Is it possible to perform "Resources Leveling" automatically with BigPicture Plugin?

[FernandoL]

Hi all,

I'm interested on purchasing BigPicture to manage my JIRA projects, but there is a feature that I'm not sure that the plugin has. Can we schedule the Issues according to the resources assigned to them? What in MS Project is called "Resources Leveling".

I would appreciate any help, thanks!

[AlexanderT]

Since https://jira.softwareplant.com/browse/ONE-21265 seems to be postponed for several years now, I'm using "Bulk Planning" plugin to somehow automate distribution of the issues on timeline.
provided some detailes in parallel topic: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Marketplace-Apps-Integrations/Big-picture-gantt-resource-leveling-and-update-start-date/qaq-p/1248711#U1837762

[Matthew Jagiello]

Hi,

Each BigPicture Program features a Resources module, which is pretty much exactly that. Especially on the latest versions, which have the new version of this module (and in Enterprise edition show tasks Cross-Program, too).

[Сергей Жуков]

There is no even a shadow of MS Project "Resources Leveling" feature in BigPicture jira plugin (Structure.Gantt has one... not best, but it has!). To plan long term (longer than 2 weeks) project (i mean calendar planing based on: resource working calendar + task links + resource loaded on other tasks + task work estimate, NOT duration) it is absolutely useless.

[alexeypegov]

Hello Sergey! 

I'm Alexey, product manager of Structure.Gantt. I would like to know what particular functionality you find missing or unsatisfying in Structure.Gantt Resource Leveling implementation?

Thank you.

[Сергей Жуков]

Hello, Alexey!

Actually, i see some key features that are not implemented in Structure.Gantt Resource Leveling jira plugin:

1) software companies has not only one project at a time, so they need to level resources depend on company resource pool (not project team only). Of course i can include all projects to structure and level all resources, but it is not secure (project manager, who use the feature, has no permission to see other projects/tasks). Solution - admin should select projects/tasks/teams/employees as es exceptions and not take part in leveling, so all other resources on other projects/tasks or free have to take part in leveling. (must have feature)

2) best resource leveling solution is to level not by specific user only (Peter, Anna and so on), but project roles. Task should has role attribute and unit capacity (100% as example) and in resource pool we have some users with the same role (capacity 300% for all project duration for example). And leveling should take into account this data. Yes, you have an ability to set role (with unit) as a resource but... how do i map the role specific user? So it is a half of solution))) It doesn't mean that some tasks cannot have specific user as resource (MS Project professional edition don't has the feature, Primavera has one). (must have feature, but lower priority than p.1 )

3) some other less priority features)))

[Сергей Жуков]

Hello, Alexey!

Actually, i see some key features that are not implemented in Structure.Gantt Resource Leveling jira plugin:

1) software companies has not only one project at a time, so they need to level resources depend on company resource pool (not project team only). Of course i can include all projects to structure and level all resources, but it is not secure (project manager, who use the feature, has no permission to see other projects/tasks). Solution - admin should select projects/tasks/teams/employees as es exceptions and not take part in leveling, so all other resources on other projects/tasks or free have to take part in leveling. (must have feature)

2) best resource leveling solution is to level not by specific user only (Peter, Anna and so on), but project roles. Task should has role attribute and unit capacity (100% as example) and in resource pool we have some users with the same role (capacity 300% for all project duration for example). And leveling should take into account this data. Yes, you have an ability to set role (with unit) as a resource but... how do i map the role specific user? So it is a half of solution))) It doesn't mean that some tasks cannot have specific user as resource (MS Project professional edition don't has the feature, Primavera has one). (must have feature, but lower priority than p.1 )

3) some other less priority features)))

[Сергей Жуков]

Hello, Alexey!

Actually, i see some key features that are not implemented in Structure.Gantt Resource Leveling jira plugin:

1) software companies has not only one project at a time, so they need to level resources depending on the company resource pool (not project team only). Of course i can include all projects to structure and level all resources, but it is not secure (project manager, who uses the feature, has no permission to see other projects/tasks). Solution - admin should select projects/tasks/teams/employees as exceptions and not take part in leveling, so all other resources on other projects/tasks or free have to take part in leveling. (must have feature)

2) best resource leveling solution is to level not by a specific user only (Peter, Anna and so on), but project roles. Task should have a role attribute and unit capacity (100% as example) and in the resource pool we have some users with the same role (capacity 300% for all project duration for example). And leveling should take into account this data. Yes, you have an ability to set role (with unit) as a resource but... how do i map the role to specific user? So it is a half of solution))) It doesn't mean that some tasks cannot have a specific user as a resource (MS Project professional edition don't have the feature, Primavera has one). (must have feature, but lower priority than p.1 )

3) some other less priority features)))

[alexeypegov]

Hi Sergey!

Thank you for detailed reply!

1. You're right, unfortunately Structure.Gantt does not provide centralized resource management capabilities yet, but it will definitely will some day. Until that moment due to possibility to have several projects in a single WBS hierarchy, it is still possible to manage resources across several projects or teams using single chart. 

2. There is no such a thing as Role in Structure.Gantt but it is possible to use any Custom test field as a resource and so it is possible to define a Role custom field which will provide a generic role required to do the task, in addition it is possible to define Resources using formula like "Assignee or Role" (where Assignee is an assignee Jira field and Role is a text custom field with a role name), so until Assignee is assigned to a task a more generic Role value will be used, and as soon as real user is assigned to the task it will be used instead. And since it is possible to configure resources individually it is possible to define different capacities for different roles and single users. I hope it will somehow help in your case.

3. Very interested in those too. 

Thank you.

[Сергей Жуков]

1. Sure, I mentioned this method "Of course i can include all projects to structure and level all resources, but it is not secure". Ok, i am waiting for your implementation in your plugin (dont forget about "exceptions")
2. My bad english)) You have not caught the idea (your suggestion cant help, because of plugin dont calculate free user role units). Solution by steps:
   1. Set a role (developer, for example) for every specific user (key idea). Let's suppose we have 3 user as a developer in the project team (for all project time)
   2. Set a role (or a user) as assignee + units + estimate work for every task to level resources. Let's suppose we have only 2 tasks in our project with:
      1. role = developer and units = 200% and estimate work = 8 h
      2. role = developer and units = 100% and estimate work = 8 h
   3. Plugin should mapping free user role to task requirement role for every task for every day
   4. Plugin by leveling procedure calculates how many units (for every role or every user) is free for every moments (depending on user working calendar + assigning for other project tasks) per role. For our example we see...
      1. task 1 will be done in 4 h (duration).
      2. task 2 will be done in 8 h (duration).
      3. We have resources enough to execute all tasks in parallel
      4. In first 4h of the project all resources will be busy, next 4h - only 1 developer (100% units for task 2) ==> 2 developers will be free
      5. SO project duration = 8h
   5. If we had only 200% as a free resource (2 users with developer role in the team):
      1. task 1 would be done in 4 h (duration)
      2. task 2 would be done in 8 h (duration).
      3. We dont have resources enough to execute all tasks in parallel
      4. In first 4h of the project all resources will be busy, next 8h - only 1 developer (100% units for task 2) ==> 1 developer will be free
      5. SO project duration = 12h

           So mapping user role to task requirement role is key step by leveling 

[Сергей Жуков]

If you interested in my humble opinion))) let's talk by skype/zoom/etc (i guess you speak russian)))

[alexeypegov]

Hi Sergey,

I will be glad to talk! I haven't found a way to contact you so, my e-mail is pegov@almworks.com.

Thank you.