In the figure above, a schedule was resource leveled using Project (left Gantt chart). It was resource smoothed using Excel (right Gantt chart). Both results are resource-feasible, but the schedule on the right has a smoother resource allocation. To contrast the resource optimization techniques of leveling and smoothing, I will share how both schedules…

An interesting question about resource calendars in the Project Standard and Professional user forum prompted me to write this blog post article. After using Microsoft Project for over 21 years, one of the nuggets of wisdom I have gleaned from this software is, “Always trust the schedule.” When you assign resources to a task, Microsoft…

In this brief article, I would like to show you the easy way to display the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in the Resource Usage view. This view is a really wonderful way to see all of your project resources, along with the tasks assigned to each resource. As a bonus, the Resource Usage view displays…

  Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs): This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. Event Description: Audience: – Project Managers – Project Web Access Administrators – Project Management Office – Business analyst – Decision makers Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, you…

An Introduction Project’s Web App allows one to define three types of resources: Work, Material, and Cost. Work resources are equipment and people needed to perform tasks on a project. Work resources may be further classified as Generic, Named, and Team. Generic resources are placeholders for work resource roles such as designer, developer, architect, etc….

There is a lot of discussion surrounding the question of resources being assigned to milestones using Microsoft Project. The answer to this question is (Isn’t it always?), “It depends.” The milestone is the checkpoint. Its main characteristic is that it has no duration (duration for a “classic” milestone is 0 (days, weeks, hours…). The best…

Dear Elizabeth: I’m currently running a large project that’s a mess. We’ve lost team members, the customer has asked for more features, and now we’re scheduled to go well over our deadline. I’ve had endless conversations with my manager about the need to add more people to the project—I’ve even shown her my resource workload…

Are you interested in or starting your career in project management? Are you looking for a way to gain credibility with project managers and employers? Then taking the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® exam should be on your “to-do” list. The CAPM exam is developed and administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI)® to…

Boot Camp  |  Watch for Free  |  The Book  |  About  |  Author   MPUG Essentials: Microsoft Project Do’s and Don’ts Boot Camp $79 gives you the full Do’s and Don’ts Boot Camp! Boot camp includes the video training with PMI® PDU, workbook with training exercises and pre-configured project files, e-support, highly rated book, certificate, and knowledge tests.    …

In part 2 of this series, we follow a step-by-step process for creating a resource pool in Microsoft Project. Use this tutorial to create a new resource pool, and then attach that pool to a set of projects. An archive of the files shown in this tutorial can be downloaded here, so you can splash…