Let’s Challenge SPIDER

Hi Carlos,
I looked at the dictionary, it is really amazing.
You shall certainly learn Spider Project!
Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir,

I was exploring the shortcut keys for the creation of WBS, with these I can create a full WBS structure in less than 5 minutes, very similar to the way MS Project creates outlining but with auto WBS codes, just a matter of learning a couple of shortcut key combinations for the equivalent of indenting, outdenting is not needed it is just a matter of selecting the right level to create new phases as needed.

Carlos,

You should explore these shortcut key combinations in addition to the WBS Chart Diagram that let you change the structure by drag and drop.



Also check on the Save Configuration that let you save your columns selection for both column panes in separate files you can transfer with ease from job to job; sorry, all other software have only one column pane. This is kind of equivalent to the layouts functionality in Primavera Products just that within a configuration you can select different views at a click of the mouse without the need to define a layout for each one.

After selecting a WBS row level or/phase or an activity row right click of the mouse will provide you with a navigation shorcut you will never want to go back.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hi Rafael,
very soon we will suggest new version with enhanced configuration features. It will be much easier to select the required layout with much more opportunities. You will be able to switch between layouts like now you can switch between different WBS. I expect that this new version will appear before Christmas.
Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir,

This feature will be welcomed but I cannot wait to see conditional relationships, this is going to be something out of the ordinary.

Did you noticed my 2 activities sample job no other software can give you the right float under resource leveling. I just simply cannot understand why others don’t get how important it is. Is like they never worked on the side of a Project Manager that looks at the CPM in search of available float to manage his schedule. With the wrong float under resource leveling you are misled.

Software that cannot provide you with true float under resource constraining should show nothing or at least a warning telling you that the shown floats cannot be trusted. They are misleading the user; probably they should be liable as this is a negligent omission they are aware of.

Best regards,
Rafael

Rafael.
conditional links with just Yes or No switch are available now. The next step - to introduce more complex conditions based on formulaes and other options. We will increase the number of options very soon.
We will also soon suggest "to summarize" the schedule - analogue of Level 1, 2, 3, etc. schedules. In summarized schedule the phases will be transformed into activities that remember the distributions of resource, cost and material requirements. This is under development and will be available soon. Of course this will be only an approximation of the detailed schedule. But sufficient for submitting to the Client.

I agree that wrong float is worse than lack of float calculation. I talked about this at my presentations at IPMA Congress in Paris and PMI Conference in Boston in 1996 but nothing changed since then. In Boston I also talked about Resource Critical Path calculation. Also nothing changed except Critical Chain was invented in 1997.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir,

The following job seems like a perfect fit for Spider Project where optimum resource leveling and scheduling for several work shifts are the call of the day. Of course the modeling of limited work space using special resource types available in Spider Project are a must have.



Best regards,
Rafael

Yes, Rafael,
you are right. But unfortunately Spider Project is used for building other kind of ships that are shown at the title slide of this presentation: http://www.spiderproject.ru/library/eng/Programs%20in%20Russia.ppt
At this slide we put the pictures of various projects that are managed with Spider Project help.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Hi Vladimir

Which of these is the true russian spider?

паук

кровопийца

таган

звезда (коллектора)

крестовина

Best regards

Mike Testro

Hi Mike,
паук is the right word.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir,

When scheduling for heavy construction your interchangeable resources, will be selected based on availability, these in turn might have different productivities that depending on the selected resource(s) will drive the activity duration.

Suppose I have 3 backhoes each with different production rates but interchangeable within my construction activities. I cannot model this in Primavera P3/SureTrak, can Spider Project do that? How?

And what about this one, Backhoe type A must be interchanged with 2ea Backhoes type B and these in combination will produce 20% more than type A.

Although I am more into Building Construction I believe a good model for this kind of situations got to be useful to the Heavy Construction PM, especially when suddenly a few pieces of equipment break and he has to redistribute the remaining.

