Microsoft Project provides many options for resolving overallocation at the Project, Task, Resource and Assignment levels of the Microsoft Project Data Model. In this Milestone Minute we will focus on resolving overallocation at the resource level of the data model. In upcoming Milestone Minutes we will continue to resolve overallocation through additional resource and assignment level strategies. Also, at the end of this Milestone Minute is the answer to the question asked in the Resource Overallocation – Part 8 Milestone Minute.
In the following illustration, Bradley Beck and Wendy Wheeler are overallocated as they are both assigned to Tasks A and B, and Tasks C and D during the same time period:
To omit a resource from all leveling, from the View tab, Resource Views group, click Resource Sheet as shown in the following illustration:
From the Format tab, Columns group, click Insert Column as shown in the following illustration:
From the list of columns (fields) insert Can Level as shown in the following illustration:
Change Can Level to No for the resource to be omitted from the leveling process as shown in the following illustration:
Reapply the Gantt Chart view, and then from the Resource tab, Level group, click Level All as shown in the following illustration:
Once Level All is selected, the overallocation is resolved as shown in the following illustrations:
The question to consider is, “why did Microsoft Project resolve the overallocation the way it did?” The answer will be provided in the next Milestone Minute along with additional information related to the answer!
Applies To: All Current Versions of Microsoft Project.
In the previous Milestone Minute, Resource Overallocation – Part 8, we asked “why did Microsoft Project resolve the overallocation the way it did with the Standard order applied?”
The answer: with the Standard Order applied, the first pass at leveling defaulted to predecessor which means Wendy’s assignment on Task C moved first. Then, the second pass at leveling, defaulting to predecessor again, moved Wendy’s assignment on Task B as at that moment the overallocation was between Task B and Task C. Once the second move was made all overallocation for Wendy was resolved.
Additional information: with the Standard Order applied, the following factors are considered in the leveling process: Predecessor, Amount of Total Slack, Start Date, Priority, and Constraints.
