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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