Playing around with the "scheduling engine" inside of MS Project 2007.

1. Digging a hole
Microsoft Project Style

2. How much work does it take to
dig a hole to plant a rose bush?

3. Work = Duration X Units

4. What Are Units?
• A resource’s capacity to perform work
– Possible units:
• 10%
• 50% (half time)
• 100% (full time) DEFAULT VALUE
• 300% (HUH?)
– Three people!

5. How is Work Expressed?
• Work = Duration x Units
• Work = Hours x Percentage of effort
• Therefore work is expressed in hours
– Unfortunately, so is duration
Work is expressed hours
Duration is expressed in hours
Units are expressed as a percentage

6. MS Project Default
Which Means…

7. A Simple Proof

8. An estimate for digging the hole is 15 minutes.

9. Checking the Default Units
MS Project assumes 100% commitment to the task as the default

10. Back to Digging the Hole…
Since Work = Duration X Units
Work = 15 minutes x 100%
Work = 15 minutes
Easy so far!

11. Sticking With Fixed Units
Increasing the duration should increase work

12. Increasing the Duration Estimate
INCREASED the work!

13. Decreasing the Duration Estimate
Decreased the work!

14. LET’S MESS WITH MS PROJECT
WE’LL CHANGE WHAT IS CONSTANT
UN I TS!

15. Changing The Units
From 100% Capacity to work
To 50% capacity to work

16. What Happened?
Work stayed the same, but duration doubled.
FIXED WORK!
Work = Duration ×Units
.25 hours = Duration × 0.50
Duration = .25 hours
0.50
Duration = .5 hours
The same amount of work needs to be done, but at a 50%
dedication, it will take twice as long.
Dave is annotated with 50% units