Check Resource Availability

LN checks the resource availability if the Check Resources for Availability check box is selected in Groups for Service Orders (tsspc3100m000) or Groups for Work Orders (tsspc3100m100) sessions. By default, this field is checked, if the Check Availability check box is selected in the Resource Planning Parameters (tsspc0101m000) session.

A resource is available for the Planning Group only if the resource is not allocated to another planning group with an overlapping time period (planned start time and planned finish time) that is smaller than the defined availability percentage. LN populates a list of resources that have matching attributes or matching skills, displayed in the Group - Proposed Resources (tsspc3104m000) session. LN allocates the resource with the highest ranking. Select the Allocate Resource to Planning Group check box to allocate the resource to the group.

When a resource is allocated to Group Planning, you can view the resource in the Group - Resources (tsspc3102m000) session. You can also view the list of proposed resources in the Groups for Service Orders - Resource Requirements (tsspc3604m000) session. The session also displays the attributes and skills defined for a group. In this session, the planner can select or clear the required attributes, or skills, or both, to check if more resources with a less rigid criteria can be made available for the group. The planner can also use the Groups for Service Orders - Proposed Resources (tsspc3604m400) session to check if the proposed resources' attributes and skills match the requirements of the group.

If the resource is not fully available in the time period of the specific group, the percentage of availability is calculated.

Example

The specific group starts at 8/28/2011 9:00 and ends at 8/28/2011 13:00.

Proposed resource EMPL-1 is allocated to another group from 8/28/2011 9:00 to 8/28/2011 10:00. Therefore, EMPL-1 is occupied for one hour. The availability percentage is (4-1)/4 * 100% = 75%.

The formula used to calculate Availability Percentage (AP):

AP = Available hours * 100% / Required hours

Available hours = number of working hours (based on resource calendar) between Planned Start Time and Planned Finish Time of the Planning Group - Σ( working hours (based on resource calendar) between Planned Start Time and Planned Finish Time of overlapping Groups where resource has been allocated to).

It is possible that the available hours exceed the required hours, the Availability Percentage is > 100%. Therefore, the Availability Percentage is set to 100%.

As soon as a resource is allocated to a planning group, LN recalculates the availability for the resource.

When the resource’s availability is less than the Minimum Availability Percentage defined in the Resource Planning Parameters (tsspc0101m000) session, LN moves the resource from the proposed resource list.

In case the check availability check box is not selected, LN does not check the availability of the resource. The Availability Percentage is not determined, and is set to 0.0.