Levelling of resources

Dear All,

How Primavera calculates Limits in resource usage profile?

Sudarshan

OPSSSs...I rephrase my post # 29.



"P6 DOES PERMIT DRIVER SWAPPING" should be read as P6 DOES NOT PERMIT DRIVER SWAPPING.



Thanks

Rodel

Kumar,
Task dependent ignore resource calendar. If you are using same number of resource per shift then your settings if fine. If different number I suggest to use resource dependent activity with define resource each shift and calendar each shift. See post #16 as sample.

Best Regards,
Rodel

Hi Vladimir,

This is my understanding on P6 behavior regarding resource assignment. P6 have limitation with regards to resource assignments. It only have fixed assignment to resource and not variable. When leveling resource, P6 calculate limited to assignment of resource and not transferable to other resource. P6 consider the calendar assigned as the parameter that is why short duration is not feasible to use.



“So the project will last 81 hours instead of 65, resources will not be properly planned...” YES! P6 leveling is limited and having fixed assignment which resulting unacceptable result.



“Do you think that it may be called proper shift work simulation?” NO! Due to its limitation P6 failed to consider other resources assigned to same activity and can only be done using manual proportion of units assigned to resource before leveling which is also trial and error.



I concluded that leveling of short duration is not feasible in P6 and “P6 does not permit to use a car without the driver” and also “P6 DOES PERMIT DRIVER SWAPPING” compare to Spider Project which allows stand by driver and jump to car when available which is the correct simulation shift work after leveling.



Best Regards,

Rodel

Ok Vladimir I got it, now I can follow you, guess that we are still waiting for a response to your question on posting #23 quoted as follows.



So the project will last 81 hours instead of 65, resources will not be properly planned...

Do you think that it may be called proper shift work simulation?

If resource calendar permits to work in several shifts you can assign this resource to all shifts (like equipment and machines with 24/7 calendars).

But let’s discuss Spider features in Spider Project forum. Here we can ask questions on P6.

Vladimir,



Usually some of our resources can work several shifts, some such as equipment can work any or all shifts, other only one shift and others a shift depending on the activity if scheduled by specific shift.



I followed your instructions, but this is not like in the case a resource can work several shifts or any or all shifts or a shift depending on the activity , seems something easier, the typical resource that can work on a specific shift only.



Please verify so I can follow you.







If this is, then I don’t see any difficulty on modeling this, any software should be able to do so, it is the most basic of shifts modeling need.



Best Regards,

Rafael



P.S. Remember my prior exparience with SureTrak was that it was so limited into resource modeling we never used it but to verify soft links assumptions without running the schedule leveling routine.

Not quite.

Resource R1 works in the first shift, resource R2 works in second shift (set their calendars 8:00 - 16:00, and 16:00 - 24:00).

Set activity calendars 8:00 - 24:00 or just 24 hours.

Assign to all activities two teams - 1st with resource R1, second with resource R2, enter activity durations (Total duration of teams) and run resource levelling.

No need for dummy resources or anything else.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Vladimir,



Is the following what you are modeling? I am trying to catch up as was involved in other issues.







Best Regards,

Rafael

So the project will last 81 hours instead of 65, resources will not be properly planned...

Do you think that it may be called proper shift work simulation?

Vladimir,

The result is very simple. If the planner don’t assigned resource proportion manually before leveling then P6 assumed that the dayshift resource use 8 unit and 1 unit for night shift for 9hr duration. Then 8h dayshift and 3h nightshift for 11 hr duration, 8 and 5 and soon as activity calendar define 16 working hour and first 8 hours come first.



When leveling software use the unit available for each resource and overlap when it possible that is why duration change.

See Resource table:





Best Regards,

Rodel

I cannot understand the results.

Why activity durations changed: instead of 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 hours became 9, 15, 16,16, 25 hours?

Why resources of the second shift are not properly used, as may be seen at the histogram?



