How to Level Resources / Resource Leveling without changing Project Finish date in Primavera P6

When you use Resource Leveling in Primavera P6, the software typically delays activities to avoid resource overload. However, this can push the Project Finish Date beyond its original schedule. So, how can we level resources without affecting the finish date? Let’s explore.

Scenario

We have a simple project:

• Two activities assigned to Resource A
• Two activities assigned to Resource B

If we perform resource leveling now:

• Primavera will delay one activity for Resource A and one for Resource B.
• Since an activity for Resource A is on the critical path, the Project Finish Date will be delayed.

How about we tell Primavera that it should only delay activity which is not on critical path.

Solution:

To prevent the finish date from changing:

1. Go to Level Resources.
2. Check the option:
   “Level resources only within activity Total Float”
3. Set Preserve minimum float when leveling = 0.
   

“Preserve minimum float when leveling = 0” mean after Level Resource, activity still have Total Float larger than 0. Otherwise Primavera will not move those activities.

Result

• Primavera delays only the activity for Resource B (which is not on the critical path).
• The Project Finish Date remains unchanged.

Conclusion

Primavera can automatically resolve resource overload for non-critical activities. For activities on the critical path, you’ll need to handle them manually—either by adjusting resources, changing calendars, or re-sequencing work.