A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule
NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center
Office of Strategic Analysis & Communication
Performance Analysis & Integration Office
Project Planning & Analysis Team
Greg Smith (Smith & Associates, LLC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
www.nasa.gov
Used with Permission
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Would Clint Eastwood carry an unloaded gun? So why do you have an unloaded schedule?
• What is resource loading?
• Why would I want to resource load my schedule?
• Why might I not want to resource load my schedule?
• How would I resource load my schedule if I chose to do so? You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’
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What is resource loading? Resource loading is:
o Building a list of resources (e.g. people or skills, materials, equipment, money) and
o Allocating those resources to tasks in a schedule
Resources can have a rate (i.e. $ per unit) or not
o Without a rate, one can partially assess the viability of a plan
Resource availability
o With a rate, one can more fully assess the viability of a plan
Funding requirements
Cost and schedule integration
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Why would I want to resource load my schedule?
Integrates the budget with the work – creates a better estimate
Creates an analysis tool for “what if” and directed changes
Provides cash flow and funding profiles
Identifies “what” you need, “how much” you need , and “when” you need it
Ensures you haven’t left out something necessary
Workforce planning & coordination
Balance workload versus workforce
Identify surplus & deficits
Generate inputs for PPBE process
Makes EVM implementation easier
Aids in Risk Management (e.g. effectiveness of mitigation, cost and schedule impacts)
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Why might I not want to resource load my schedule?
Too early in Development / Formulation
Not sure what resources are needed
Too much effort required
Don’t have the skills or tools
Don’t want anyone to know…
None of the reasons “why to” apply to me
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Don't just do something, stand
there.
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Questions to consider before resource loading Will my tasks be fixed in duration? If not, what are the duration drivers?
Will the number of resources assigned to my tasks be fixed? If not, what are the assignment
drivers?
Is the amount of Work fixed for each task? If not, what are the Work drivers?
Will adding or removing resources or overtime to my task affect the duration of the task?
What types of resources are at my disposal?
What are my resource costs?
How will the costs for my resources be accrued?
Do I need to consider overhead costs? If so, then how?
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If you intend to use costs when resource loading
This romantic stuff is really tough. I can't wait to get back to shooting
and killing.
Quote made during the filming of “Bridges of Madison County”
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Tools - Options
7
Convention:100% = 1 equivalent
person
Convention:1.0 = 1 equivalent
person
Both methods facilitate
assignments by fractional FTE
or WYE
A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule
Never trust anyone on an Italian movie. I know about these things. Stay
away from special effects and explosives.
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Tools - Options
8A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule
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Tools - Options
9A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule
This option can also be set at the Task level
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Tools - Options
10A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule
This option can also be set at the Task level
‘Soft’ Option
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Tools - Options
11A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule
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Tools - Options
12A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule
Tools – Change Working Time
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Resource Loading Method Examples Resources can be created and defined by
Person
Skill
Group, Team, or Organization
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ID Resource Name T 1 Joe Blow W2 I. M. Cross W3 U. R. Knott W4 Jane Doe W5 Lois Lane W6 Clark Kent W
ID Resource Name T 1 Structural Engineer W2 System Engineer W3 Mechanical Engineer W4 Electrical Engineer W5 Project Manager W6 Admin Assis tant W
ID ResourceName
Resource Description T
1 ER00 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW2 ER01 Propulsion Systems Department W3 ER02 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW4 ER21 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW5 ER23 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW6 ER24 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW7 ER30 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW8 ER31 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW9 ER32 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW10 ER33 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW11 ER34 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW12 ER41 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW13 ER42 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW14 ER43 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW15 ER51 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW16 ER52 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENTW
They say marriages are made in Heaven. But so is thunder and lightning.
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Defining Resources
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Common fields used to describe, identify, sort, group, organize, or codify
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Defining Resources
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Resources types can be defined as
Work – people and equipment
Material – consumable supplies and bulk material
Cost – dollars (or other currency)
These resource types determine how resource calculations are performed depending upon the Task Type and ‘Effort Driven’ options selected
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Defining Resources
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Max Units - the maximum units of a resource that is available
at any given time during the project
Std Rate – the cost per unit displayed for standard time
Ovt Rate – the cost per unit displayed for overtime
Cost/Use – the cost for each resource assignment instance
Once only for each Material Type resource assignment
Per Unit for Work Type resources
Aids in balancing work load
Aids in determining
costs
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Defining Resources
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Costs are accrued
At the start of a resource assignment
At the end of a resource assignment
Evenly across the duration of the resource assignment
Choose Base Calendar from the drop down box
Calendars are defined under Tools – Change Working Time
Applies to the resource assignment
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Resource Loading Method Examples Resources can be allocated to different types of schedule tasks
Hammock
Summary
Detailed
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Assigning Resources
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Step 1. Select Task
Step 2. Select Resource Button
Step 3. Select Resource
Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for each resource to be assigned
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Simplified Resource Loading Calculation Matrix
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Task Type Effort Driven? Resource Type Results
Action Fixed Duration Fixed UnitsFixed Work
(1) Yes No Work Material Cost Work Units Duration Cost
Assign Resource X X X X X X Calculated Enter Unchanged Calculated
or X X X X X X N/A Enter Unchanged Calculated
Remove Resource X X X X X X N/A N/A Unchanged Enter
Change Units (2) X X X X Calculated Enter Unchanged Calculated
X X X X Unchanged Enter Calculated Unchanged
X X X Unchanged Enter Calculated Unchanged
X X X X X X N/A Enter Unchanged Calculated
Change Work (3) X X X X Enter Calculated Unchanged Calculated
X X X X X Enter Unchanged Calculated Calculated
Change Duration (3) X X X X Unchanged Calculated Enter Unchanged
X X X Calculated Unchanged Enter Calculated
X X X X Calculated Unchanged Enter Calculated
(1) If selected, Effort Driven 'Yes' selection is mandatory
(2) Action has no impact on Cost Type Resources
(3) Action has no impact on Material or Cost Type Resources
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Now what? After all that, what do I get for my efforts?
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Grouped by Resource, showing each task assignment
User selects what data items to see here
Red font indicates over allocation of resources
In this example, we see the most people working at any one time (Peak
Units), the percentage of time the total available
resource is assigned (% Alloc), and the total
hours to be worked by that resource (Work)
This film cost $31 million. With that kind of money I could have
invaded some country.
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Max Units fromResource Sheet
Over Allocated Amount
Peak number of this resource
assigned during this period
Avai
labl
efo
r oth
er w
ork
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What do I do with this information?
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Determine if I have enough of the right type of resources available to do the work as scheduled
Justify a schedule shift to accommodate resource availability
Support decisions to acquire additional resources
Balance workload
Coordinate activities within a project and between multiple projects
Provide data to support annual budget process (i.e. PPBE)
Negotiate the addition of “unfunded mandates”
Analyze changes to schedule and resource requirements
And…
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In Summary…
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Resource loading isn’t for everyone
If you decide resource loading is for you, decide if you want resource management capability
only or both resource and cost management capability
Ask questions to understand your resources, tasks, and desired data outputs (i.e. prepare)
Set up your software options and load your resource data
Make assignments and analyze data – adjust as necessary
You are now prepared to answer ‘what if’ questions regarding changes in funding, schedule, or
resource requirements
DEFEND YOUR POSITION!Go ahead, make my day.
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