Best regards,
Rafael

Rafael,
to simulate this create Skill Backhoe and add to this Skill all Backhoes that are available.
Assign to activity not specific Backhoe but this skill.
All Backhoes may have different productivities and you have a choice:
1) To specify the number of Backhoes that shall be assigned,
2) To specify total productivity of all Backhoes that shall be assigned.
You can also define the priorities of Backhoes for this specific assignment, and overall priority for selecting resources from Skills like minimal cost or minimal duration.

The software will select available Backhoes basing on defined priorities (one of Type A or two of type B as an example).

This is the usual situation in many projects with earth moving works. Companies have different machines (Caterpillars, Komatsu, etc.) with different productivities and costs. Manual assignment is complicated. Assigning Caterpillar one cannot be sure that two or more tasks will not require this machine simultaneously while Komatsu stands idle.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Thanks Vladimir,

I am not used to the skills functionality, although I heard about it before it is kind of new to me having software capable of modeling skills. I wonder if the other few that can model skills can do it so elegantly, especially with regards to productivity and with regard to the option to choose assignment by number or by total production rate.

Next week I will take my time to copy and paste into a text document a selection of your answers for my future reference.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hi Rafael,

I supposed this "Skills Functionality" refers to the "Unsual Efforts" that you may use if you find that your Contract time or duration is not reasonable.

i’m sorry my monitor is blinking...

BACKUP ALL YOUR DATA FILES, REMEMBER NOT ALL FILES ARE STORED UNDER MY DOCUMENTS

WILL KEEP IN TOUCH

In Spider Project:

Resources and/or multi-resources are organized as resource skills in case they can be assigned to the activity execution as alternatives even with different productivities, costs and other characteristics. When a resource skill is assigned to the activity execution, total quantity (or productivity) of comprising resources (and/or multi-resources) is specified.

Spider Project automatically selects resources (or multi-resources) to be assigned to activity in order to fulfill all restrictions. User preset priorities of resources (multi-resources) are also taken into consideration: resources (multi-resources) with lower priority will be assigned to the activity execution in case they are only available in the required time period.

It is great functionality that allows you to replace or interchange similar resources as needed. The best way to understand it is by exploring its application using a sample job. Because Primavera SureTrak does not have this functionality it is kind of new to me. Spider is not the only software with this functionality, in the application of it is where the software might differ.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hi Rafael,
please inform me if you know other scheduling software that includes skill scheduling for resources with different productivities.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir,

No, I do not know of other scheduling software that includes skill scheduling for resources with different productivities.

I am not surprised Spider is the only one; as a matter of fact it was my suspicion, just look at my posting #213.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hi Rafael,
I am working with Spider Project for 5 years after I worked more than 10 years with MS Project and Primavera on all versions. I found extremely useful the use of resource skills. It is one of the major features (among many other) who allow you to organize better the resources and to get a feasible plan after resource constrained scheduling. Because other PM software does not use such an approach, Spider will give a project duration shorter than the duration computed with the other software. And if you combine this feature with the variable resource quantity or workload, you will get surprising results. However, this is not enough. You still need to perform the project risk analysis.
Best regards,
Augustin

Agustin,

Welcome, I am working on my own sample jobs using Spider resource leveling, the most basic Spider algorithm give me better results than Primavera, I even had to fool Spider using priorities to mimic bad resource leveling by Primavera SureTrak to show how bad it is at showing float after resource leveling.

I just simply cannot understand how you can use the resource constraining functionality available in the other software as they will give you wrong float. The natural reaction for a project manager will be to believe available float as shown in these software is correct. They will be making the incorrect choices.

Tell me how it is possible there is no panic with these other software when it is so simple to understand?

Hope you add value to the discussion, common sense tells me that at some point others will realize how ahead Spider is.

I am not to wait, keep following this thread and show me your tricks, this is just starting to get better.

About risk analysis I am still hooked on Monte Carlo, from my collegue days back in the 70’s, but Vladimir has a point about how the practical results are when compared to Spider approach, sensitivity analysis is a concept I understand and willing to accept if Spider approach is equivalent and more efficient. No sientific theory just a few practical examples will be enough. But keep in mind this is still kind of high level analysis for the everyday job.

