SOP: Daily Workload Balancing in Microsoft Project
Purpose
To create a realistic construction schedule where daily work is distributed evenly, avoiding days with too much work and days with too little work.
1. Define the Project Scope
Before balancing workloads, ensure all project work is listed.
Example
Project: 2-Story House
Site Preparation
Foundation
Ground Floor Structure
First Floor Structure
Brickwork
Electrical
Plumbing
Finishing
Handover
✅ A complete scope creates a more accurate workload distribution.
2. Break Work into Small Tasks
Avoid large tasks such as:
❌ Brickwork – 30 Days
Instead:
✅ Ground Floor Brickwork – 10 Days
✅ Mezzanine Brickwork – 10 Days
✅ First Floor Brickwork – 10 Days
Smaller tasks make balancing easier.
3. Create Logical Task Relationships
Link activities correctly.
Example:
| Task | Predecessor |
|---|---|
| Foundation | Site Preparation |
| Columns | Foundation |
| Beams | Columns |
| Slab | Beams |
Use:
Finish-to-Start (FS)
Start-to-Start (SS)
Finish-to-Finish (FF)
Avoid unnecessary constraints.
4. Assign Resources Correctly
Assign each task to the correct crew.
Example:
| Task | Resource |
|---|---|
| Excavation | Earthwork Team |
| Concrete | Mason Team |
| Brickwork | Mason Team |
| Electrical | Electrician Team |
| Plumbing | Plumbing Team |
Avoid assigning every task to one resource.
5. Check Resource Overallocation
Resource Sheet
View → Resource Sheet
Look for:
🔴 Red Resource Names
These indicate overallocation.
Example:
| Resource | Status |
|---|---|
| Mason Team | Overallocated |
| Electrician | Normal |
6. Use Resource Usage View
View → Resource Usage
This is the most important view for workload balancing.
It shows:
Daily Work Hours
Weekly Work Hours
Resource Overloads
Example:
| Date | Mason Team |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8h |
| Tuesday | 24h 🔴 |
| Wednesday | 6h |
Tuesday is overloaded.
7. Split Large Activities
Instead of:
Brickwork = 20 Days
Split into:
Brickwork Area A
Brickwork Area B
Brickwork Area C
Benefits:
✅ Better control
✅ Easier balancing
✅ Easier tracking
8. Adjust Task Timing
Move non-critical tasks.
Example:
Before
Monday
Brickwork
Electrical
Plumbing
Ceiling
Total = 4 Crews
After
Monday
Brickwork
Electrical
Tuesday
Plumbing
Ceiling
Result:
✅ Balanced workload
9. Use Resource Leveling Carefully
Resource → Leveling Options
Recommended Settings:
Level only within available slack
Manual leveling
Day by day
Then:
Resource → Level All
Microsoft Project will delay tasks to remove overloads.
Important
Always save a Baseline before leveling.
Otherwise:
❌ Schedule may change unexpectedly.
10. Review Critical Path After Leveling
Sometimes leveling changes project duration.
Go to:
Format → Critical Tasks
Review:
New Critical Activities
New Finish Date
Added Delays
Never assume leveling is correct without checking.
11. Balance by Crew, Not Only by Task
Construction schedules should balance crews.
Example:
Mason Team
| Day | Work |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8h |
| Tuesday | 8h |
| Wednesday | 8h |
Good
Mason Team
| Day | Work |
|---|---|
| Monday | 20h |
| Tuesday | 0h |
| Wednesday | 4h |
Bad
Goal:
✅ Stable daily workload
12. Review Daily Workload Using Timescale
View → Resource Usage
Right-click Timescale
Select:
Days
Review every day.
Look for:
Empty days
Overloaded days
Crew conflicts
Construction Best Practice
For residential projects like your 8AM Contractor projects:
Target Crew Utilization
70%–90% utilization = Good
Above 100% = Overloaded
Below 50% = Underutilized
Keep crews working consistently rather than alternating between extremely busy and idle days.
Daily Workload Balancing Checklist
Before finalizing your schedule:
☐ All tasks defined
☐ WBS completed
☐ Resources assigned
☐ Resource Usage reviewed
☐ Overallocations removed
☐ Large tasks split
☐ Resource Leveling performed
☐ Critical Path reviewed
☐ Daily workload checked
☐ Baseline saved
Key Principle
A good Microsoft Project schedule is not the one that finishes earliest. It is the one that can actually be executed by the available crews every day without overloading or leaving them idle.