Project - Why max unit shows more than 1000%?

Asked By TH200

01-Feb-07 01:13 PM

We are using actuals (day by day) to update the tasks. I've observed that
some tasks showing resource unit more than 1000% after I accpeted the
updates. Why? I have verified that the resource didn't enter any huge hours
for those tasks. So it's not the peak usage. It's something else? Does anyone
know why I'm seeing that big number in the Units and what would fix that
issue?

01-Feb-07 01:19 PM

TH2005 --

The value you see after a resource's name in the Gantt Chart is the Peak
Units field.  The Peak Units value is the largest value during any time
period on a resource assignment, whether that value results from Actual Work
or planned Work.  On a Fixed Duration task, for example, when Actual Work
falls behind schedule, the Peak Units value continues to rise, because more
work needs to be completed than originally planned during the remaining time
periods.  On a Fixed Duration task, when Actual Work is done ahead of
schedule, the Peak Units value also rises because more work is done than
originally planned in one or more time periods.  You can actually see the
Peak Units value per time period for any assignment by doing the following:

1.  Apply the Task Usage view
2.  Right-click in the timephased grid (yellow timesheet) and click Detail
Styles on the shortcut menu
3.  In the Detail Styles dialog, add the Peak Units field and click the OK
button

Now, examine the tasks in question and you will see the Peak Units value for
each time period.  The largest number you see for the assignment is what
should show to the right of the resource name in the Gantt Chart view.  Hope
this helps.

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
http://www.projectserverexperts.com

01-Feb-07 02:11 PM

Thanks Dale. I checked the Peak Values in the Task Usage view. One of the
tasks shows 300% peak units on particular date. Resource worked for only 6
hours on that day. However, he started two day earlier than the baseline
start date. I scheduled him at 70% when the baseline was saved. Please help
me understand what would lead to this calculated peak unit value 300%.
Resource has to work 8*3 = 24 hours on that day if the peak unit is 300%.

Moreover, this task was a Fixed Unit task with efort driven checked.

01-Feb-07 03:47 PM

TH2005 --

Without actually looking at your project, I'm not certain I can totally
diagnose the cause.  Try zooming in the timephased grid to see how the 300%
shows up in hours or minutes worked.  Hope this helps.

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
http://www.projectserverexperts.com

01-Feb-07 04:17 PM

Thanks again. Yes, it did give me some more insight to the reason. When I
zoomed to hour level, I found he that MS Project distributed 6 worked hours
as 1 hour at 2:00 pm, 3 hours at 3:00 pm and 2 hours at 4:00 pm and that's
why it's showing max of 300% since the resource put 300% more effort at 3:00
pm. Now the next question would be how does MS Project distribute the hours
over a day. Only thing I know resource is entering worked hours by day not by
hours. How does the project server put the 3 hours at 3:00 pm? Does it depend
on what time of the day the resource updates the task?

01-Feb-07 07:08 PM

TH2005 --

I can't be absolutely certain why this happened or how, but I would
recommend that the resource enter Actual Work in hours and not in days.
Beyond that, who knows what happened?  Sorry I can't be of more help, but at
least I pointed you in the right direction for troubleshooting this crazy
little issue.

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
http://www.projectserverexperts.com

02-Feb-07 10:00 AM

Yes, resources enter Actual work in hours. I appreciate your help. You showed
me the direction and I need to dig little bit more to find out how MS Project
Server distributes the hours over a day when resource enters Actual Work in
hours.

Thanks Dale.

-TH2005

04-Feb-07 03:33 PM

The distribution depends on the "timing" of the update, the introduction of those updates to the task objects and (depending on
technique) the publishing.

Think of the two tracking mechanisms at work.
1.) you could plan and then track against that plan and try and fill the little task buckets with hours as first modeled

OR

2.) you could plan and then track against an UPDATED (reschedule uncompleted work) plan and try and fill the little task buckets
with hours

An UPDATED plan in terms a creating a schedule for future events is for functional purposes a brand new plan.

So if you rescedule at 12:00PM and someone records their previous 8 hours work at 1:00PM, there is an accumulation in the bucket at
800%
if you accept the latest data and republish at 1:01 PM.

It's a case of the window of opportunity, drop 8 hours of work in a bucket that only has it's lid open for 1 hour and the units have
to be 800%.

In order to better understand how this could be eliminated. Imagine a "brain tap" that would record the actual realtime work in
minutes of your resource.
and update the plan every second. The update delta would have 59 "no change" events then a single minute count, which would be equal
to the actual
work count (in minutes). This would be protection against units more than 100%, unless the single resource truely believed they were
working
at more than 100%, but then they may be a crazy little league coach.

14-Feb-07 01:53 PM

This was one of the most useful bits of information I've seen.  I had thought
the [133%] after the resource name was the overall (over)assignment of
resource units, not just the peak.  This is very helpful.  Thanks!!!

- Langhorne

14-Feb-07 01:58 PM

Langhorne --

What a kind comment!  You are more than welcome for the help!!  :)

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
http://www.projectserverexperts.com