1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
A Practical Approach for Resource
Loading Your Schedule
NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center
Office of Strategic Analysis & Communication
Performance Analysis & Integration Office
Project Planning & Analysis Team
Greg Smith (Smith & Associates, LLC)
www.nasa.gov
Used with Permission

2. Would Clint Eastwood carry an unloaded gun? So why
do you have an unloaded schedule?
• What is resource loading?
• Why would I want to resource load my schedule?
• Why might I not want to resource load my schedule?
• How would I resource load my schedule if I chose to do so? You’ve got to ask yourself one
question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’
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3. What is resource loading?
 Resource loading is:
o Building a list of resources (e.g. people or skills, materials, equipment, money) and
o Allocating those resources to tasks in a schedule
 Resources can have a rate (i.e. $ per unit) or not
o Without a rate, one can partially assess the viability of a plan
 Resource availability
o With a rate, one can more fully assess the viability of a plan
 Funding requirements
 Cost and schedule integration
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4. Why would I want to resource load my schedule?
 Integrates the budget with the work – creates a better estimate
 Creates an analysis tool for “what if” and directed changes
 Provides cash flow and funding profiles
 Identifies “what” you need, “how much” you need , and “when” you need it
 Ensures you haven’t left out something necessary
 Workforce planning & coordination
 Balance workload versus workforce
 Identify surplus & deficits
 Generate inputs for PPBE process
 Makes EVM implementation easier
 Aids in Risk Management (e.g. effectiveness of mitigation, cost and schedule impacts)
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5. Why might I not want to resource load my schedule?
 Too early in Development / Formulation
 Not sure what resources are needed
 Too much effort required
 Don’t have the skills or tools Don't just do
something, stand
there.
 Don’t want anyone to know…
 None of the reasons “why to” apply to me
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6. Questions to consider before resource loading
 Will my tasks be fixed in duration? If not, what are the duration drivers?
 Will the number of resources assigned to my tasks be fixed? If not, what are the assignment
drivers?
 Is the amount of Work fixed for each task? If not, what are the Work drivers?
 Will adding or removing resources or overtime to my task affect the duration of the task?
 What types of resources are at my disposal?
If you intend to use costs when resource loading
 What are my resource costs?
This romantic stuff is
 How will the costs for my resources be accrued? really tough. I can't wait
to get back to shooting
and killing.
 Do I need to consider overhead costs? If so, then how?
Quote made during the filming of “Bridges of Madison County”
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 6

7. Never trust anyone on
an Italian movie. I know
about these things. Stay
away from special
effects and explosives.
Tools - Options
Both methods
facilitate
assignments by
fractional FTE
or WYE
Convention: Convention:
1.0 = 1 equivalent 100% = 1 equivalent
person person
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8. Tools - Options
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 8

9. Tools - Options
This option can also be set at the Task level
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 9

10. Tools - Options
‘Soft’
Option
This option can also be set at the Task level
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 10

11. Tools - Options
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 11

12. Tools - Options
Tools – Change Working Time
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 12

13. Resource Loading Method Examples
 Resources can be created and defined by
Person ID Resource Name T They say marriages are
1 Joe Blow W made in Heaven. But so
2 I. M. Cross W is thunder and lightning.
3 U. R. Knott W
4 Jane Doe W
5 Lois Lane W
6 Clark Kent W
Skill ID Resource Name T
1 Structural Engineer W
2 System Engineer W
3 Mechanical Engineer W
4 Electrical Engineer W
5 Project Manager W
6 Admin Assis tant W
ID Resource Resource Description T
Group, Team, or Organization Name
1 ER00 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
2 ER01 Propulsion Sy stems Department W
3 ER02 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
4 ER21 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
5 ER23 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
6 ER24 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
7 ER30 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
8 ER31 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
9 ER32 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
10 ER33 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
11 ER34 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
12 ER41 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
13 ER42 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
14 ER43 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
15 ER51 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
16 ER52 PROPULSION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT W
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14. Defining Resources
Common fields used to describe, identify, sort, group, organize, or codify
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 14