Best regards,
Rafael

Micro Planner’s Resource Algorithm will when a resource runs out select from a specified group of resource where each has a (what I call a weighting) and select the most approriate resource to do the task. so if I am short of a Senior Computer Programmer who does their work at a 100% and I have available a senior Systems person who is very experienced and say twice as good, Micro Planner will the halve the time or quantity required.
You are to hung up on Float
According to Earl Glenright who is well known in the states
Who responded to an article on Float he says
Quote
In Response to the article in the November 2009 PM World Today by Pat Weaver explaining the various types of activity ‘float’
20 November 2009

Dear Editor,

Float ??? Who cares ?

Here’s another point of view - mine !

I don’t think this treatise on calculating float enlightens anyone and may compromise their understanding and add to their confusion.

What does it matter what kind or how much ’float’ there is?

Once the scheduling phase is complete, there should not be any references to ’float’. Telling anyone on the project, including owners, that they have ’float’ is opening Pandora’s Box for chaos.

A baseline schedule is THE schedule of the work plan. It can not ’float’ !
If the performers of the work think they can ’float’ their work, soon all activities are ’critical’!

And instead of sharing ’float’ the managers of the earliest activities will use all they can get.

We all know that ’float’ is a mathematical result of the unrestrained analysis of the activity network. We also know that it is used in the scheduling process to schedule peak resource demands into lower periods of demand by ’floating’ the less critical activities.
Once the schedule is set, ’float’ has no intrinsic value. In fact, incorrectly declaring that there is ’float’ is misleading and subjects the planned work schedule to disruption during execution.

A simple example:

3 subcontractors are told they have ’float’ or ’Total Float’ days for their work. Now suppose each of them applies this ’float’ to scheduling their work. When their work plan is integrated with the parent work plan, a hiatus results. But you told me I had ’float’ and here it is shown on the printout of the schedule.

The restriction of links to only F-S is becoming more frequent in scheduling specifications.

Why? Because bad experience leads to good judgment.

Actually the S-S and F-F links are attempts to schedule the work even before resources are considered. I do acknowledge that correcting logic-links is easier in PDM than ADM. (note that I said ’correcting’)

In conclusion, messing around with ’float’ in any of its variations is diverting management from the real world. ’Float’ is in a fantasy world.

Speaking of diverting attention, there is an Eastern Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Dutch)
saying that is very applicable to the misunderstanding and use of ‘float’

"As you travel on thru life brother
Whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the donut
And not upon the hole"

And so it is with ‘float’. Keep your eye on the work plan and schedule, not the ‘float’

Earl Glenwright, PE, PSP
Colorado, USA

UNquote

There you have it, now it must be time for Rafael and Vladimir to go back to work and find something else to talk about

Raf (the elder one :-) )

Hi Raf,
Earl wrote: We all know that ’float’ is a mathematical result of the unrestrained analysis of the activity network.

I agree with Earl that unrestrained analysis is useless and Rafael thinks the same.

Thank you for the good wishes, but here it is 1:21am and I will go back to work tomorrow morning.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Ralph,

As you know I always liked Micro Planner, and agree with you about the need for better resource allocation algorithms, believe you are a pioneer in the practical application of these.

I also agree with your hands down approach to project management. We never disclose float to our subcontractors and not even to our crews, the problem is with the Project Manager that have access to float values as shown by the software. Therefore I have some need for it to be better than what most software shows.

Yes we understand it varies with time, varies with the specific resource leveling algorithm, I have no problem with this. Well for some reason someone called it Phantom Float. I still believe Spider is correct, is better than showing no float computation but those who cannot compute float as limited by the driving constraints, other than precedence logic should not show it at all, they are misleading the client while Spider alerts the client on the interpretation of float.

About the elder one, I have 80% grey hair, 10% white hair and 10% no hair, my moustache makes up the missing 10%.

Keep debating; it is always good to hear from you.

Best regards,
Rafael

Raf - the Younger

Well I am more hair challenge than you in that case
I have thirty % Grey and the shines in the dark

:-)

Gave up the moustache ten years ago

Raf - the Elder

OOPs
That should say ’The rest" shines ...

