Resource Leveling

Resource Leveling is the ability to adjust a schedule to reflect the availability of resources; if two tasks both require the same worker, one task must be delayed until the other is complete. MinuteManPlus provides an option to automatically perform resource leveling on the entire schedule. This feature is normally turned OFF. To turn it ON use the menu entries for Options and Overall and then toggle Resource Leveling Here are a couple things to note about planning a project with Resource Leveling About ALAP Timing - "As Late As Possible" timing has been described elsewhere in this manual. ALAP timing should not be employed on any tasks when Resource Leveling is enabled; the two features can lead to contradictory results. The program will provide a warning of attempts to have both features on.

Task With No Predecessors; If you have a task with a given Start Date, and then turn Resource Leveling ON, and the Task's Start is delayed due to a resource conflict, the Task's Start date will not be returned to its original value if you turn Resource Leveling back OFF. The program has no way of knowing what the original Start Date was. However, there is a way to make a Task's Start return to an original value if needed; create a Milestone (zero duration task) with no predecessors at the desired Start Date, and make that Milestone a predecessor to the Task in question. Resource Leveling will not move the Milestone's dates. If Resource Leveling is later turned OFF the linked task's Start Date will return to that of the Milestone.

Critical Path and Critical Chain; the concept of the Critical Path has been described elsewhere. When Resource Leveling is turned ON, the Critical Path takes on a new meaning. Rather than reflect a timedriven completion of the project, it is reflecting a resource-driven completion of the project. A Critical Path calculated for a Resource-driven schedule is commonly called a Critical Chain.