Project management is all about balance—timelines, budgets, and resources must align perfectly to ensure project success. But when you’re using Microsoft Project 2019 Pro, one of the most common and frustrating issues is resource overallocation.
Resource overallocation happens when a team member or resource is scheduled to work more hours than are available—resulting in burnout, missed deadlines, or budget overruns.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through what resource overallocation is, why it happens, and—most importantly—how to fix it using the powerful features available in Microsoft Project 2019 Pro.
What Is Resource Overallocation?
Resource overallocation occurs when a person, team, or equipment is assigned more work than they can handle within their available time. For instance, assigning a resource to work 16 hours a day when they’re only available for 8 hours causes an overallocation.
This issue can derail your schedule and even lead to project failure if not corrected early. Microsoft Project 2019 Pro provides several tools to detect, highlight, and fix these overallocations before they become critical.
Signs and Symptoms in Microsoft Project 2019 Pro
How can you tell if resources are overallocated?
- Red Icons in the Indicators Column: A small red person icon appears beside tasks or resources.
- Red Text in Resource Sheet: Resource names will appear in red to signify overallocation.
- Team Planner View Shows Conflicts: Overlapping bars or error markers.
- Overtime or Excessive Hours in Usage Views.
These visual cues make it easy to spot and address overallocations before they escalate.
Why Overallocation Happens
Understanding the root causes helps in long-term prevention:
- Multiple Tasks Scheduled Concurrently: A resource assigned to two tasks at the same time.
- Unrealistic Task Durations or Deadlines: Deadlines force stacked tasks.
- Incorrect Resource Calendars: Not accounting for holidays, part-time schedules, or leaves.
- Manually Scheduled Tasks: Overrule automatic leveling and introduce conflicts.
- Lack of Visibility: Especially in large projects with hundreds of resources.
How to Identify Overallocated Resources
Microsoft Project 2019 Pro offers several views and reports for spotting issues quickly:
a. Resource Sheet View
- Go to View > Resource Sheet.
- Look for red-colored resource names indicating overallocation.
b. Resource Usage View
- Go to View > Resource Usage.
- Overallocated hours will be bold and red.
c. Team Planner
- Use View > Team Planner.
- Overlapping or red bars show scheduling conflicts visually.
d. Task Usage View
Helps you understand how individual tasks are using each resource.
Step-by-Step Solutions to Resolve Overallocations
Method 1: Use Resource Leveling Tool
Automatic Leveling
- Go to Resource > Leveling Options.
- Choose your leveling method:
- Manual or Automatic
- Day by Day or Week by Week
- Click Level All.
This spreads out tasks to eliminate overbooking, but may alter your schedule.
Method 2: Manually Reschedule Tasks
- Use Task Usage or Gantt Chart view.
- Identify overlapping assignments.
- Adjust start or finish dates to reduce workload overlap.
Method 3: Assign Additional Resources
If a resource is overbooked:
- Open the task.
- Go to Task Information > Resources.
- Add another available resource and reduce units accordingly.
Method 4: Modify Task Effort
Change the work instead of duration if too much effort is required.
- Double-click task → Change Work (e.g., from 40h to 20h)
- Reduce the burden on the resource without extending time
Method 5: Adjust Resource Availability
Set correct working hours:
- Resource Sheet > Resource Information > Change Working Time.
- Adjust the calendar for holidays or part-time availability.
Method 6: Split Tasks
Split long tasks into parts and reschedule accordingly:
- Use the Split Task button on the task toolbar.
- Drag a section to a new date.
Method 7: Change Task Types
Task types affect scheduling:
- Fixed Units
- Fixed Work
- Fixed Duration
Adjust the type under Task Information > Advanced tab to see if the task becomes more flexible and reduces overallocations.
Best Practices to Prevent Overallocation
a. Plan Resource Calendars Carefully
Customize working hours and avoid assigning resources during off-times or holidays.
b. Use Constraints Sparingly
Avoid excessive use of “Must Start On” or “Must Finish On” constraints, which limit flexibility.
c. Balance Load During Planning
Use Resource Usage during initial planning to prevent overloads.
d. Regularly Review Team Planner
Catch conflicts before they turn into bottlenecks.
e. Communicate With Your Team
Sometimes the best solution is offline—talk to the team and adjust based on availability.
Real-Life Scenarios and Fixes
Scenario 1: One Developer Assigned to 3 Tasks on Same Day
- Fix: Use Team Planner to drag tasks to non-conflicting time slots or add another developer.
Scenario 2: Designer on Vacation, Still Assigned Work
- Fix: Edit working time in their calendar. Reassign tasks or delay appropriately.
Scenario 3: Overloaded Senior Engineer During Final Testing
- Fix: Split the task or add junior resources to assist.
These real-life fixes can drastically improve the reliability of your project plan.
FAQs
Q1: What does the red person icon mean in Microsoft Project 2019 Pro?
It signifies that the resource assigned to the task is overallocated—scheduled beyond their available work hours.
Q2: Does leveling always delay tasks?
Not always. If slack exists in your schedule, tasks can be rescheduled within the slack without delaying the project.
Q3: Can I ignore overallocation warnings?
It’s not recommended. Ignoring them might cause delays, budget overruns, or poor resource management.
Q4: What’s the best view to use when fixing overallocations?
Team Planner and Resource Usage offer the clearest insights into conflicts and workloads.
Q5: Can I prevent overallocation using templates?
Yes. Starting with well-designed project templates helps avoid errors in task sequencing and resource assignments.
