The effectiveness of resource histograms in managing project resources
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Grand Canyon University *
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Information Systems
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Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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: &L s S SO S S NN D I N S SN E oA N ST FRSMSEE NN e :\\ S Y RN INERR & 1 WY AT AFY § XSOV XS B Seaol Ny, Y R N Histograms are useful because they do not just give information about the past, they also provide clues about improving the process. This comes from the patterns that can be identified in the distribution, so it is necessary for users to understand the nature of the distribution to make full use of a histogram. If the process is stable, then the distribution will reflect the process. Measures of a good process will be centered around the target value and the spread will be a close fit to the tolerance allowed for the measure. If the process is not stable, there will be a pattern in the distribution that reflects the change in the process. A stable process can be distinguished from a not stable process using time order data, but the histogram is a more powerful tool in identifying what is happening in a specific part of the process. A stable process is easier to manage, so this insight from a histogram provides an opportunity to take corrective action in a not stable process. Histograms are a powerful tool for understanding what has happened in a process, or why a process is or is not working effectively. This paper presents the ways that histograms can be used in quality improvement. Specifically, a case study is described where a histogram was used to identify a major change in a process and where several different histograms were used to help understand why two similar processes were providing very different results. The case study and other examples illustrate that the usefulness of histograms for understanding a process is a result of the picture that the histogram can provide. Phase review is made much easier using resource histograms. At any time, it is possible to see how much each phase has cost and determine its success. If the project is being charged to a client, then it is easy to see if any phase has overrun and whether additional resources need to be pulled in to catch up. Resource histograms can use historical data as a benchmark to map out future projects. These can be saved and used as templates for future plans. By successfully creating and maintaining accurate resource histograms, it is possible to develop a database of project planning data.
A resource histogram visually shows the workload of resources over the time span of the project. This can be viewed over an extended period such as days, weeks, or months. This is an extremely important tool when working out how long a project should take and helps calculate the impact of adding additional resources to the tasks. The main strength of a histogram is its ability to highlight the different stages of a project. This is especially useful when different tasks require different skills or resources. By using different colors or resources on the same chart, it is possible to see where they overlap or clash. Any overallocation of resources will be shown by a resource peaking above 100%. Allocation of resources in resource histograms takes place at discrete points in time. This means that a homogeneous allocation of time will take place from the starting time until the finishing time and resources cannot be shared or reallocated when the circumstances change. In practice, this is generally not the case and resources are shared and reallocated in response to changes in the circumstances of a project. An example of this could be a project involving the construction of a computer data centre. It is planned to construct the whole building shell first, and then install all the computer hardware. In practice, if construction is to be completed at a time when there are insufficient staff to move on to the next phase, it can be beneficial to delay the finishing of the shell to conserve resources. This may not be apparent when making the initial plan, and the use of a resource histogram may create an obvious over-allocation of resources at the expense of a more long-term plan, for homogeneous resource usage. Any form of reallocation of resources is not possible with the resource histogram and it would then be necessary to create a new time plan to reflect the changes in resource allocation. Another problem stems from the principle use of resource histograms to optimize the checking and connecting of a given network. In the duration of resource allocation, a wide variety of situations can arise when the circumstances demand a change in allocation of resources, or the precedence of elements of the project. This can include over-allocation or under-allocation of resources, or the cutting of a corner in the network to use an element with higher precedence. All of these are simple to carry out with the human eye, and very difficult to edit directly on the original plan in order to apply the changes in the resource allocation. The original plan would then become incompatible with the resource allocation but only through by comparing them can the faults become apparent. The difficulty of changing resource allocations and ensuring that the resource allocation plan always matches a given network effectively prevents any further changes to optimize the network from being noticed and or realized.
Another ongoing research project is investigating the use of a multi-agent system to provide an interactive and intelligent resource allocation environment. A multi- agent system is a network of intelligent agents that interact to solve problems beyond the capabilities of single agents. This is particularly applicable to project resources where problems are often too complex for simple algorithms to provide good solutions. In this system, resources and project managers are modeled as intelligent agents and given autonomy in a simulated project environment. Agents use learning algorithms to try different resource allocation and scheduling strategies, and the overall system performance is evaluated through changes in project parameters. Initial results are promising, and it is hoped that such systems may provide a dynamic environment for resource management testing and decision making. One recent and interesting development in resource management tools is fuzzy- based decision support tools. Fuzzy-based systems deal with vagueness and uncertainty in information and are thus far more reflective of the real-world decision environment than traditional mathematical programming models (Mendoza and Ventura, 2008). These tools provide a systematic way of including qualitative and human judgments into resource management decision making, supplementing the purely quantitative analysis provided by resource histograms and allocation charts. A fuzzy expert system is in development to aid construction professionals in making decisions regarding the hiring of labor-only subcontractors versus engaging a direct labor workforce. At present, the guidelines for this decision are very ambiguous, and the decision has a significant impact on resource skill mix and availability. An initial set of fuzzy logic rules has been formulated using expert opinion, and the system has been implemented as an intelligent form enabling it to be used by non-research experts in the field. One alternative to the resource histogram is project management or scheduling software such as Microsoft Project or Primavera. Of the 60% of project managers not currently using software to manage resources, many are considering it for the future (J. Garner, personal communication, June 19, 2007). Modern scheduling software automatically generates useful resource-based displays such as resource histograms, S-curve representation of expenditures, resource leveling graphs, and tabular reports of resource utilization. One advantage of using software for resource management is that the same tool can be used for both planning and tracking stages of resource management. For example, in Microsoft Project, resources can be assigned to tasks and the Gantt chart can then be viewed in resource view to see the distribution of work. Problems with overallocation are flagged by red shadings on
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task bars, and resource leveling tools can be used to automatically or manually resolve allocation dilemmas. The most advanced resource management systems implement optimization procedures to produce project schedules that yield minimum resource pressures or costs. While software tools provide a comprehensive and integrated environment for resource management, some organizations have found them complex and costly to implement/maintain, with requirements of expert users to achieve promised benefits (Martinez-Jurado, 2003). This load profile may be easier to use than the histogram itself for identifying when a specific resource will be over-allocated. The example which is used throughout the creation of the resource histogram is a bridge construction project from Walker 4. This can be seen in the Bridge Building Example. This chart then maps out the pattern of resource use and can be used to identify the peaks and valleys in the allocation of resources. By using a Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) which is a hierarchical chart of the resources used in a project and by assigning a code of the RBS to each resource, the data from the resource histogram can be translated into a Load Profile which is a chart of the pattern of resource use for each specific resource, an example of this can be seen in Figure 2. The next step is to decide on the units of the resources which are usually money, man-hours, or materials. Then, these resources are allocated to the specific time periods using a bar chart. An example can be seen in Figure 1. Next, a time frame is established. This will usually be the duration of the project and it is often broken down into smaller time units, such as weeks or months. The first step in creating a resource histogram is to compile a list of the resources that will be used during the project. This list should include all resources, both human and non-human. The resource histogram is a management tool that project managers use to determine how many resources will be required for the project, as well as to set the pace at which resources will be utilized. This tool can be useful in identifying when resources will be over-allocated during the course of a project.