Summary Resource Assignment in standalone MS Project File
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From: Jim Aksel on 21 Mar 2010 00:53 I was asked to do this to show level of effort. For example, a supervisor might be assigned to the summary task as level of effort to supervise the detail tasks. However, this is not a good practice. We keep LOE activity in separate schedules to avoid the problems Cole pointed out. Besides, a hammock task under the summary would accomplish the same thing. -- If this post was helpful, please consider rating it. Jim Aksel, MVP Check out my blog for more information: http://www.msprojectblog.com "Ismet Kocaman" wrote: > There will be no assignments on summary tasks, that's for sure. The below > paragraph is from the help pages. > > Notes > -You can assign a resource to a summary task. This is useful, for example, > if the resource is responsible for a group of tasks. > -If the resource's time on the group of tasks stays the same regardless of > how the total duration of the subtasks changes, then the resource should be > assigned to the individual subtasks, and not to the summary task. > -If you assign a resource full time to a summary task, don't also assign the > same resource full time to subtasks under that summary task, or you may cause > unnecessary overallocations . > Ref. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/HA101935931033.aspx > > I tried to think of an example case where the above statement applies but I > couldn't be able to create a useful one. I would really appreciate your > feedback > on that case. > > Regards, > Ismet Kocaman > > "Rob Schneider" wrote: > > > I think there is a missing feature in Project that detects when > > resources are assigned to a summary task and then throws up a warning > > message. > > > > > > --rms > > > > www.rmschneider.com > > > > > > > > > > On 19/03/10 15:47, Cole wrote: > > > All, > > > > > > Let me preface this question with I agree with you I'm trying to > > > convince others on NOT assigning resources at the summary level. > > > > > > In my search to list all the concerns and issues with regarding > > > assigning resources at the summary level I've found: > > > > > > 1. Resource Loading will be inaccurate as work will lengthen at the > > > Summary Level as the tasks below move around (regardless of whether > > > they are being worked on or not). > > > > > > 2. In addition when sub-tasks overlap or when there is a gap between > > > the tasks work is not the same in both cases. > > > > > > 3. Assigning a resource to a summary task is equivalent to assigning > > > it to each of the sub-tasks - and it isn't, it will produce work > > > according to the duration of the summary task and we all know that is > > > not necessarily equal to the sum of the durations of the sub-tasks > > > > > > 4. A Summary Line isn't really a task, rather, it is simply a top > > > level summary of the sub-tasks under > > > it. Resource assignments on a Summary Line also can cause some > > > unexpected results. > > > > > > 5. When a resource is assigned to both a summary task and one of the > > > sub-tasks, and the sum of assignment units exceeds the max units of > > > the resource, leveling cannot solve the overallocation. > > > > > > 6. People forget about it and then start complaining Project "doesn't > > > calculate correctly". Indeed, once you > > > assign a resource to the summary task, Work and Cost on that summary > > > task > > > are no linger the total of the sub-task. > > > > > > 7. Assigning resources to summary tasks can cause obscure double > > > booking with data confusion, and thus should be avoided entirely. > > > > > > Am I missing any other reason? > > > > > > Cole > > . > >
From: Ismet Kocaman on 21 Mar 2010 15:43 Thank you Jim. "Jim Aksel" wrote: > I was asked to do this to show level of effort. For example, a supervisor > might be assigned to the summary task as level of effort to supervise the > detail tasks. > > However, this is not a good practice. We keep LOE activity in separate > schedules to avoid the problems Cole pointed out. Besides, a hammock task > under the summary would accomplish the same thing. > -- > If this post was helpful, please consider rating it. > > Jim Aksel, MVP > > Check out my blog for more information: > http://www.msprojectblog.com > > > > "Ismet Kocaman" wrote: > > > There will be no assignments on summary tasks, that's for sure. The below > > paragraph is from the help pages. > > > > Notes > > -You can assign a resource to a summary task. This is useful, for example, > > if the resource is responsible for a group of tasks. > > -If the resource's time on the group of tasks stays the same regardless of > > how the total duration of the subtasks changes, then the resource should be > > assigned to the individual subtasks, and not to the summary task. > > -If you assign a resource full time to a summary task, don't also assign the > > same resource full time to subtasks under that summary task, or you may cause > > unnecessary overallocations . > > Ref. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/HA101935931033.aspx > > > > I tried to think of an example case where the above statement applies but I > > couldn't be able to create a useful one. I would really appreciate your > > feedback > > on that case. > > > > Regards, > > Ismet Kocaman > > > > "Rob Schneider" wrote: > > > > > I think there is a missing feature in Project that detects when > > > resources are assigned to a summary task and then throws up a warning > > > message. > > > > > > > > > --rms > > > > > > www.rmschneider.