I understood that total duration became 81 hours instead of necessary 65.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Vladimir,

Here is what I did. Create 5 activities and specified durations. Select all activities and assigned both resources with different calendar. Software automatically allocate units based on limit 1/h then run leveling.



Before leveling:





After leveling:





Best Regards,

Rodel

Rodel,

each resource works 8 hours per day. One in the first shift, second in the second shift. It cannot be known before levelling what time each resource will work on concrete activity.



1 resource with shift calendar is not a proper solution for many reasons. You know them.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Vladimir,

Before I can model the sample given I need to know how many units required per each resource per activity and working period (i.e. 16hr/day, 17hr/day)



For short activity period P6 can handle that using 1 resource with shift calendar define but not on 2 resources with different calendar.



Best Regards,

Rodel

Thank you.

So if I understood correctly P6 cannot level short activity properly if it is not known at what shift it will be performed.



OK, let’s consider another example:

There are 5 activities with the duration 9 hours (this is minimum?), 11 hours, 13 hours, 15 hours, and 17 hours.

All of them can be done in both shifts by the same resources R1 (1st shift) and R2 (2nd shift).

All activities follow the same activity in the larger schedule and could be done in parallel if resources are unlimited.

But we have have only one unit of R1 and one unit of R2.

We do not know when these activities could start before levelling.

How to assign resources and level this subproject in P6?



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hi Vladimir,

If planner is using different number of crews or people on shift works, P6 handles that in a different way. By using Resource dependant activity P6 allow to use multiple resources with different calendar settings and P6 use those resource calendars and ignore activity calendar.

Ex: If you have 2 Activities not link to each other with calendar working 16h/d and define a Resources day shift & night shift calendar define (dayshift = 8:00 – 16:00, Nightshift 16:00 – 00:00) then P6 will use resource calendar when leveling once both resources are assigned to activities. P6 use Resource calendar to simulate shift work.

Note: This model is recommended for different number of people on every shift otherwise shift calendar is recommended for normal shift work (same number per shift or 1 resource).

See Sample below.

Before leveling:





After leveling:





P6 also allows selecting resource to level and ignoring other resource or will not touch other not selected resource when leveling as per sample below:

Dayshift level only:



Nightshift level only:





For the sample that you selected, it is imposible for P6 to input duration required (1hr to 8hr) as it was not passed resource parameter. It is possible using shift calendar but not 2 resources with different calendar.



I will send you the xer so you can understand better as my explanation might not clear.



Best Regards,

Rodel

Hi Rodel,

thank you for the answer.

But the question remains - how to simulate shift work in P6.

I did not understand your proposal for levelling separately day and night shifts.

How to calculate the schedule for the example that I suggested?

Is it possible or not?

Can P6 simulate working in shifts or not?



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hi Vladimir,



In P6 it you want to use resource calendar as basis of your scheduling then that activity is called Resource dependent. In order to use this type of activities you have to meet resource criteria or requirement. On your example, P6 will not allow to enter duration outside resource parameter used. As the two Resource has a working time limit (shift work), P6 consider the limit specified on the resource criteria (i.e. calendar) and understand that both resource requirements once it is assigned to activity. If duration entered is not cover within resource criteria then P6 will not accept the input.



If your understanding with that is P6 allowing to use the car without the driver the answer is NO.



Best Regards,

Rodel

Sorry, I don’t understand. I did not suggest to input resource durations. In my example there are activity durations. It is not known before scheduling which resource will do what.



Please explain how to schedule activities in my example if I have two resources working in different shifts and both can do the work.

I want to add that the start time is not known also. Let’s assume that all these activities have common predecessor in the much larger network.



Did I understand correctly that P6 permits to use the car without the driver?



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hi Vladimir,



To clarify my post, YES you can assign multiple resources with different calendar in one activity. This type of activity used Resource dependent (Resource driving activity).

In your given example how can you input duration to 2 resources lower to specified working limit if one resource is outside the calendar working hours? I don’t believe that it is possible in P6. Possible it will accept at least 9 hrs minimum for 1 hrs or equivalent otherwise resource will be overloaded.