Raf

Ralph,

You are good, but no sugar glider, in any case a dingo. Being in project management for many years you cannot be a prima dona, you can get a beating and get out of it as if nothing happened.

Your differing point of view, coming from a beautiful mind just add value to the debate.

Vladimir,

If you want I can hold him while you beat him.

Ronal Winter is a Primavera Partner so he might not join the discussion, though it would be great.

Unfortunately Primavera bought P3 and did not have these minds into their team to get P3 where it was supposed. P3 never fully realized the change from CPM to the more advanced precedence functionality.

I understand resource float must consider limit of concurrent use of resource float, look at the following example, Activity 1 and Activity B cannot happen at the same time, therefore resource float for both activities cannot be equal. Consider available quantity for Resource A = 3ea and that the only precedence link is FS between activities 3 and 4.



Best regards,
Rafael

Float is the management tool.

It shows what activity delay will endanger achieving project targets taking into account ALL project constraints.
It is necessary for management decisions, at least it is nice to know.
It does not mean that it shall be known to everybody involved in the project execution.

Many Spider Project users create three project schedules:
Optimistic for subcontractors and own crews that do the work,
Probable for themselves,
Pessimistic or Contractual for the Client reporting.

These schedules may differ in activity duration and cost estimates, they can even include different events and tasks.
If actual data were entered in one of these schedules Spider Project updates all of them. So the user always has three synchronized scenarios of project model.

So we think that not only floats shall not be used by those who perform project works but also activity durations and costs that include contingency reserves.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

To all,

In my prior posting, "Activity 1 and Activity B cannot happen at the same time." Shall read, Activities 1, 2 and 4 cannot happen all at the same time.

Vladimir,

I will get into some modeling for 3 versions of the same job soon and wonder if they necessarily have to be named optimistic, probable and pessimistic. I have not explored this functionality yet.

You already know we have a need to model the official schedule that will always be missing some activities until a change is approved, and our version that includes those new activities, already in progress but not allowed to be shown in the official CPM. This because of legal implications, here the interpretation of the law complicates things.

Transferring updating data from one version to the other is time consuming and error prone, this Spider functionality can be very useful.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hi Rafael,

these versions can have any names but in the risk analysis dialog they shall be selected as optimistic, most probable and pessimistic. If this was done they will be updated together when actual data were entered.
Actual data will be the same in all three scenarios.
If you want to hide anything create the structure that is not full (exclude activities and phases that shall be hidden). You will get all necessary reports for this WBS.

Besides in the Users Access rights options you can define what structures can be seen by selected users. So even with electronic copy hidden activities will not be shown for unauthorised people. Later you can include back any of hidden activities.

Official schedule shall be pessimistic. It is necessary to have contingency and management reserves and to make some profit.

But it is user choice. For the Client it may be probable version, or critical schedule that may be achieved with the specified probability.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Hi Vladimir,

You mentioned about floats, do you mean in general? Because I supposed there are "Free Floats" and "Total Floats", what if the two differs for the same activity?

For example: an activity (or all the activities) has zero free float but at the same time it shows 100 days total float (for some activities - if not all). What does it mean? How an activity with zero free float, but with 100 days total float will impact the schedule once it is delayed?

Or shall I believe the "elder Raf" to just forget about floats?

Best Regards

Oh Dear Anoon

I did not say to ignore Floats, you misquote me

If you had read my posting properly you would have noted that there was a quote at the top of the article and unquote at the end of the article, which was the work of a third person, Glen with whom I in the main in agreement

The example is rather savage and not helpful in this utter waste of time re Float.
There are two free floats, one is called Early Free Float and the Other is Late Free Float
These were originally derrived from arrow diagrams, you cannot correctly calculate them in Precedence

If a task has as you say 100 units of TF but Zero Free Float, then you cannot delay the task because if you do you will delay tasks futher down the float chain, as there is a link coming from this task which is critical

All of you seem to think that float or what ever is tasked based.

Total Float is a value shared along a chain of tasks with that same value. So if the first task with TF of 20 is not delayed then the second and or successive tasks may be delayed by 20, If the second task is delayed by 10, then the rest of the chain now only has 10 units of float to share.

