Using Resource Leveling in Microsoft Project

Resource leveling in Microsoft Project is a valuable feature that helps you optimize resource allocation to ensure a more balanced and realistic schedule. It helps you resolve overallocation and underallocation of resources, ultimately leading to a smoother project execution. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use resource leveling in Microsoft Project:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Project Launch Microsoft Project on your computer.

Step 2: Create or Open a Project Create a new project or open an existing one where you want to apply resource leveling.

Step 3: Set Up Resources Before using resource leveling, ensure that you have added all the necessary resources to your project and assigned them to specific tasks. To do this, go to the "Resource Sheet" view and enter the names of the resources, along with their availability and working hours.

Step 4: View Resource Usage Switch to the "Resource Usage" view to see the allocation of resources across the project tasks. You can find this view by going to the "View" tab in the top menu and selecting "Resource Usage" from the "Resource Views" group.

Step 5: Identify Overallocations In the "Resource Usage" view, look for resource overallocations, which are indicated by red bars above the resource's allocation line. These overallocations occur when a resource is assigned to more work than their availability allows.

Step 6: Use Resource Leveling To apply resource leveling, go to the "Resource" tab in the top menu. In the "Leveling" group, click on the "Level Resources" button. Microsoft Project will analyze the resource overallocations and suggest options for leveling the resources.

Step 7: Choose Resource Leveling Options The "Level Resources" dialog box will appear, presenting various resource leveling options. You can choose from options such as "Level Only Within Available Slack," "Leveling Can Adjust Individual Assignments on a Task," and "Leveling Can Create Split Tasks." Customize the options according to your preferences and project requirements.

Step 8: Click "OK" to Level Resources After selecting the desired resource leveling options, click "OK" in the "Level Resources" dialog box. Microsoft Project will automatically adjust the resource assignments and task durations to eliminate overallocations while considering the defined constraints and options.

Step 9: Review the Leveled Schedule Once resource leveling is complete, review the adjusted schedule and resource allocations in the "Resource Usage" view. The red overallocation bars should now be resolved, and the resource assignments should be balanced.

Step 10: Save Your Project After leveling resources and reviewing the changes, save your project to preserve the resource leveling adjustments.

Conclusion:

Resource leveling in Microsoft Project is a powerful tool that helps optimize resource allocation and improve project scheduling. By identifying and resolving resource overallocations, you can create a more realistic and achievable project plan. Resource leveling ensures that your project tasks are distributed efficiently among available resources, allowing for a smoother project execution and better resource management.