PM Resource Leveling

Scheduling With Constrained
Resources
So far have assumed all resources required for

project will be available.
Q: Will they be available? What happens if they
are not?
Resource Loading
Resource Loading: amount of a specified

resource required throughout a project
Assume have a well-defined project
Have defined the kinds of resources and amount or number of

resources for every work package
Resource Loading Analysis:

apply to constrained resources
Example:
Work Package D resource requirements:
Programmer
160 hrs.
Systems Analyst
40 hrs.
Mainframe Computer 10 hrs.
Suppose
Systems Analyst time and Mainframe Computer time, no

problem. Hence, ignore these in resource loading analysis.
Programmers are very busy and in short supply.
Hence, focus on this in resource loading analysis
Resource Loading Analysis (contd)

Assume
Work Package D must be completed in 2 weeks
Each programmer can devote at most 20 hrs per week.
Thus, the required programmers for Work Package D:
160 hrs
2 wks
= 80
hrs.
wk
hrs
wk
80
= 4
hrs
20programmer
programmers
wk
Work Package D will require 4 programmers for two weeks

Similar estimates are made for number of programmers for every
work package in the project
Project Network
A
End
Start
C
Activity
Immediate
Predecessors
Time
(weeks)
Resource
(Programmers)
---
---
---
---
D, F
B, G
Resource Loading Analysis

Questions:
According to the schedule, how many programmers will

be needed each week for the project?
Given the shortage of programmers, will there be

enough programmers for the project?
Gantt Chart, early times
According to the schedule, how many programmers will

be needed each week for the project?
A, 3
E, 9
B, 8
C, 6
F, 7
G, 2
H, 1
e.g., Activity D requires 4 programmers
D, 4
Key:
CP
9
10
11
Gantt Chart
A, 3
E, 9
B, 8
C, 6
F, 7
G, 2
H, 1
D, 4
1
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
16
F
11
G
B
A
1
10
11
Resource Loading Diagram

Early Times
24
21
For example, during weeks 1 and 2
Activities A, B, C, and D are

scheduled
So, number of programmers needed is

3 + 8 + 6 + 4 = 21
In week 3
Activities E, B, and F are scheduled
So, 9 + 8 + 7 = 24
2
7
H
8
1
9
(Most project management software perform this kind of analysis)
10
11
Resource Leveling
What happens if required resources exceed the

available amount?
Use resource leveling technique
Resource Leveling (contd)

24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
Resource Loading using

Early Event Times
24
21
D
C
16
Suppose maximum number of
programmers available for
project in any given week = 12
G
B
A
2
The schedule is infeasible since

weeks 1-4 require more than 12
programmers
week
H
8
1
10
11
Many activities are scheduled early in the project

Not all of these have to be scheduled then
They can be delayed
Delaying activities defers need for resources
Use trial and error, delay activities along their slack ties, check impact
on total required resources.
*For example, delay
A by 2 weeks
B by 4 weeks
E by 5 weeks
A*
E*
B*
10
11
12
Resource Leveling
Viola!
Project can be completed in 11 weeks with no more than
10 programmers per week
A*
E*
B*
Programmers
10
8
6
4
2
A*
E*
C
1
B*
G
2
*Resource loading after rescheduling A, B, and E
10
11
Method is called resource leveling because it results in

leveling of peak requirements
Notice in example, if constraint on programmers had
been less than 10, project would not be able to complete
project in 11 weeks
10
8
6
4
2
A*
B*
E*
10 11
When project has multiple constrained resources,

Repeat same analysis for each
All resources must be leveled simultaneously so no
resource exceeds constraints
This is one application in which project management
software that is invaluable
When PM does not have direct authority over resources
Speak to managers of resources. Try to get suggestions about

how to meet schedule with limited resources.
Multi-Project Scheduling
Use similar approach to schedule multiple projects that share

constrained resources
Create resource loadings for projects scheduled at same time.
Combined to yield multi-project loading.
A
Project A
B
D
Tasks
C
E
F
B
D
Time
Project B
E
F
Time
Multi-Project Scheduling
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
Project A
Project B
If loading exceeds constraints, tasks within projects are delayed

along their slack times.
If that fails, then tasks in lower-priority projects are delayed further or
(lower priority projects are delayed in their entirety)
Software for multi-project planning and scheduling have this
capability

PM Resource Leveling

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Scheduling With Constrained

So far have assumed all resources required for

Resource Loading: amount of a specified

Assume have a well-defined project

Have defined the kinds of resources and amount or number of

Resource Loading Analysis:

Work Package D resource requirements:

Systems Analyst time and Mainframe Computer time, no

Resource Loading Analysis (contd)

Work Package D will require 4 programmers for two weeks

Resource Loading Analysis

According to the schedule, how many programmers will

Given the shortage of programmers, will there be

Gantt Chart, early times

According to the schedule, how many programmers will

e.g., Activity D requires 4 programmers

Resource Loading Diagram

For example, during weeks 1 and 2

Activities A, B, C, and D are

So, number of programmers needed is

Activities E, B, and F are scheduled

(Most project management software perform this kind of analysis)

What happens if required resources exceed the

Resource Leveling (contd)

Resource Loading using

The schedule is infeasible since

Resource Leveling (contd)

Many activities are scheduled early in the project

*Resource loading after rescheduling A, B, and E

Resource Leveling (contd)

Method is called resource leveling because it results in

Resource Leveling (contd)

When project has multiple constrained resources,

Speak to managers of resources. Try to get suggestions about

Use similar approach to schedule multiple projects that share

If loading exceeds constraints, tasks within projects are delayed

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