If you used Arrow Diagrams none of you would have this bother as the Arrow diagram is fundementally clear.
Read Patrick Weaver’s paper on Float in Octobers PM World today e-magazine, which caused Glen to make his statement.

It would appear that all of you have nothing better to do than argue over a very trivial matter.

You are not serving your clients very well as you should be Planning and Scheduling the project in hand.

Obviously the folk in other countries appear to be able to estimate 100% accurately task durations ever time all the time. Which might make the float value meaningful

You obviously do not understand ’Statistical Deviation, which is generally accepted as being plus or minus three percent of the answer.

So Total Float really is quite meaningless, especially after resource scheduling.

Once the algortithm has allocated the resource for the task to use between the start and finish dates, there can NEVER be a time when you as the individual can come along unilaterally as say "OH, thers’s two days Total Float left I think I will delay the task for that time.

Because now, you have completely STUFFED up the resource allocation.

Frankly I do not care what one bit or another software package does, my job is to ensure I deliver my clients the project ON TIME and ON budget.

Nothing more, nothing less.

If you think carrying on about about float does that then you are quite mistaken.

By the way I manage a fair number of my under $1 million projects by hand, don’t need a computer,..... oh woe is me, what has happened to my Total Float :-)

By the way,again, Hot of the press, If you want to understand about AOA or AON read Dennis Lock’s new book on "Aviation Project Management" By Triant G. Flouris, Dennis Lock

You most definitely will learn something from the even older master than me.

Raf

Free float have those activities that can be delayed without delaying any successor. So an activity can have large total float but zero free float because it has the successor and the link to this successor is driving. Delaying an activity with free float we will also delay succeding activities but it does not mean that the project finish or other target date will be postponed if the delay is less than this activity total float. Total float shows what delay of the activity execution will not cause the delay of any project target. It may mean that not only this activity but also its successors and activities that use the same resources will be delayed but still the project will be on time. Best Regards, Vladimir

Raphael,

“These were originally derrived from arrow diagrams, you cannot correctly calculate them in Precedence.” – a quote from your posting.

Arrow diagrams should never die, Micro Planner is the only software I know provides you with this functionality and although I prefer to work with precedence diagrams the comparison between the two methods shall be available forever, it is not a rarity it is valid mathematical computations.

I hope eventually Spider Project gets its own forum category and believe that same as Tilos also Micro Planner should have its own forum category I will follow as to keep watch on the difference between the two methods. And yes I know Micro Planner can handle both methods.

I am not rallying for Micro Planner because two new categories at the same time might be too much for PP, but believe the beauty of PP is about options. A small space on the screen for Spider and Micro-P will do no harm, on the contrary.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hi "elder Raf",

Yes, I believe when you said that Total Float is a chain, and it seems decreasing from a higher value or units (in the early activities), and maybe it can become zero when it reaches the end or the last part of the activities.

What really drives the movements of floats? Is it plainly from the relationships as defined? So that only FS relationship will show the real value of float?

Best regards

Hi Anoon,
I should add that there are Start floats and Finish floats.
Start Float shows the potential delay of activity start and Finish float will show the potential delay of activity finish.
They may be different.

In Spider Project you can also find assignment floats that may differ from floats of those activities where resources were assigned.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Start floats and Finish floats may be different especially under activity splitting and/or resource constraining. The other occasion I can think of is when updating changes the original duration of activities that originally had same Start floats and Finish floats.

Float might be tricky but very useful to the extent Contracts in USA make reference to it. Unfortunately some (shall I say many) CPM software fall short of updating their computation of float in agreement with the functionalities available after “old” CPM which in its beginning did not included resource leveling and not to mention other real life constraints.

Hi Vladimir,

I’m not good in math, but here I supposed you’ll only use a little plus (+) and a little (-), and a combination of calendars, with days and hours.

I just cannot think of a reason why what you called an "assignment float" (do you mean resource float?)may differ from the activity floats, when the resource is to be assigned to the activity?

Do you mean because of the availability of the resource(s)?

Best regards

Yes,
it depends on resource availabilities and calendars.
Look at slides 29 - 33 in the following presentation:
http://www.spiderproject.ru/library/london.ppt#292,29,Assignment floats
Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir,

How do you, or how do Spider define critical activites?

