Graphical Project Resource Planning

The Graphical Project Resource Planning page uses color coding to show project planners the resource availability for planned job lines based on Starting and Ending Dates defined in the Project Card. It also shows unplanned processes.

The Graphical Project Resource Planning page can be accessed in the following ways:

  • To show resource planning for all projects, use Tell Me. Choose the Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature icon, enter Graphical Project Resource Planning, and then choose the related link.
  • To show resource planning information per job, open the Project Card. On the Navigate menu, choose the Graphical Resource Planning action.
  • To show resource planning information for planning processes for the job, open the Planning Processes page. On the Related menu, choose Graphical Extension > Graphical Resource Planning.

The following graphic shows processing lines with different colors for unassigned lines (in blue) and assigned lines (in orange), as well as the work date highlight (in yellow) and resource availability (in teal).

Graphical Project Resource Planning

Note

If the Graphical Project Resource Planning page is opened from the Project Card, and parameters (such as start/end date or job status) set in the Graphical Project Planning Setup page do not match the related job settings, then a message will inform the user that the job falls outside of these parameters and the data cache needs to be updated.

  • Choosing the Yes button will update the parameters in the Graphical Project Planning Setup page and, therefore, the job will be shown in the Graphical Project Resource Planning page.
  • Choosing the No button will disregard the data cache update and the job will not be shown in the Graphical Project Resource Planning page.

Chart Layout

The left pane shows the resource group, resource, job, and related process planned job lines and the right pane shows the timeline of the availability or over-planning with color coding.

The availability is visible on the resource group and resource lines in the right pane. Depending on setup, the colors can be different. But if default settings are used, the chart shows:

  • available time in teal (above the baseline)
  • over-planned resources in red (below the baseline)
  • not available or not over-planned shows neither (empty space)

The % Complete from the planning processes is visualized in the process planning lines in two ways:

  • Show the Progress column (only visible when manually shown via the Displays menu to choose visible columns icon below the chart)
  • Color variation in the lines in which the darker color is the completed percentage (always visible)

The progress completion can be changed manually in the Progress column, which automatically updates the color variation in the lines.

Graphical Project Resource Planning

Resource Charts

Below the chart are the Resource charts options, which determine what availability information is shown in the chart. Each is described below:

  • Free – No filtering, all availability usage is displayed.
  • Used – Shows only the times in which resources are not available for planning.
  • Errors – Shows only the resources that have been over-planned.
  • Available – Shows only the times is which resources are available for planning.

Context Menus

On both sides of the chart, context menus can be opened to provide additional information about the resource group, resource, job, or process planning line. Tap and hold (or right-click) the line to open the context menu.

For detailed information about these menu items, see Capacity and Resource Planning.

  • For the resource groups:

    • The Resource Group Card menu item opens the related Resource Group Card.
    • The Planning Resource Group Card menu item opens the Planning Resource Card for the resource group.

  • For the resources:

    • The Planning Resource Card menu item opens the Planning Resource Card for the individual resource.
    • The Resource Card menu item opens the related Resource Card.
    • The Job Calendar menu item opens the Job Calendar where you can manually enter planned time for resources, instead of assigning planning resources or calculating scheduling entries.

  • For the jobs:

    • The Job Card menu item opens the related Project Card.
    • The Job Team menu item opens the related Job Team page.
    • The Job Planning Setup menu item opens the Job Planning Setup page.
    • The Job Planning and Processing menu item opens the Job Planning and Processing page, which focuses on all operative processes for planning, purchasing, and project delivery.

  • For the project planning lines with unplanned processes:

    • The Job Card menu item opens the Project Card of the job corresponding to the selected project planning line.
    • The Process Card menu item opens the Job Process Card which provides a card view of all the information in the Job Planning and Processing page for the selected project planning line.
    • The Process Planning Block View menu item opens the Planning Processes page which shows the block view of unplanned processes for the selected project planning line.

  • For the project planning lines with planned processes:

    • The Job Card menu item opens the Project Card of the job corresponding to the selected project planning line.
    • The Process Card menu item opens the Job Process Card which provides a card view of all the information in the Job Planning and Processing page for the selected project planning line.
    • The Assigned Resources menu item opens the Assigned Resources page which shows all resources assigned to the planning line.

Tooltips

The right-pane includes tooltips for the process lines, which shows the related job number, status, job description, process number, start/end date/time and completion percent of the process line, as well as duration (e.g., 2 Weeks). To view a tooltip, tap (or hover over) an entry.

Usage

The Graphical Project Resource Planning page provides a wide-range of information about resource planning. It can be used as a general overview but also helps you focus attention on potential problems in your resource planning activities.

Additionally, you can assign resources to unplanned lines or move resources to different lines to prevent over-planning.

Unplanned Processes

Unplanned processes are shown at the top of the chart layout. Expanding this shows the processes that have yet to be assigned to a resource.

Note

The resource must be part of the Job Team in order to move a process to the resource.

To adjust unplanned process lines

Prior to assigning processes to a resource, adjustments can be made to the unplanned process lines.

  • To move a start or finish date of an unplanned process line, tap and hold (or click) the start or end of the line and extend or shorten the time frame.
    • Duration Quantity, Duration Format, Work Quantity, Work Format, and Planned Capacity % of the planning processes are updated in the Graphical Project Resource Planning page based on the standard COSMO Project Manufacturing calculations, which considers the time frame and capacity changes.
    • If the start or finish date of an unplanned process line is extended/shortened in the right pane, and the Process Type Fixed field is:
      • Work, then the Planned Capacity %, Duration Quantity, and Start and/or Finish dates are changed in the process line as well as in the left pane (if shown via the Displays menu to choose visible columns icon).
      • Duration, then the Work Quantity and Duration Quantity are changed in the process line as well as in the left pane (if shown via the Displays menu to choose visible columns icon).
  • To adjust unplanned process lines using the Work Quantity, Work Format, Duration Quantity, Duration Format, Process Type Fixed, and Planned Capacity columns, add the columns via the Displays menu to choose visible columns icon at the bottom of the chart.
    • Changes made in the Work Quantity column will extend/shorten the time frame in the right pane as well as update the Duration Quantity and other relevant parameters in the process line if the Process Type Fixed field is Work. If the Process Type Fixed field is Duration, the Planned Capacity % is changed.
    • Changes made in the Duration Quantity column will extend/shorten the time frame in the right pane as well as update the Planned Capacity % and other relevant parameters in the process line if the Process Type Fixed field is Work. If the Process Type Fixed field is Duration, the Work Quantity is changed.
    • Changes made in the Planned Capacity column will extend/shorten the time frame in the right pane as well as update the Duration Quantity and other relevant parameters in the process line if the Process Type Fixed field is Work. If the Process Type Fixed field is Duration, the Work Quantity is changed.
    • Changes made to the format (hours, days, etc.) can be done directly in the Work Format and Duration Format columns to update the planning line.

To assign a process to a resource

  1. Tap and hold (or click) an unplanned process line.
  2. Drop and drag the line to a resource.
  3. Adjust the timing as needed.

Planned Processes

The planned processes are assigned to the resources within the resource groups. If there is a over-planning for a resource, you can move the planning line to another time or another resource.

To move planning to another time

You can either move the complete line to another time or you can extend or shorten the time frame.

  • To move an entire line to another date, tap and hold (or click) the process line then and move it forward or backward to the new date.
  • To move a start or end date of a process line, tap and hold (or click) the front or end of the line and extend or shorten the time frame.

To move planning to another resource

  1. Tap and hold (or click) the process line.
  2. Drag and drop the process line to the new resource.
  3. Adjust the timing as needed.

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