Data Type Percentage/number
Entry Type Calculated or entered
Description The Max Units field contains the maximum percentage or number of units representing the maximum capacity for which a resource is available to accomplish any tasks during the current time period. The default for the Max Units field is 100 percent.
How Calculated If you have set the resource units in the Resource Information dialog box, this value is displayed in the Max Units field.
Best Uses Add the Max Units field to a resource view when you want to display, filter, or modify the maximum units that a resource is available for work on any assigned task for the current time period. The Max Units field interacts with the Assignment Units field for an assignment. If you assign a resource to more units than allowed by the Max Units field, Project will indicate that this resource is overallocated. If a resource's unit availability varies throughout the life of the project, also add the Available From and Available To fields to show the date range this unit availability applies to.
Examples Sean is working half-time on your project, and half-time on another group's project, so you set Sean's Max Units field to 50 percent. Later, you inadvertently assign Sean to a task at a unit of 100 percent. Sean is now overallocated.
A new resource, Ashley, is starting work on this project about a month from now on June 1. Ashley will start the project working half-time, and then on September 1, Ashley will go to 75 percent. On January 1, Ashley will be 100 percent on the project. You use the Resource Information dialog box to set the availability dates and their corresponding units. You then add the Available From, Available To, and Max Units fields to the resource view so you can always see Ashley's availability for the current time period.
Remarks If a resource is assigned to more assignment units than the maximum units for all assigned tasks, the resource is overallocated, and the Overallocated field is set to Yes.
You can also specify maximum units in the Resource Information dialog box. This is also where you can set the different unit availability for different time periods throughout the project.
You can switch between percentages and decimals for representing maximum units in the Project Options dialog box.