Is it from the task’s floats, or from the resource floats?

What if your schedule is not resource loaded?

Can you just rely on the task’s floats to determine criticalities?

cheers

Anoon,
of course critical activities are defined as those that have their total floats less than some specified value, usually zero.

When the schedule is not resource loaded then activity floats are defined by the network logic and target dates.

When resources are loaded then activity floats are defined not only by network logic and imposed dates but also by resource availability.

If supplies are restricted then it shall be taken into consideration too.

And of course activities may be delayed due to money shortage.

So real feasible activity floats shall be calculated considering all these constraints.

AOA and AON - just different presentations of the same networks. Floats do not depend on the way the network is shown.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Hi Anoon,

If I may, I will give you an answer to your question. I see Vladimir already did it.

I’ll quote Earl Glenwright (he was quoted before by Raf) from a presentation made in June 2005 at AACEi, “Issues & Controversies”:

“NO RESOURCES = NO VALID SCHEDULE ! “

There is a very interesting interview gave by Jim O’Brian in the PMI COS website (http://www.pmicos.org/jointerview.asp) about the history of CPM.

The questions put firstly were: how to organize the project activities ? in what sequence ? how much time will take them ? which activities are more important than the other ? … and so on. And the result was the Critical Path: critical and non-critical activities, free float and total float. But the focus was only on activities without taking into account if there are or not enough resources. Do not forget what the social, political and economical context was when CPM was developed.

So, in this approach, the activities are those who consumes (need) resources, no matter if the resources are available to do them.

This kind of project model worked for a while, but mainly in very organized, based on a chain of command environment similar to the army.

Later on they asked what will happen if there are not enough resources. It is interesting that Dan Trietsch from University of Auckland revealed in a paper published in 2003 - “Why a Critical Path by Any Other Name Would Smell Less Sweet? Towards a Holistic Approach to PERT/CPM” that Russian mathematicians had made deep researches during ’60 years in what we call the scientific work organization. I have a great admiration on Russian mathematicians as time as I learned from their work.

Coming back to the subject. In the lets’ call new approach, the resources are those who made possible the activities deliverables. If you don’t have the available qualified resources, you will not get the deliverables from a certain activity. In this approach the focus is on resources. The real life shows us this. So, if resources does not have float (because of their calendar and availability), than the activity to whom they are assigned are called “resource critical activity”. The sequence of such activities it is called “resource critical path”.

Why is more realistic such a schedule ? Because … What happen if you don’t have the right people and equipment in the right time ? What happen if you don’t have a certain material at the right moment to be used in an activity ? But most of all, what happen if you don’t have enough money at the right moment to pay for people, equipment and materials ? And the answer is not: I have float.

The usual feeling a Project Manager has is the frustration. He is responsible to do something with almost nothing. I suppose Raf will confirm this feeling.

So, planning is about future. And the future can have different faces, or you can think that there are many possible futures. From all of them, you are interested in only one. And try to bring that future into current reality. Spider just help you to foresee different aspects might affect your commitment.

And come back to Earl: No resources = No valid schedule !

Best regards,

Augustin

Anoon,

In my posting #205 I made a reference to a 2 activities schedule most CPM packages cannot handle, because this topic have become so large I migh have not included here but at another thread.

So here it is:

Schedule a 2 activities network, not tied one to each other by precedence logic but sharing a limited resource.

For example:

Activity A – 5 days
Activity B - 5 days
Both activities demanding one unit of Resource A, of which only one unit is available.

Most software under resource leveling will schedule A and B at different time, the first one depending on your priorities selection. This is ok up to this point, but the problem is most will show float of 5 days on the first activity while a delay in this activity will delay the completion of your schedule.

Imagine that you as a Project Manager look at the available float as per your CPM schedule and start paying attention to those shown as critical and even start moving resources from those showing some float as to keep under control those showing no float. Because most software under resource constrained schedule will show the wrong float for resource critical activities you most probably will end up moving resources precisely from the wrong activities. You either will discover too late it was wrong or start doubting about the CPM float display. Well better start doubting about the CPM float display and either buy a glass ball or software capable of showing resource critical float.

