How do enter Actual costs for COST resources?

[anovak]

OK. I added several items in the enterprise resource pool as
"Cost" (checked as "Budget")

Hardware
Software
Training
blah
blah

I figured out how to bring thos resources into a plan, go the task
usage view and enter budgeted amounts for each of these in different
months, quarter, etc.

How in the heck to you enter the ACTUAL cost for these things? Do
you have to create a "Hardware Actual" enterprise "Cost" field that
doesn't have the "Budget" checkbox checked? There are so many cost
fields already available that it makes my head spin.

I'd appreciate a cut-to-the-chase answer.

Best,
Andy Novak
UNT

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Andy --

If you recall from the class last week, there are two types of Cost
resources: Budget Cost resources and Expense Cost resources. You can only
assign Budget Cost resources to the Project Summary Task (Row 0) and then to
each you assign a Budget Cost amount. It sounds as if you have already done
this. If you now want to track actual costs for those items, you should
create corresponding Expense Cost resources. Before you do this, rename
your Budget Cost resources as follows: Hardware Budget, Software Budget,
etc. Then when you create Expense Cost resources, name them something like
Hardware Expenses, Software Expenses, etc. After you assign those new
Expense Cost resources to tasks, you can later enter Actual Cost information
for them. Hope this helps.

 

[anovak]

Andy --

If you recall from the class last week, there are two types of Cost
resources: Budget Cost resources and Expense Cost resources. You can only
assign Budget Cost resources to the Project Summary Task (Row 0) and then to
each you assign a Budget Cost amount. It sounds as if you have already done
this. If you now want to track actual costs for those items, you should
create corresponding Expense Cost resources. Before you do this, rename
your Budget Cost resources as follows: Hardware Budget, Software Budget,
etc. Then when you create Expense Cost resources, name them something like
Hardware Expenses, Software Expenses, etc. After you assign those new
Expense Cost resources to tasks, you can later enter Actual Cost information
for them. Hope this helps.











- Show quoted text -

OK.. So the actual expenses are still entered at the TASK level
then? I think it would be better to be able to enter them at the
project level, but that's just me. Which view, column?

You'll have to overlook my ignorance on some of this as I had limited
use of Server 2003, but I assume you can define a local cost resource
at a more granular level like "Dell 2800 Server" and have a PWA view
that displays that local cost as well as the enterprise column
information for that project line?

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Andy,

I think you're getting too granular unless you have an automation scheme in
mind. Even then, it's unlikely that you would require or desire this level
of detail in the project, you'd be better off creating a view in SharePoint
that displays the ERP-type data you're looking to capture, from the
financial system source. IMO, the Expense Cost Resources have their most
valuable application at the summary task level, and more specifically at the
Summary Phase level. And, I think they're most practical when used with
automation to other data providers. Don't forget that you commit to a lot of
updating when you use many of these and intend to update everything
manually.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com