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 19/03/10 15:47, Cole wrote: > > > > All, > > > > > > > > Let me preface this question with I agree with you I'm trying to > > > > convince others on NOT assigning resources at the summary level. > > > > > > > > In my search to list all the concerns and issues with regarding > > > > assigning resources at the summary level I've found: > > > > > > > > 1. Resource Loading will be inaccurate as work will lengthen at the > > > > Summary Level as the tasks below move around (regardless of whether > > > > they are being worked on or not). > > > > > > > > 2. In addition when sub-tasks overlap or when there is a gap between > > > > the tasks work is not the same in both cases. > > > > > > > > 3. Assigning a resource to a summary task is equivalent to assigning > > > > it to each of the sub-tasks - and it isn't, it will produce work > > > > according to the duration of the summary task and we all know that is > > > > not necessarily equal to the sum of the durations of the sub-tasks > > > > > > > > 4. A Summary Line isn't really a task, rather, it is simply a top > > > > level summary of the sub-tasks under > > > > it. Resource assignments on a Summary Line also can cause some > > > > unexpected results. > > > > > > > > 5. When a resource is assigned to both a summary task and one of the > > > > sub-tasks, and the sum of assignment units exceeds the max units of > > > > the resource, leveling cannot solve the overallocation. > > > > > > > > 6. People forget about it and then start complaining Project "doesn't > > > > calculate correctly". Indeed, once you > > > > assign a resource to the summary task, Work and Cost on that summary > > > > task > > > > are no linger the total of the sub-task. > > > > > > > > 7. Assigning resources to summary tasks can cause obscure double > > > > booking with data confusion, and thus should be avoided entirely. > > > > > > > > Am I missing any other reason? > > > > > > > > Cole > > > . > > >
From: Tiberiu on 31 Mar 2010 05:01
We are using assignments on summary tasks with a 0 assignment unit value just to represent the person responsible for that summary task. This way there is no additional work. Otherwise resources should not be assigned on summary task. Cheers, Tiberiu Ghioca http://www.rationalplan.com "Ismet Kocaman" wrote: > There will be no assignments on summary tasks, that's for sure. The below > paragraph is from the help pages. > > Notes > -You can assign a resource to a summary task. This is useful, for example, > if the resource is responsible for a group of tasks. > -If the resource's time on the group of tasks stays the same regardless of > how the total duration of the subtasks changes, then the resource should be > assigned to the individual subtasks, and not to the summary task. > -If you assign a resource full time to a summary task, don't also assign the > same resource full time to subtasks under that summary task, or you may cause > unnecessary overallocations . > Ref. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/HA101935931033.aspx > > I tried to think of an example case where the above statement applies but I > couldn't be able to create a useful one. I would really appreciate your > feedback > on that case. > > Regards, > Ismet Kocaman > > "Rob Schneider" wrote: > > > I think there is a missing feature in Project that detects when > > resources are assigned to a summary task and then throws up a warning > > message. > > > > > > --rms > > > > www.rmschneider.com > > > > > > > > > > On 19/03/10 15:47, Cole wrote: > > > All, > > > > > > Let me preface this question with I agree with you I'm trying to > > > convince others on NOT assigning resources at the summary level. > > > > > > In my search to list all the concerns and issues with regarding > > > assigning resources at the summary level I've found: > > > > > > 1. Resource Loading will be inaccurate as work will lengthen at the > > > Summary Level as the tasks below move around (regardless of whether > > > they are being worked on or not). > > > > > > 2. In addition when sub-tasks overlap or when there is a gap between > > > the tasks work is not the same in both cases. > > > > > > 3. Assigning a resource to a summary task is equivalent to assigning > > > it to each of the sub-tasks - and it isn't, it will produce work > > > according to the duration of the summary task and we all know that is > > > not necessarily equal to the sum of the durations of the sub-tasks > > > > > > 4. A Summary Line isn't really a task, rather, it is simply a top > > > level summary of the sub-tasks under > > > it. Resource assignments on a Summary Line also can cause some > > > unexpected results. > > > > > > 5. When a resource is assigned to both a summary task and one of the > > > sub-tasks, and the sum of assignment units exceeds the max units of > > > the resource, leveling cannot solve the overallocation. > > > > > > 6. People forget about it and then start complaining Project "doesn't > > > calculate correctly". Indeed, once you > > > assign a resource to the summary task, Work and Cost on that summary > > > task > > > are no linger the total of the sub-task. > > > > > > 7. Assigning resources to summary tasks can cause obscure double > > > booking with data confusion, and thus should be avoided entirely. > > > > > > Am I missing any other reason? > > > > > > Cole > > . > > |