Front-load resource

[VectaPM]

I need to have tasks that have a duration that exceeds the work of the resource assigned eg task duration is 5 days, resource effort is 2 man days.

I would like MSP to front-load the resource ie in the example above the two man days would occur on days 1 and 2 of the 5-day task.

If I use fixed duration, MSP will keep the task to 5 days, but will allocate the effort across the duration, .4 of a man day each day.

How can I front load? The only method I can find is to manually schedule the resource effort in the task usage view, which is laborious. Using the Front-Loaded work contour creates some wierd profile but does not front-load as I have defined it.

Any assistance gratefully appreciated.

 

[PDQBach]

I'm afraid you won't find much assistance on this issue.

You are correct that the Front-Loaded profile does not match your requirements. But that's hardly surprising since you want to give a task 5 days duration and want the work to occur in only the first 2 days.

It seems to me that 3 factors need to be considered:

1. If the work is to be done in two consecutive days at the front then why have three useless trailing days?

2. If you want to have some float between the finish of the 2-days-of-work-over-5-days-but-really-done-on-the-first-two-days task and the next one then why not put in a FS link and put a 3 day lag on the link?

3. Some other factor you have considered but not shared and which does not come immediately to my mind.

You are correct that it is labourious to make all the changes manually but as a PM (a) that's part of the job; and (b) when you start controlling a resource on a day-by-day basis you end up focusing on the brushstrokes and not on the painting.

So ... why do you want to do this?