Assignment Costs

[RChrisR]

I am attempting to capture information from excel by importing into
Microsoft Project 2003 SP3. In task usage view, you can see rows of
tasks and then right below each task, rows of assignments. If you open
(double-click) on one of the assignment rows, a "Assignment Information"
dialog box opens which has a field referred to as cost. This cost field
allows the assignment of unique cost information for that particular
assignment.

When attempting to import information from Microsoft Excel, I use the
import wizard that is part of MS Project. Going through the wizard, I
select assignment when asked what types of data I want to import. I
initially assumed that the cost field listed in the mapping dialog box
that comes after would be the cost I spoke of in the first paragraph.
But, apparently, it is not.

Does anyone know what field I am actually looking for and can you tell
me whether it is part of the resource, assignment, or task portion of MS
Project?

 

[JulieS]

Hello RChrisR,

When you see the Cost field in the Assignment Details dialog that is
a cost calculated by Project based upon the Work * Resource Cost.
Because it is calculated by Project, you cannot write directly to
that field by importing data.
If, when you import data if you import rates for your resources and
import work, you should see the calculated costs.

There is a fixed cost Task field that you could add data to through
importing if that would suit your needs.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[RChrisR]

I was under the impression that when in Task Usage View, the cost field
which is on the Task line is "(Work * Resource Cost + individual
resource fixed costs)for each resource + [Task] fixed cost". Since this
field is calculated, I would not be able to change that field.

However, I thought the cost listed in the resource line under the task
line showed only the "individual resource fixed cost". Since I can
change this field in normal Task Usage View, I was attempting to figure
out how to change this field with an import manuever.

 

[JulieS]

Hello RChrisR,

I don't believe there is such a thing as "resource fixed cost".
When adding the Fixed cost field to the Task Usage view, there isn't
the ability to edit the field on the assignment line -- the line
represented by the resource's name. The resources may have a cost
per use or a standard rate, but those fields show in resource views,
not task views.

Julie

 

[RChrisR]

I disagree. But maybe I don't understand what you are saying. I hav
added an attachment to better illustrate. However, I think you sai
what you said because you're not considering that I can add a resourc
that is a material. Material Type resources actual can have a cost tha
is editable. That is what I am attempting to populate from excel but i
is not clear what field I am really using

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[JulieS]

Thanks for the picture -- it helps. I now understand what you mean
by seeing an assignment cost field which is editable.

On your resource "af" assigned to task 6, you have assigned zero
assignment units. It appears as only when there is a resource
assigned with zero assignment units that you can edit the assignment
cost. This is not restricted only to material resources but can also
be accomplished through assignment of a work resource with zero work
assigned.

Try changing the assignment units for resource "af" to anything
other than zero and see if you can edit the cost then.

So, you certainly have presented an interesting example -- one which
I've never seen before. However, I am left with the question of why
you would assign a resource (work or material) to a task with zero
assignment units. If you want to add a material resource with
cost -- is there a reason why you are not just setting the material
resource cost (per unit) and assigning the number of units? Or
assigning x units/day?

If you're trying to get a flat rate per assignment -- how about a
cost per use?


Julie

 

[RChrisR]

Thanks for looking at this further.

I have a resource name that is used for all outsource. There are man
vendors and many costs, none ever the same. It works well to populat
this resource with the individual costs for various charges.

Based on the original question, any ideas on what field I would us
while going through the assignments section of the import wizard fo
this cost

 

[JulieS]

I don't think you're going to be able to get to it through the
import map. As you noted, there is no cost field through the map
and I don't believe the list is customizable.

You might be able to write data to the field through code (VBA).
I'm not the person to direct you further in that realm. If you've a
talent for code and want some guidance on approaching the issue from
that position, post the details of what you're looking for to the
developer newsgroup: microsoft.public.project.developer.

Julie