Anoon, just schedule it by yourself the sample 2 activities job. I used to call it abominable error and science all software developers are aware of this it cannot be called an error nor an omission, from now on I will call it an ABOMINABLE LIE.

Best regards,
Rafael

Vladimir,

I already synchronized my first updating of two versions, in order to do so I had to define the second version twice but it worked at a click of a mouse.

I still got to do some exploring into this functionality to get used to it and understand how update version numbers are kept into sync.

Up to now a piece of cake, is a matter of getting used to it in order to fly with it.


In a couple of days I should be exploring Risk Analysis and Success Probability, at first glance does not seems like a piece of cake and wonder if my clients will be interested on getting into this.

Best regards,
Rafael

Rafael

As an Australian born Italian-German; speaking English as a third language, I am afraid I don’t quite understand what your post 226 is meant to mean.

Sugar Gliders are left in the wild here in Australia, but I believe prople in the Americas tend to keep them as household pets, so what do you mean by your reference?

Sometimes I find it quite amusing in trying to figure out what some of the various folk who type faster than their brain operates in English mean in their posts.

Also

1) I don’t like being called Ralph, because it is an English name, not a diminutive of Raphael, you can spell Raf as Raph, because mostly my American cousins do, but then they speak English-US

2) Calling somebody a "dingo" in Australia is actually an insult

It is great pity that none of you are actually reading what I am saying about Total Float and the fact that as a Planner and Scheduler you should be working hard to provide the best solution to deliver your clients needs.

It is not about software, unless like me you are actually teaching a degree course at University where all these wonderous way of calculating have to be taught.

If you are a believer of PDM, you will know that there are four precedence link types.

Microsoft has happily soldiered on for over thirty years not allowing SS and FF between two tasks and they have over 90% of the market.

What does that tell you?

Microsoft in the form of their top guru in Project tells me that according to their research about 80 to 90 % of projects are run simply using Excel spreadsheets.

BTW, it is going to be almost 40C here in NSW today, I have many critical task to carry out before our Christmas shutdown, the moment the temperature hits 38.6C, under our OH&S rules the workers will stop work.

I haven’t even considered any float values, because I will have to shuffle the work around tomorrow and Saturday to ensure the tasks which have been resource scheduled to occur, and perhaps don’t because of the heat do get completed by end Saturday.

Now I have better things to do with my limited time as I have six big projects on the go in three countries and I will now drop off this posting and ensure my clients continue value me in providing the schedules required.

Goodbye

Raf (the Elder) :-)

Raphael

Calling somebody a "dingo" in Australia is actually an insult, sorry I did not know I just meant "you must be though" as if a lion in the wild but used a reference from the Australian fauna, it was meant to be praise in the context of the whole sentence. I was trying to be nice, not being mean.

About your name Raphael it was without even noticing, here Ralph is so common that instead of Raph it just came to my mind. We are not so sensitive to name misspelling especially when dealing with other nationalities, we are more tolerant, don’t even pay attention to such issue.

"Microsoft has happily soldiered on for over thirty years not allowing SS and FF between two tasks and they have over 90% of the market. What does that tell you?"

This tells me that it satisfies most people needs for Gantt chart software and not the more sophisticated Precedence Scheduling software. Some of us have more sophisticated needs, I do not need a fancy Gantt chart software I do need the more sophisticated precedence scheduling software. For Gantt Charts I prefer Excel spreadsheets.

"Microsoft in the form of their top guru in Project tells me that according to their research about 80 to 90 % of projects are run simply using Excel spreadsheets."

This tells me a lot about why Microsoft has no interest at all in what serious precedence scheduling is about, judging from how slow (over thirty years ! ) they have been at adopting many missing PDM functionality in their product and this comment from one of their so called Gurus. Seems like they are more interested in that 90% than in the rest 10%, the rest of us.

"It is great pity that none of you are actually reading what I am saying about Total Float and the fact that as a Planner and Scheduler you should be working hard to provide the best solution to deliver your clients needs."

