Framing Project Scheduling with Fixed # of Mdays allocations per role

[Dimitris Tranoudis]

We are implementing Clarity to support our engineers in delivering Infrastructure and Networking Projects to our customers.

To streamline project initiation and execution, we have created template projects that engineers can fine-tune based on the specific projects assigned to them.

Project Constraints & Effort Management

Since most of our projects are awarded on a fixed-price basis, where pricing is derived from a predefined mix of estimated effort (mdays) per role and seniority, we seek best practices on:

• Framing and capping the project’s maximum effort from the outset.
• Allowing the PM-Engineer to fine-tune the ETC (Estimate to Complete) within this fixed effort envelope.

Approach Considered

• Our project templates are staffed with roles rather than specific resources.
• For each new demand, we plan to create a new project from the template, then set a fixed allocation per role and baseline the project.
• During planning & execution, the PM-Engineer will adjust ETCs at the task level while comparing Baseline (Agreement) vs. Planned + Actual Effort.

Questions

1. Can Clarity support this type of effort management and refinement process?
2. Has anyone implemented a similar approach?
3. Any guidance or best practices would be greatly appreciated.

[Dimitris Tranoudis]

To make it simpler, is there a way to add to the "staffing" table of a project (investment) a custom attribute to store a fixed integer number? So that I associate Role with Budget Effort ?

[Ming Cheung]

Hi Dimitris,

Yes, this is probably how I would approach your ask.

1. From our Classic User Interface, navigate to Administration --> Studio --> Objects
2. Search for the Team object (Object ID: team)
3. Under Attributes, create a Time-Varying attribute (in my screenshot, I called it "Fixed Allocation") - See attached screenshot
4. Make sure you assign an API Attribute ID to make it available in the Clarity UX
5. On the Project Staff page, you should be able to add the "Fixed Allocation" attribute to the grid
   1. Note that since the value is a number, it is not affected by the user's "Unit of Measure" settings.  If you are defining the value of number of days per month, you will need to instruct your uses to toggle their Unit of Measure settings to Days to compare
6. Reserve the out of the box Allocation fields for your PMs to plan their work at either the Allocation or Assignment level

Since this value is added to the Team object, it will also be available in the Staffing module, Staffing grid, etc.  You can even create a Widget to summarize the total available, depending on your version of Clarity.  You can use Field Level Security on the Staff object to secure the attribute so that only certain users can update the field.

[Dimitris Tranoudis]

Thank you so much MIng. Very helpful.

I guess that the TVA proposal is mostly related to the eventuality of this figure to evolve over time, 

but if it's an agreed fixed effort, it shouldn't be an issue if it was of the 'Number' type. Right?

Do I need to include also in the DWH? Your picture shows the field unchecked.

Again thanks a lot for such a complete and knowledgeable response.

[Ming Cheung]

Yes, the Time Scale Value, or TVA, will allow you to model out with monthly proposed consumption of the role.  If you do not need that and you only want a total to work against, you can just use a simple number attribute.

The DWH flag is a personal best practice.  When I am testing things out and know there will be some churn on my configuration, I wait until I am sure my attribute is correct before checking the flag.  I have seen some instances where a lot of changes on an attribute have caused issues with the Load Data Warehouse jobs.

[Dimitris Tranoudis]

Great advice Ming. I will certainly follow it. Thanks.