fkistner said:
I need to know what is the best way to measure production support resources
on projects --- this would be a way to track outsourced and internal
resources --- either through Project Management Software or through Access
Database --- thanks!
I created a job costing database for a company that includes those
features. Here are some helpful hints:
1) Job tracking should include both departments and groups of departments.
2) A job form should be able to show how each department and group of
departments has done in relation to the original quote in almost real
time (time tickets and material purchases are entered daily and totals
show when a job is brought up). It's also good to show if a job's
profitability is lagging as soon as possible.
3) The decision to outsource or use internal resources can change at a
moment's notice. For outsource work I have Access create a time ticket
in the same table as normal time tickets. IIRC, accountants typically
carry over amounts to the next year if the invoices haven't arrived in
the current year. Note that if you wait for the outsource invoices to
come in, possibly months after the job has shipped, you have no idea of
a job's profitability until after the fact unless estimates are used.
If an outsource job is brought back to finish internally, the time
ticket estimate can be changed and normal time tickets can be applied.
If an internal job is changed to outsource, existing time tickets remain
and an outsource time ticket with an estimate is created.
I'm currently tracking 38 departments in 14 groups. Additionally, a
command button automates opening MS Project to the current job. Note:
Don't even attempt a job costing database by yourself if you're a beginner.
Another option is to determine how well Access integrates with Windows
Workflow Foundation, maybe under a SharePoint server.
James A. Fortune
(e-mail address removed)
She'd been working for me for 15 years. I wouldn't have known she was
stealing empty bottles after they were returned without your database
showing the profit for that department. -- G. Leventis, Store owner
