2. The Need for Resource Scheduling:
• The previous Project Scheduling methods that
we have covered have not considered the
constraint of resources.
• Generally, there are two types of projects…..
3. 1. Projects that MUST meet a certain deadline
and have ‘unlimited’ resources in order to
meet this. This would use Time Limited
Scheduling.
2. Projects that have limited availability of the
required resources, however the project
deadline is more flexible. The would use
Resource Limited Scheduling.
Note: if a project has both limited time and
resources, the project manager must initially
assume that one or the other is flexible. OR,
renegotiations will need to take place.
5. Objectives:
• To determine exactly what resources the
project requires, and make these resources
available for when they are needed.
• To use each resource as efficiently as possible
– Resource Smoothing: this defines the act of
maximising resources efficiency. Despite having
‘umlimited’ resorurces, it is still necessary to try to
keep costs down as much as possible.
6. The Resources Loading Chart:
Consider the following example which is adapted from Field & Keller ‘Project
Management’ 1998:
Activity
Description
Staff
Duration
Earliest Start
Time
Float
Latest Finish
Time
A
Prepare offices
2
12
0
0
12
B
Procure equipment
2
8
0
4
12
C
Design tests
1
5
0
17
22
D
Install equiptment
4
10
12
0
22
E
Test system
3
10
22
0
32
F
Train users
1
5
12
15
32
7. • We will build the previous information into a
‘Resource Loading Chart’
8. Observations:
• From the previous slide’s graph we can
immediately tell how many staff are needed at
any one time.
• For example – in week 10, we can identify that
only 2 staff members are required. Whereas in
week 14 there are 5 staff members required.
9. • Note: The bottom row of the graph could also
be described as the ‘critical path’. Each of
these items as Float=0. This row can be
described as the Base Line.
• The method of creating this chart, by
positioning one activity at a time, is called
Serial Scheduling.
10. Resource Levelling:
• As identified in the previous slides, our chart
contains ‘extreme peaks’. For example, weeks
1-5.
• Resource levelling helps to avoid this.
• As we have several activities which contain
float, we can try to move these activities to
‘level’ out the staff distribution:
11. • Obviously the below still isn’t ideal as we still
have a ‘peak’ during week 13. However we
have levelled s much as possible, and in turn
we have reduced costs.
13. Objectives:
• To adjust the project’s time to adapt to fixed
level of resources.
• In the previous example, we realised it would
take 5 staff to create the office in 32 weeks.
• Now, let’s consider how long it would take if
the staff level were fixed at 4.
14. Parallel Scheduling:
Definition: Starting at the beginning of a project
and considering all the eligible activities, in a
parallel manner.
An eligible activity would be one which could be
started if the resources were available.
Let’s re-consider the example….
15. Activity
Dependency
Staff
Duration Latest Start Time Float Latest Finish Time
A
N/A
2
12
0
0
12
B
N/A
2
8
4
4
12
C
N/A
1
5
17
17
22
D
A and B
4
10
12
0
22
E
C and D
3
10
22
0
32
F
A and B
1
5
27
15
32
16. Have a go at plotting the chart with
the strict resource limit of 4:
