Creation of resources as a Task

[wswain]

I've been trying since MS Project came out to create resources or material that underly the ability of tasks to complete and move on.

In our business we manufacture equipment that needs to be tested many times in different scenarios. The first tasks are to fabricate the equipment and the resource does not exist within project until completed. I then want this piece of equipment to become a resource element at the end of the fabrication task. This resource element will then get assigned to all of the test groups that it will undertake.

The reason to do this is to let the delivery of the resource be a driver for the start of the testing. Also if the first test is not completed, the equipment breaks, etc. and I lengthen the test time, all succussor testing is adjusted automatically and then I can review the impacts of that delay on other equipment such as scheduled chamber times.

Has anybody tackled this type of resource allocating in project?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[PDQBach]

I understand what you are asking, I just don't understand why you are using the approach.

Why not create a set of tasks (to create the piece of equipment) and then use the final task in the sequence as a predecessor to all remaining tasks (testing, etc.)

In your second part, you are looking at an iterative BOM type of process. This is not supported in Project.

You could mimic this by having a task at the end of each test phase that is, initially, a Milestone (0 duration; 0 work). If the piece needs to be reworked then change the duration and work to reflect those elements. This will automatically (assuming you've been using predecessors and successors and not just hard coding dates) push out the follow-on tasks.

If you need to have two possible tasks (rework; retest) then have two Milestones and you can track the actual amount of time that you had to spend reworking the broken piece of equipment and the amount of time you had to spend retesting it before the piece of equipment was moved to the next test.

 

[wswain]

Thanks PDQBach,

I was already trying to work with the predecesors, etc. The main reason for the resource becoming available is like BOM, but more towards EVMS and collection of costs. I was trying to establish the resource cost for fabrication, then make it available for use.

I'm coming around to attacking the EVMS issue another way instead of creating the equipment as a resource for cost tracking and usage. The main reason is that resources that are fabricated seem to have a different cost basis than Project allows for by selection in the resource table over a resource that is used and accrues costs. I'm still trying to understand the cost collection rules in project.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[PDQBach]

On that basis, I can see (sort of <g>) why you are using the approach.

Although you can use Project's data for EV, my experience has generally been that costing and accounting data are tracked differently within the organization than the way they are tracked within Project.

Net result: almost everyone uses Project to track progress and Excel to track costing. (I didn't mention EV because -- as excellent a tool as it is -- too few organizations are really seriously paying attention to the numbers and the reality of situations such as yours makes it a non-trivial exercise to do within Project.)

 

[wswain]

PDQBach,

Your just about spot on. However, our customer takes EVMS very serious and by law as its Gov't.

I do recognize its not trivial and am working through the tracking part of the program with respect to activity completions and costs incurred to create EV. They do go hand in hand with the MS project performing the task tracking.

We really can't afford two tools and excel is not a vehicle as we use a comprehensive accounting software pack. So, it is non-trivial actually creating my link to collect the correct values from project, plus accounting from our system.

Appreciated your thoughts. It does show that my work is cut out for me to get this right,

Thanks
Bill