Indication for understaffed tasks

Future Boy Conan

I'm currently evaluating Merlin Project for iPad. MP distinguishes tasks with assigned resources from task with no resources by putting a triangle to the left of task name. It also shows a warning trait when a task has more expected work than the given work of the task itself. But I cannot see any visual indication that identifies tasks that:

have some resources assigned to them, but
their combined efforts is strictly less than the work required by the task,

thus requiring more resources.

For example, if I set an activity A to require 10 days of given work, but then assign a person to it to cover 50% of that work, the only way I have found to detect that A still needs additional resources is to select A and compare the values of Given Work and (Expected) Work in the Plan inspector. Am I missing something? Is there a more immediate or visual way to identify such activities?

Related to that: does MP allow you to automatically adjust the given work for a task based on the assigned resources, so that it is always work(task) = sum(work(resources))?

vicky

you may leave the work and duration in the task empty and enter work in the assignment rows. Merlin Project will sum up the planned work on the task.

There is a function comparing the work due to assignments to the given work entered in the activity and warns if it exceeds…

You ask however for the exact opposite. There is no warning for that.

I just checked if this can be done by Claude, so here you are…
let's suppose my project planning is as in follows…

This is my probe

read the file "SpotUnderallocated" and list activities which have less assigned work than the given work on the activity. Do not list activity on row #0

Does this help you further?

Future Boy Conan

you may leave the work and duration in the task empty and enter work in the assignment rows.

I had missed that. That's great, thanks! A possible improvement might be to show the sum of the given work along the task between parentheses to denote that it is a derived value. Idea:

For percentages, it would be, say, (50%), etc.

Does this help you further?

Thanks for pointing out that I can throw the project file to an AI and ask questions about it. Yes, that's useful, although, if I may insist, it would be nice to have a visual indication for underallocated tasks. That might be as simple as as having a different color, shape or style for the symbol on the left on the task (e.g., a triangle with a dashed border).

vicky

Future Boy Conan hmm, 'Given work' is a column showing values you enter. It is not defined to calculate subtotals. 'Planned work' and 'Expected Work' are calculated columns.

I could forward a feature request throwing a warning when the assigned work is less than the given work. The warning would color code the activity orange, and the warning text could include the amount of not yet assigned work; ie 3 days - 20%

Would that do?

Future Boy Conan

'Planned work' and 'Expected Work' are calculated columns.

Ah, I see. That makes sense then.

Would that do?

Absolutely. The warning should appear only if there are assigned, but insufficient, resources.

Thanks for the feedback!

vicky

You're welcome, I've entered a feature request.