In regards to second options P6 will allow you to set limit in every shift define but like what I have said P6 will not treat them as independent resource, Meaning limit will be useless as resources will proportionally divided on every shift regardless of shift limit. It really crap which I don’t understand the logic why having an option to limit every shift if not being used.



Best Regards,

Rodel

Hi Rodel,

I did not play with assignments of resources with different calendars in Primavera software.



If I understood your post correctly it is possible to assign resources with different calendars to the same activity and each of them will work their own work hours independently of each other. Assigning the driver and a car I may get the schedule where a car works without the driver.

Is it true?



I am on the business trip and will be able to play with P6 only on return.



Let’s suppose that the project consists of several activities with durations measured in hours (let’s suppose that there are 7 activities with the following durations: 1 hour, 3 hours, 5 hours, 7 hours, 9 hours, 11 hours, 13 hours) not linked with each other. All of them can be done by both resource R1 and resource R2. R1 work hours are from 8:00 to 16:00, R2 work hours are from 16:00 to 24:00. There is 1 unit of resource R1 and 1 unit of resource R2.



I shall assign both R1 and R2 to all activities.

Then level resource R1 (the software will understand that R2 is unlimited), then level resource R2 (considering that R1 is unlimited).

Please try it, it is obvious that results will be unusable.

Let me know if I understood your first proposal correctly.



Your second option is not that interesting because it does not simulate true shift work.

But did I understand you correctly that we shall define different quantities of the same resource at different hours? Like to define that resource R quantity each work day is 5h/h from 8:00 to 16:00 and 3h/h from 16:00 till 24:00.

It will simulate that there are 5 units of resource R at the first shift and 3 units of resource R at second shift.

Please explain how to define it. I have no enough experience in P6 and it will take time to find the solution. I am used to Spider Project and working with calendars in P6 looks too complicated to me.



Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hi Vladimir,

The trick is to create a day shift resource with day calendar and night shift resource with night calendar.

If both resources are assigned to activities you can level them separately. P6 have an option of leveling selected resource.

(That is if planner wants to level day shift and night shift separately)



Alternatively if resource as define as one, P6 allow you to assign resource to shift calendar and every shift can set a limit. Resource must assigned a calendar equivalent to total shift define.

Ex: 2 shift

-> 1 = 8 hr = 08:00 to 16:00

-> 2 = 8 hr = 16:00 to 00:00

-> 3 = 8 hr = 00:00 to 08:00

Resource Calendar = 08:00 to 12:00



P6 will consider shift calendar when leveling resource.

This approach cannot select day shift and night shift separate or individual when leveling.



Best Regards,

Rodel

Rodel,



How you would assign a single resource several shifts. Say resource E is a lights tower needed for two shifts with dark hours.







In this model I used a dummy resource into a multi resource or crew as my way to get what I wanted, hope this can be of help within P6.



http://rapidshare.com/files/403347358/005.002.sprj



As always there is no need to hurry up, take your time to answer my question.



Best Regards,

Rafael

Hi Rodel,

I did not understand the trick.

Before levelling it is not known what shift will do what work.

What shall be done in P6 to get the levelled schedule that shows what shift shall do what work at what time?

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Kumar,

First you have to define limit for day shift and limit for night shift. Then when leveling remove tick from level all resource and select only resource for day shift then do the same on night shift. (I assumed that you have different resource on day shift and night shift)

kumar,

You should define a shift calendar and define shift limit for each shifts. Alternatively define calendar for each resource with different hours and limit per resources. I recommend shift calendar as it was the correct approach.

If you use Shift + F9 resource leveling will update automatically but the finish dates are going to extend.

Hence to level resources as per your requirement you first need to know how many resources you really require. Then go to resource assignments and on right side you can see the dates with units under it for an activity change them manually and see the graph in resource usage profile there is a change for sure. GOOD LUCK