It is almost full functional but with 40 activities per project restriction. Import/export is not included in Demo except in text. I recommend to start learning the software from studuing First Project item in Spider Help.
You can also look at the publications at the same site - it may be useful.
There are several Spider Project versions from Professional to Lite. If your client will be interested discuss with me what version will be sufficient.
Your future questions on Spider Project may be posted at Spider Project forum here.
Best Regards,
Vladimir
Member for
15 years 9 months
Member for15 years9 months
Submitted by Dan Mårtensson on Fri, 2010-04-23 03:46
your model is practical and is exactly what our customers do using Spider Project for managing Orders.
For each type of order they create separate project that is called typical fragment. This fragment is created for certain amount that shall be delivered.
Resources are grouped in Skill sets. And one resource can belong to several Skills.
Instead of resources the planner assign skills.
When new order appeared the necessary fragment is inserted in the portfolio (or project) model. In the process of inserting the planner enters the real quantity that shall be delivered and activity data are automatically modified.
The software selects the resources that will do the work automatically taking into account resource availability, resource costs and resource productivities (different resources may have the same skill but different productivity on the same work). Besides the planner can enter user defined priorities for resource selection from the Skill set.
So adding new order is very easy task that takes seconds to complete.
Best Regards,
Vladimir
Member for
21 years 8 months
Member for21 years8 months
Submitted by Rafael Davila on Thu, 2010-04-22 07:44
Trevor, You are right! The detail level will be lost.
The background for this issue is that my client has a lot of small projects going on at the same time.
When a new project is delivered to them, they want to be able to just pick a standard plan programmed earlier. In this case there are 3 standard plans to those from. The plans are already planned with hours and when a new project is delivered they will replace the “groups” that I talked about with real persons and then baseline. The resources catalogue contains, approximately 70 resources.
Rafael,
My thought was to create e.g. a group of designers. This group should contain, steel designers, Mechanical designers and electrical designers. Later on they will be assigned in different project, just be able to display the total hours that will be needed for a chosen task.
Hope my explanation is answer to your question.
Alexandre,
Thanks for your replay, this already now.
Regards
Dan
Member for
22 years 9 months
Member for22 years9 months
Submitted by Alexandre Faul… on Thu, 2010-04-22 03:30
when using MS Project Standard (workstation only), you cannot actually create a Resource Breakdown Structure like the WBS; in the Resource Sheet, you will find a "Group" column that you can use to create "Resource groups" on which you will filter resources, eg "electrical", "masonry", "Team 1", "Team 2", ...
as MSP does not have a Resource Type for Equipment the way it has for Consumables, I typically use this field to separate People from Machinery in my MSP projects
It is too bad and stupid MS did not implement a "Equipment" resource type in MSP 2010.
Alexandre
Member for
21 years 8 months
Member for21 years8 months
Submitted by Rafael Davila on Wed, 2010-04-21 13:30
Are you referring to multi-resources, crews that have several trades, skills and equipments assigned to them, crews that will be used hundreds of times in your job and that any change shall be applied among all occurrences?
If you are referring to this and crew composition is diverse you are in need to know the details.
I do not use MS Project but always very curious about the discussion as I have seen the software is used by many IT people and their particular needs are very frequently similar to other user needs. I do not know how to implement multi-resources in MS Project and would be interesting how experienced users manage this.
I am even a neophyte in the use of multi-resources with other software but interested as seems quite powerful and of much practical use in my jobs. The functionality might also be good for identifying, filtering and reporting on these groups.
Best regards,
Rafael
Member for
19 years 11 months
Member for19 years11 months
Submitted by Trevor Rabey on Wed, 2010-04-21 12:53
Yes, set max units for the resouce in the resource sheet to 500% to represent 5 guys, and assign to a task at 500%.
But why be so lazy?
This is really just trying to cut corners and there is nothing to be gained by it except a bit less typing, and you lose a level of detail which will be useful later.
Your example 500 hours is just 5 guys for 10 h/d for 10 days. At some point you have to actually identify those guys individually (thats called resource management) so you may as well do it from the outset.
Member for
15 years 9 monthsRE: Resource groups
Thanks!
