Hi,

if you reed my last post you already know that we have set up our project calendar, and exceptions.

Here they are:

and:

Working time was set as:

Now I will show you how painful MS PROJECT 2010 can be if you do not understand how does it work! I will add two resources in the Resource sheet. Remember, this post is NOT about Resources and how to manage them. I will write about Resources after I will establish the Schedule for my “Wedding” party. This post is about Resource Calendars:

For the Resource I want to set up Calendar with:

• Vacation (nonworking time) from 01.08.2011 to 10.08.2011

• working time from 08:00 to 14:00 (working days) e.g. 6 hours per day

I will now, just for example, put a Auto Scheduled Task which will start (by default) at 01.08.2011 (Project start date), and will have 20 days Duration. I will get:

You know why the Start date is 01.08.2011 and the End date is 08.09.2011. If you don’t, read my previous Blog: “The “Wedding” Project! How to set up Calendars in MS PROJECT 2010, and why?–PART 2”

OK. I will assign The “Resource” to the Task:

and I will get:

Duration is still 20 days, Start date is the Project start date, and the end date is 23.09.2009. How is it possible?

We need 20 days X 8 hours per day = 160 hours to complete the Task, because I told that one working day have 8 hours. Now I will switch to the Resource Usage View:

As you can see: Our resource will work 6 hours per day, and will start at 11.08.2011. Why? Because he or she is on vacation from 01.08.2011 till 10.08.2011.

We have to work 160 hours to complete the Task. And or resource will work only 6 hours per day. It means:

• From 11.08.2011 (Thursday) to 12.08.2011 (Friday) = 2 days X 6 hours / day = 12 hours
• From 15.08.2011 (Monday) to 21.08.2011 (Sunday), there are no activities on the Task because of Project Calendar Exception (Vacation, remember???)
• From 22.08.2011 (Thursday) to 16.09.2011 (Friday) = 4 weeks X 5 days X 6 hours / day = 120 hours
• From 19.09.2011 (Monday) to 22.09.2011 (Thursday) = 4 days X 6 hours / day = 24 hours
• 23.09.2011 (Friday) = 4 hours

And it makes: 12+120+24+4=160 hours!

OK. Now I will REMOVE (REASSIGN) the Resource from my task and after that I will add the Resource and the Another Resource. It is very IMPORTANT that you do not get the same result if you assign multiply resources to the task in one step, or if you assign the resource to the task, and few minutes later you assign another Resource to the same Task. I will explain how and why is this different in one of my future posts, but for now I will first remove the Resource from the Task!

I will set up the Calendar for the Another Resource:

So the Another resource will have time from 08:00 to 12:00 (working days) e.g. 4 hours per day. Notice, that this Resource has NO EXCEPTIONS (no Vacations).

I will now assign both, the Resource, and the Another Resource to the Task, and I will do it directly from the Gantt chart:

and I will get:

Now the Task has 26.5 days duration, and the End  date is 30.09.2011. HOW?

Well, I assign both resources for the task at the same time. It means that both resources should work 160 hours! I know that is complicated but that’s how MS PROJECT 2010 works. Of course, if you change the task type, you can get different result, but we are taking one step at the time.

Because both Resources must work 160 hours on the task, they will work according to the Project Calendars, and exceptions, and Resource Calendars and Exceptions.

Remember this: If you have the Project Calendar and the Resource Calendar (or Calendars), RESOURCE CALENDAR HAS PRECEDANCE!!!!!!

So how will the resources work. The Resource will work the same as it was explained:

• From 11.08.2011 (Thursday) to 12.08.2011 (Friday) = 2 days X 6 hours / day = 12 hours
• From 15.08.2011 (Monday) to 21.08.2011 (Sunday), there are no activities on the Task because of Project Calendar Exception (Vacation, remember???)
• From 22.08.2011 (Thursday) to 16.09.2011 (Friday) = 4 weeks X 5 days X 6 hours / day = 120 hours
• From 19.09.2011 (Monday) to 22.09.2011 (Thursday) = 4 days X 6 hours / day = 24 hours
• 23.09.2011 (Friday) = 4 hours

And it makes: 12+120+24+4=160 hours!

The Another Resource will work:

• From 01.08.2011 (Monday) to 12.08.2011 (Friday) = 2 weeks X 5 days X 4 hours / day = 40 hours
• From 15.08.2011 (Monday) to 21.08.2011 (Sunday), there are no activities on the Task because of Project Calendar Exception (Vacation, remember???)
• From 22.08.2011 (Monday) to 30.08.2011 (Friday) = 6 weeks X 5 days X 4 hours / day = 120 hours

And it makes: 40+120=160 hours!

If you think you are suffering, wait until my next post.

Until then,

Best Regards!