Problem for very strong brains

[kalos]

Hello!

I have a problem that seems so common yet so tricky to manage. I wonder if there are any process tools or other methodologies to approach it. I would also like to generally discuss it and brainstorm.


I have 1000 files. I have a waterfall process of five steps that each file needs to go through one after the other.
Each of the five stages has its own speed (eg 5h per file, 10h per file etc), based on the average time of processing per file and the number of people available to process files in that stage.
You have a number of files to be processed (through all the stages) by a specific deadline.

How can you allocate the resources (people) to complete the files in the shortest time?
The tricky bit is that a specific number of people can do stage 1 and 3 only, and the rest can do stages 2, 4, 5 only.

To add to the complexity, you have additional bunches for files with different deadlines, let's say 2000 files to be completed three months after the first deadline and 5000 five months after the first deadline.

Any opinions?
I have some ideas but would like some input first.

Thanks!

[kalos]

You can imagine it as if each file is a piece of string of specific length with five different regions (let's say coloured differently).

How can you determine the start and the end of each string in a timeline, placed one below the other, so that the thickness (total concurrent strings) are within the limits (people capacity) and the total length of the distribution of the strings is within specific length.

Hope I did not confuse you with that geometric analogue

[Shades]

Is it only me, or does anyone else at DC think that we are asked to do the homework for the Excel course he is taking (only he didn't mention Excel in this specific request)... 

[Attronarch]

If it is project management homework, you most likely have to calculate the critical path.

If it is a real business problem I would suggest going to the workplace and following the process, understanding what happens in each hour. Is it really 10 hours of processing time, or is it 5 minutes of processing time and 9 hours and 55 minutes of waiting time? After identifying all the blockers and impediments I'd suggest working with the employees on reducing that times. In addition, identifying the pacemaker operation and then load balancing following it. Keep repeating the process until the end of time.

[KodeZwerg]

Main problem stays the same, unable to open and read a book.

[4wd]

Is it only me, or does anyone else at DC think that we are asked to do the homework for the Excel course he is taking (only he didn't mention Excel in this specific request)... 

-Shades (October 05, 2018, 09:46 PM)

Yep, he's trying to subcontract out his homework.

Any opinions?
I have some ideas but would like some input first.

-kalos (October 05, 2018, 05:26 PM)

Wrong way round, you give us your ideas and someone may respond with suggestions/opinions otherwise we end up possibly duplicating effort which is not efficient, (not to mention the likelihood of no response to any suggestion/opinion is rather high given previous interactions).

Main problem stays the same, unable to open and read a book.

-KodeZwerg (October 06, 2018, 01:10 AM)

[IainB]

@kalos: It seems you might be posing typical problems in CPA (Critical Path Analysis).
I would therefore suggest that you do a duckduckgo.com (or google.com) search for:

• (a) optimising the critical path - e.g., result here.
• (b) optimising the management of resources (optimisation of resource planning/utilisation) - e.g., result here.

Also worth referring to is the excellent Microsoft Office Project YYYY Inside Out training package on CD.
Here, for example, is the summary of what's in it, from the Complete eBook of the Microsoft Office Project 2003 Inside Out version:

What’s on the CD
Your Inside Out CD includes the following:

• ●    Complete eBook.  In this section, you’ll find an electronic version of Microsoft Office Project 2003 Inside Out. The eBook is in PDF format.
• ●    Project Standard Trial.  In this section, you’ll find a trial version of Microsoft Office Project 2003 Standard Edition.
• ●    Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition eBook.  Here you’ll find the full electronic version of the Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition. Suitable for home and office, the dictionary contains more than 10,000 entries.
• ●    Insider Extras.  This section includes files the author selected for you to install and use as additional reference material.
• ●    Microsoft Resources.  In this section, you’ll find information about additional resources from Microsoft that will help you get the most out of Microsoft Office Project and other business software from Microsoft.
• ●    Extending Project.  In this section, you’ll find great information about third-party utilities and tools you use to further enhance your experience with Office Project 2003.

The Companion CD provides detailed information about the files on this CD and links to
Microsoft and third-party sites on the Internet. All the files on this CD are designed to be
accessed through Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5.01 or later).

The Complete eBook on its own (without the CD) is very useful, and you might well be able to lay hands on a hardcopy or .PDF file of that in a corporate training department, corporate library or public lending library.

[kalos]

Interesting Iain, I will have a look thanks!

No, it's not homework, it's real life problems for which I would just like opinions.

I developed a model, but I was wondering if there is a specialised tool or methodology.