Fix Project Plan 3 Resource Calendar Exceptions Not Working
Question details
The user needs to ensure that task durations automatically adjust and extend when a designated resource has absent days recorded in their calendar.
- Product
- Microsoft Project Plan 3
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Tracking project timelines and managing task durations based on assigned resource availability and vacation time.
- Observed behavior
- Tasks assigned to an absent resource maintain their original duration (e.g., 21 days) instead of extending to account for the absence (e.g., 30 days), despite automatic scheduling being enabled.
Ensure that your Project schedule tasks are set to 'Auto Scheduled' and verify that you have administrative rights to edit the shared resource pool if your projects are connected to one.
Configure Shared Resource Pool and Calendar Precedence
This solution ensures holidays and vacations are added to the correct resource calendar and that the shared resource pool overrides local project calendars.
When using a shared resource pool in Microsoft Project, conflicts can occur between the local project calendar and the central resource calendar. Setting the proper precedence forces the task to respect the resource's documented absences.
Navigate to the 'Project' tab on the ribbon and click on 'Change Working Time'.
Select the specific resource from the 'For calendar' dropdown menu and ensure their vacation days are correctly listed in the 'Exceptions' tab.
Go to the 'Resource' tab, click 'Resource Pool' in the Assignments group, and select 'Share Resources'.
In the Share Resources dialog box, look under the conflict resolution settings and ensure 'Pool takes precedence' is selected, then click 'OK'.
Simplify Your Project Tracking with WPS Office
While Microsoft Project handles complex enterprise resource pooling, it can often be overly complicated for standard team tracking. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight alternative with powerful Spreadsheet templates to manage timelines, track tasks, and collaborate easily without dealing with convoluted calendar precedence settings.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free and install it on your device.
- 2. Open Template Library: Launch WPS Office, open Spreadsheet, and browse the extensive template library for Gantt charts or project trackers.
- 3. Track Your Project: Input your tasks, assign dates, and easily share the file with your team for seamless collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my task duration not change when I add a vacation day to a resource?
This usually happens if the task is configured as 'Fixed Duration'. To fix this, right-click the specific task, open 'Task Information', navigate to the 'Advanced' tab, and change the task type to 'Fixed Work' or 'Fixed Units'.
How do I apply a company-wide holiday in Project Plan 3?
Go to the 'Project' tab and select 'Change Working Time'. Select the Standard Project Calendar, go to the 'Exceptions' tab, and enter the holiday dates. Make sure all individual resource calendars are based on this Standard calendar.
What does 'Pool takes precedence' mean in Microsoft Project?
When sharing resources across multiple project files, 'Pool takes precedence' dictates that the working times, holidays, and exceptions defined in the central resource pool file will override any conflicting local project calendar settings.