/Dan
Member for
24 years 9 monthsRE: Resource groups
Don,
Spider Demo can be downloaded from http://www.spiderproject.ru/demo_e.php
It is almost full functional but with 40 activities per project restriction. Import/export is not included in Demo except in text. I recommend to start learning the software from studuing First Project item in Spider Help.
You can also look at the publications at the same site - it may be useful.
There are several Spider Project versions from Professional to Lite. If your client will be interested discuss with me what version will be sufficient.
Your future questions on Spider Project may be posted at Spider Project forum here.
Best Regards,
Vladimir
Member for
15 years 9 monthsRE: Resource groups
Hi Vladimir,
Thanks you for your advice
Spider Project sounds very interesting and for this client very use full.
Were can I read more about spider project?
Regards
Dan
Member for
24 years 9 monthsRE: Resource groups
Hi Dan,
your model is practical and is exactly what our customers do using Spider Project for managing Orders.
For each type of order they create separate project that is called typical fragment. This fragment is created for certain amount that shall be delivered.
Resources are grouped in Skill sets. And one resource can belong to several Skills.
Instead of resources the planner assign skills.
When new order appeared the necessary fragment is inserted in the portfolio (or project) model. In the process of inserting the planner enters the real quantity that shall be delivered and activity data are automatically modified.
The software selects the resources that will do the work automatically taking into account resource availability, resource costs and resource productivities (different resources may have the same skill but different productivity on the same work). Besides the planner can enter user defined priorities for resource selection from the Skill set.
So adding new order is very easy task that takes seconds to complete.
Best Regards,
Vladimir
Member for
21 years 8 monthsRE: Resource groups
Dan,
Got it, makes a lot of sense to me.
Best regards,
Rafael
Member for
15 years 9 monthsRE: Resource groups
Hi,
Thanks for all your answers.
Trevor, You are right! The detail level will be lost.
The background for this issue is that my client has a lot of small projects going on at the same time.
When a new project is delivered to them, they want to be able to just pick a standard plan programmed earlier. In this case there are 3 standard plans to those from. The plans are already planned with hours and when a new project is delivered they will replace the “groups” that I talked about with real persons and then baseline. The resources catalogue contains, approximately 70 resources.
Rafael,
My thought was to create e.g. a group of designers. This group should contain, steel designers, Mechanical designers and electrical designers. Later on they will be assigned in different project, just be able to display the total hours that will be needed for a chosen task.
Hope my explanation is answer to your question.
Alexandre,
Thanks for your replay, this already now.
Regards
Dan
Member for
22 years 9 monthsRE: Resource groups
Don,
when using MS Project Standard (workstation only), you cannot actually create a Resource Breakdown Structure like the WBS; in the Resource Sheet, you will find a "Group" column that you can use to create "Resource groups" on which you will filter resources, eg "electrical", "masonry", "Team 1", "Team 2", ...
as MSP does not have a Resource Type for Equipment the way it has for Consumables, I typically use this field to separate People from Machinery in my MSP projects
It is too bad and stupid MS did not implement a "Equipment" resource type in MSP 2010.
Alexandre
Member for
21 years 8 monthsRE: Resource groups
Dan,
Are you referring to multi-resources, crews that have several trades, skills and equipments assigned to them, crews that will be used hundreds of times in your job and that any change shall be applied among all occurrences?
If you are referring to this and crew composition is diverse you are in need to know the details.
I do not use MS Project but always very curious about the discussion as I have seen the software is used by many IT people and their particular needs are very frequently similar to other user needs. I do not know how to implement multi-resources in MS Project and would be interesting how experienced users manage this.
I am even a neophyte in the use of multi-resources with other software but interested as seems quite powerful and of much practical use in my jobs. The functionality might also be good for identifying, filtering and reporting on these groups.
Best regards,
Rafael
Member for
19 years 11 monthsRE: Resource groups
Yes, set max units for the resouce in the resource sheet to 500% to represent 5 guys, and assign to a task at 500%.
But why be so lazy?
This is really just trying to cut corners and there is nothing to be gained by it except a bit less typing, and you lose a level of detail which will be useful later.
Your example 500 hours is just 5 guys for 10 h/d for 10 days. At some point you have to actually identify those guys individually (thats called resource management) so you may as well do it from the outset.