Assign equipment to a task

I've searched through several information sources and can't figure this
seemingly simple problem out;

My project consists of covering up an area with several layers of soil where
each layer has its own specifications and volume. To do this, we use
hydraulic cranes with a specific production speed per day (m3/d). The layers
of soil (fixed work) are the tasks where I assign the specific soil types to
(as material resources).

Now I'd like to plan my project by assigning cranes with a fixed production
rate (and price per day). Logically, by assigning more cranes the project
finishes earlier. Problem is that I can't seem to vary the amount of cranes
per layer to see what the effect is on the project's finisching date.

Only way to find out the duration of the project is to assign a variable
consumption rate to the material resource and fix the work. That way I can't
easily change the amount of cranes and determine the extra cost.

Thanks in advance

Steve
Wed Jun 13 08:54:11 CDT 2007

Cranes would be an example of work resources. It wasn't clear in your post
whether you are treating them presently as work resources or material
resources but they are definitely NOT materials (materials are either
consumed, used up, by the task or are incrporated into the task's
deliverable). Create a resource named "Cranes" and assign a maximum
availability equal to the number of cranes you have yimes 100%, ex. 5 cranes
means there's a max availability of 500%. If ou assign 1 crane to a given
task, assign it 100%, if you assign 2 assign "Cranes, 200%" and so forth.
Make the tasks fixed work. Now if you estimate it will take 10 days to do a
layer with 1 crane assigned, upping it to 2 cranes (edit 100% -> 200%) will
halve the duration to 5 days.

--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs


"Coen" <Coen@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:49A08547-F76A-429B-B7B8-DEFBB269888D@microsoft.com...
> I've searched through several information sources and can't figure this
> seemingly simple problem out;
>
> My project consists of covering up an area with several layers of soil
> where
> each layer has its own specifications and volume. To do this, we use
> hydraulic cranes with a specific production speed per day (m3/d). The
> layers
> of soil (fixed work) are the tasks where I assign the specific soil types
> to
> (as material resources).
>
> Now I'd like to plan my project by assigning cranes with a fixed
> production
> rate (and price per day). Logically, by assigning more cranes the project
> finishes earlier. Problem is that I can't seem to vary the amount of
> cranes
> per layer to see what the effect is on the project's finisching date.
>
> Only way to find out the duration of the project is to assign a variable
> consumption rate to the material resource and fix the work. That way I
> can't
> easily change the amount of cranes and determine the extra cost.
>
> Thanks in advance

Coen
Thu Jul 05 06:50:00 CDT 2007

Thanks Steve for your answer, sorry for this late reaction...,

I was hoping for a method to assign both a material resource (soil) and
equipment to the task in such a way that Project calculates the duration of
the task. I'd like to vary my equipment (amount and production rate)in the
resource pane so I can optimise my project by just changing the standard
production rate of a cane. Now I need for each task to calculate the duration
myself.

Ex.
Task:
Build a brick wall (fixed work);
Resources:
10.000 m2 bricks (Material resource)
Well experienced mason@2.000 bricks/day (Work resource) = 5 days
Junior mason@500 bricks/day = 20 days

In this way I can optimise the duration and costs of the project

Greetings,
Coen

"Steve House" wrote:

> Cranes would be an example of work resources. It wasn't clear in your post
> whether you are treating them presently as work resources or material
> resources but they are definitely NOT materials (materials are either
> consumed, used up, by the task or are incrporated into the task's
> deliverable). Create a resource named "Cranes" and assign a maximum
> availability equal to the number of cranes you have yimes 100%, ex. 5 cranes
> means there's a max availability of 500%. If ou assign 1 crane to a given
> task, assign it 100%, if you assign 2 assign "Cranes, 200%" and so forth.
> Make the tasks fixed work. Now if you estimate it will take 10 days to do a
> layer with 1 crane assigned, upping it to 2 cranes (edit 100% -> 200%) will
> halve the duration to 5 days.
>
> --
> Steve House [Project MVP]
> MS Project Trainer & Consultant
> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
>
>
> "Coen" <Coen@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:49A08547-F76A-429B-B7B8-DEFBB269888D@microsoft.com...
> > I've searched through several information sources and can't figure this
> > seemingly simple problem out;
> >
> > My project consists of covering up an area with several layers of soil
> > where
> > each layer has its own specifications and volume. To do this, we use
> > hydraulic cranes with a specific production speed per day (m3/d). The
> > layers
> > of soil (fixed work) are the tasks where I assign the specific soil types
> > to
> > (as material resources).
> >
> > Now I'd like to plan my project by assigning cranes with a fixed
> > production
> > rate (and price per day). Logically, by assigning more cranes the project
> > finishes earlier. Problem is that I can't seem to vary the amount of
> > cranes
> > per layer to see what the effect is on the project's finisching date.
> >
> > Only way to find out the duration of the project is to assign a variable
> > consumption rate to the material resource and fix the work. That way I
> > can't
> > easily change the amount of cranes and determine the extra cost.
> >
> > Thanks in advance
>
>