I read what you said about total float is just I completely disagree with you, about the fact that as a Planner and Scheduler you should be working hard to provide the best solution to deliver your clients needs I completely agree, so I have no comment in this regard.

Goodbye,

Rafael

Rafael,
those who use Success Probability calculations and analysis are happy. This is most reliable performance measurement and management tool.
Look at the publications on Success Driven Project Management (SDPM), try this functionality, and later we will discuss its proper use.

I am not sure that your customers will require this unless they are advanced in project risk management, critical chain, or other approaches that apply management of reserves (buffers).

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Raphael,

You wrote: "If you are a believer of PDM, you will know that there are four precedence link types."

PDM is one of many ways to show network logic. Network logic does not depend on the way it is shown.

You wrote: "Microsoft has happily soldiered on for over thirty years not allowing SS and FF between two tasks and they have over 90% of the market.
What does that tell you?"

It tells me that most MS Project users do not load resources. MSP not only does not allow SS and FF links but also produces poor resource constrained schedules. Many Spider Project users started with using MS Project. When they understood their real needs they left MS Project and selected other tool.

But many planners use their PM software for presentations and MSP is good enough for drawing simple project schedules. And thus they compete with Excel that also permits to draw project schedules.
We consider these painters as the separate market.

What you wrote about floats makes no sense to me. I think that my English is not good enough.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Hi Agustin,

Thanks for your view.

"No Resources - No valid Schedule" (by Glenwright)

What if you reverse it?

No Schedule - No valid Resources!

Which one do you define first? The Tasks or the Resources?

For me, resources is a matter of options, but you will always define the tasks first and not the resources - I mean in scheduling.

So if you don’t have enough or available resources at a certain time, you still can wait for that time to come, but that doesn’t mean that your schedule (of tasks) becomes invalid (maybe invalid to show only the earliest possible time).

Well, that’s my view.

Best regards

Hi Anoon,
the schedule means dates.
Without resources you can create Activity list, logical relationships, create the network.
But what can be done at what time depends on the available resources and the schedule that does not take this into account is not reliable.
So the tasks are first, but the schedule requires more than just tasks.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Hi Vladimir,

The Schedule means, What if??? (for me)

You can define the tasks or activities logically and then - What if?

The thing is, you are assigning resources to the tasks, and not tasks to resources (remember this question before?).

What if you had defined the Labor resources first and then assign the tasks? (I supposed you said that this cannot be possible in scheduling).

To make it simple:

Work out your tasks first,

and then work out your resources so that it will fit your tasks.

Resources are consummables, and Tasks are deliverables, and time is? (is time a constraint?)

So which one is more Critical?

Anoon,
WBS defines what shall be done and tasks define how.
To do the tasks you need resources. So the tasks define resource requirements and these requirements include labor, machines, materials, equipment.
Defining logical links, assigning resources, defining task durations or volumes of work to be done and assigned resource productivities you can calculate the schedule that does not consider resource limitations. If the dates are not proper you can play What If first time changing links, resource assignments, calendars, or the scope (WBS).

If the schedule with unlimited resources looks good enough you shall define what resources you have and what restrictions you have.
Basing on resource availability and restrictions you can calculate project resource constrained schedule. Once again you may find that the delays are too large and the schedule needs improvement. This is the time for the second What If session. Now you play with resource availability, assignments, calendars and if the results are poor return to the step 1, reconsidering activity links and project scope.

The next step includes supply and financing analysis. If material and cost requirements could not be met the schedule shall be adjusted and once more What IF session be played.

Resources are consumable (materials and equipment) and renewable (labor, machines). WBS phases describe deliverables, tasks describe actions.
Time may be constrained, duration depends on tasks and resources.

I wrote earlier that assigning tasks to resources is more complicated than assigning resources to tasks (the result is the same?). It is easier to create and to assign resource crew than to remember all resources in the crew and to assign the same tasks to all of them.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Hi John,
thank you for describing the way you use Micro Planner X-Pert.

I think that everybody agree that any software is the tool and the goal of any software developer is to suggest the proper tool to people who will use their product.

Best Regards,
Vladimir