up to the minute so perhaps uniform workload means assignment for a portion of every minute but variable workload will allow for other assignments. For example it is not the same to require a resource to work 2 hours of every 8 hours work day on a four days activity or allowing him a variable load that perhaps might be 8 hours on a single day, or 4 hours for two days. In this way after the first/second day the resource will be available to work a full day on an activity that requires him for a full day. Work load and variable workload would still go further than modeling of meeting and non-meeting resources, is not equivalent. Not sure but want to know about variable workloads, suspect it can be of great help. Reminds me of Augustin Purnus who once insisted I must use it.

Best Regards,
Rafael
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