MS Project shared resources

[danross]

How do I prioritize multiple projects using a shared resource pool at the project level in MS Project 2007.

I found a recommended solution for MS Project 2000, but it does not work on my MS Project 2007.

 

[PDQBach]

What were you doing and why doesn't that work?

 

[danross]

I actually used your solution, but was unable to prioritize projects at the project level.

What did work was to have all priorities the same and it deconficted resources from top to bottom so I put the highest priority project in first, then the next, etc.

The problem I have now is that the resource pool against a single project is shifting my project way to the right, doubling the work on the critical path. It did not add any tasks (the network diagram is still correct), but the resource usage shows double listing and pushes everything to start when the project should be done.

I am thinking maybe an old version of the same project may be still linked to the pool, even though it isn't open.... I had save the project with a new date in the title just to indicate that I had a newer version.

If I open the project without the pool open, dates look okay except they omit any conflicts I scheduled into the pool for vacations. When I open the pool and project both, it gives me a headache since it is not reflecting what I think it should. I moved the Pool and Project to a new directory, but that didn't help. I saved the pool as a new name and shared resources only to the most current project but when I closed the project and re-0pened it, it was looking for the original title of the pool.

Can you tell me what is now happening on the resource front?

Also did I miss something on being able to prioritize the multiple projects at the project level (although I can live with my work around)?

 

[PDQBach]

If you're seeing double resources then you've possibly done one of the following:

1. Have the same resource in the Resource Pool file *and* in the specific Project file.

To fix this, manually inspect each resource in a Project file to determine if it is a resource that should be in the Project file or the Resource Pool. Delete the resource from whichever is the incorrect file.

2. You may have doubly-linked in project files with the resource pool.

To fix this, open the Resource Pool
Tools > Resource Sharing > Share Resources
Look at the list of Project files. If one (or more) are incorrect then select the incorrect files and click on "Break Link".

This issue often arises when people simply copy Project and Resource Pool files. That's a serious "No! No!".

 

[danross]

Thanks. It was the second. Someone saved the old project file with a new name, effectively putting twice the load on the pool. Breaking a link solved the problem.


My initial post noted that a site search identified a solution for prioritizing multiple projects. The solution was yours, but referenced someones problem with MS2003 project (I think in Aug 2008).

By putting multiple projects (one line entries) into a new master project, all drawing from the same pool... you had indicated it was possible to prioritize the projects at the project level before expanding them to use the pool.

I tried this, and was unable to set projects at the project level. The 2007 version forced the priority to 500 which was the priority of all the tasks in the project. I was able to put a new priority into the title line after I expanded it, but the program still leveled resources top to bottom even though project 2 was priority 800 and project 1 was 600 (top to bottom placement in the master project).

Did versions change the old Aug 2008 solution or did I do something wrong?

I did get it to prioritize and level resources properly if I put the projects into the list in priority order (top to bottom) but giving them priority numbers didn't work

 

[danross]

I guess I should have added the solution which is titled

MSP 2000: Prioritise linked projects with shared resources
thread913-1492568


I couldn't get this to work and am trying to figure out if it should still work or if I did something wrong. Thanks.

 

[PDQBach]

Open the resource pool and all associated project files.

For each project file:
View > Gantt
Insert "Priority" column
Tools > Options > View-tab
Put a check mark in "Show project summary task"
Put priorities on tasks
Put the project priority on the project summary task

Window > select the resource pool window
View > Resource Usage (just so you can check afterwards)
Tools > Level resources
Set up your options
Click on the "Level Now" button

I set up a test with a pool (one resource) and two project files (two tasks in each; the pool resource was assigned to both tasks). I set the task priorities so that the second task in both files had a higher priority than the first; I set the project priorities so that the second file had a higher priority than the first file. Everything went as expected.