Custom cost columns at the resource assignment level

[KingKikapu]

Is there any way to get a custom cost column to work at the resource
ASSIGNMENT level? In the resource usage view, I can add a custom cost
column and fill the assignments with costs, but the field will not roll
up to the resource summary line. I would really like to be able to roll
up these costs. I would also really like to be able to add 2 or 3
custom costs columns together at the assignment level and put the
results in a new custom cost field that would also be able to rollup to
the resource summary level. Would setting the calculation mode to
manual help?

Is there anyway to do this? Is VBA my only option? If it is, I do not
know much VBA at all; could someone please point me in the right
direction?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

VBA is the only option to roll up assignment level costs using a custom field
- unless you can figure out a way to repurpose existing functionality to
do such a thing.

Why are you trying to accomplish this exactly? That might help....

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

I'm afraid VBA is your only option.
I'm also afraid assignment custom fields are not handled in the most elegant
way (to say the least)
For instance, the assignment Cost2 field may well show a different value in
the Task Usage view than in the Resource Usage view (at least in Project
2007).
Thsi indirectlty may help you since in
http://www.mvps.org/faqs.htm, in Faq 37: custom fields in tables

there are several VBA procedures using the assignment object.
A snippet that may help you f.i. is also

dim job as task
job.cost2=0
dim asgn as assignment
For each asgn in job.assignments
asgn.cost2=asgn.cost3+asgn.cost4
job.cost2=job.cost2+asgn.cost2
next asgn
....

Hope this helps,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[KingKikapu]

Alrighty gentlemen thanks for your responses


What if I used a custom baseline cost column to store the numbers?
Unlike custom cost columns, baseline cost should move between task usag
and resource usage should it not? The only problem with those is the
don't roll up unless you set the baseline (which I won't ever do fo
these)

THE REASON I'M DOING THIS

These columns are meant to capture our accounting/true cash flow need
in project. It was my intention to post the Actual Costs associate
with a resource assignment to one column (be it Cost 9 or Baseline Cos
9) and post the associated Open PO amounts to another (be it Cost 10 o
Baseline Cost 10). These two quantities are then combined (ou
so-called "Combined Commitments") and placed in a third field (mos
likely Cost 8 or Baseline Cost 8). This "combined commitments" fiel
would then be used to update the resource assignment WORK/COST in
manner that does not adversely affect Earned Value

This way no matter what I do with status updating via %complete for EV
purposes, I can still go and check how my costs are broken down at th
assignment level to show me what still remains to be paid of th
combined commitments (which can be gleaned from the open PO field)

All of what I just described is being performed automatically by VB
macro which is in the near-final draft. I am trying to decide whic
custom field to use (cost # or baseline cost #) to post the Actual Cos
and Open PO amounts, and I am also trying to determine what to do abou
the roll-up issue (not included in the scope of the current draft).
Hence me asking. Hope that helps

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

All things being equal, I'd probably go for a cost field. There's no real
functional difference between a cost field or a baseline field other than
the fact that a baseline field may get accidentally overwritten for a baseline
and appears in both the resource usage and task usage views.

Why aren't you doing most of this with cost and budget resources? That would
seem to accomplish much of what you're looking for, and roll up the data.
You'd still have to use VBA to get around the EVM issues, but it may be
doable.

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[KingKikapu]

I don't quite follow what you are suggesting I do with cost and budge
resources as opposed to using custom cost or baseline fields. I'm usin
budget resources like project suggests to outline what my budget is fo
this resource and that, but I was under the impression that cos
resources did not accrue in earned value.

I'm not too worried about someone setting baselines in the 8,9,1
fields as I don't see us re-baselining that often. In fact, I'm prett
sure I'd set a penalty of death for doing so


I'm interested in using baseline cost because it gets me financia
information in task and resource form: we use the resource usage shee
to display a 2 level company resource code grouping, so it would be nic
to see the breakdown for cashflow purposes in this format. It woul
also be nice to see a tracking gant view that shows us soon to b
completed tasks. Often these tasks are used for subcontractors: as soo
as they complete a task, they can progress invoice us on the 15th o
30th of the month, whereupon we are given 14 or 30 days to pay them.
Having the breakdown would ensure we know almost exactly what will b
due for cash flow to within the week. That is incredibly powerful t
us. Would what you are suggesting help contribute to these goals bette
than the method I have planned?

Thanks for your advice. This has been an interesting conversation