15. Defining Resources
 Resources types can be defined as
Work – people and equipment
Material – consumable supplies and bulk material
Cost – dollars (or other currency)
These resource types determine how resource calculations are performed depending upon the
Task Type and ‘Effort Driven’ options selected
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16. Defining Resources
Aids in
balancing
work load
 Max Units - the maximum units of a resource that is available
at any given time during the project
 Std Rate – the cost per unit displayed for standard time
 Ovt Rate – the cost per unit displayed for overtime
Aids in
determining
costs  Cost/Use – the cost for each resource assignment instance
 Once only for each Material Type resource assignment
 Per Unit for Work Type resources
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17. Defining Resources
 Costs are accrued
 At the start of a resource assignment
 At the end of a resource assignment
 Evenly across the duration of the resource assignment
 Choose Base Calendar from the drop down box
 Calendars are defined under Tools – Change Working Time
 Applies to the resource assignment
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18. Resource Loading Method Examples
 Resources can be allocated to different types of schedule tasks
Hammock
Summary
Detailed
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19. Assigning Resources
Step 2. Select Resource Button
Step 1. Select Task
Step 3. Select Resource
Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for each resource to be assigned
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20. Simplified Resource Loading Calculation Matrix
Task Type Effort Driven? Resource Type Results
Fixed Work
Action Fixed Duration Fixed Units (1) Yes No Work Material Cost Work Units Duration Cost
Assign Resource X X X X X X Calculated Enter Unchanged Calculated
or X X X X X X N/A Enter Unchanged Calculated
Remove Resource X X X X X X N/A N/A Unchanged Enter
Change Units (2) X X X X Calculated Enter Unchanged Calculated
X X X X Unchanged Enter Calculated Unchanged
X X X Unchanged Enter Calculated Unchanged
X X X X X X N/A Enter Unchanged Calculated
Change Work (3) X X X X Enter Calculated Unchanged Calculated
X X X X X Enter Unchanged Calculated Calculated
Change Duration (3) X X X X Unchanged Calculated Enter Unchanged
X X X Calculated Unchanged Enter Calculated
X X X X Calculated Unchanged Enter Calculated
(1) If selected, Effort Driven 'Yes' selection is mandatory
(2) Action has no impact on Cost Type Resources
(3) Action has no impact on Material or Cost Type Resources
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21. Now what? After all that, what do I get for my efforts?
Grouped by Resource, User selects what data items
showing each task assignment to see here This film cost $31
million. With that kind
of money I could have
invaded some
country.
Red font indicates over
allocation of resources
In this example, we see
the most people working
at any one time (Peak
Units), the percentage of
time the total available
resource is assigned (%
Alloc), and the total
hours to be worked by
that resource (Work)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Practical Approach for Resource Loading Your Schedule 21

22. Over Allocated
Amount
Max Units from
Resource Sheet
Available for other work
Peak number of
this resource
assigned during
this period
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23. What do I do with this information?
 Determine if I have enough of the right type of resources available to do the work as scheduled
 Justify a schedule shift to accommodate resource availability
 Support decisions to acquire additional resources
 Balance workload
 Coordinate activities within a project and between multiple projects
 Provide data to support annual budget process (i.e. PPBE)
 Negotiate the addition of “unfunded mandates”
 Analyze changes to schedule and resource requirements
 And…
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24. In Summary…
 Resource loading isn’t for everyone
 If you decide resource loading is for you, decide if you want resource management capability
only or both resource and cost management capability
 Ask questions to understand your resources, tasks, and desired data outputs (i.e. prepare)
 Set up your software options and load your resource data
 Make assignments and analyze data – adjust as necessary
 You are now prepared to answer ‘what if’ questions regarding changes in funding, schedule, or
resource requirements
Go ahead, make my day.
 DEFEND YOUR POSITION!
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25. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Your Title Here 25