How do you compare Budget Resource Cost with Actual Resource Cost

[Ian Howell]

I would like to be able to compare fixed 'Budget' Resource Costs with Actual
Cost and resultant adjusted Cost Field at Task and Assignment level. Is this
possible? Why are budgets only allowed at the Project '0' level?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Let's first talk about the budget cost field.
Historically, in MS Project's (and many people's) philosophy the "budget"
must be the same thing as the "baseline" - the estimate at project start
time.
The idea is that a budget must be made bottom up, and the project manager
sets his own budget.

The problem is that I never worked in, with nor for an organisation that
works this way. The budget is set by Big Brother and the project manager is
asked to find solutions fitting within that budget.

In that respect, however, it is logical that the budget is set at project
level - generally Big Brother doesn't care about the deatils, that is the
PM's problem.

Then to your first question. What might be an "adjusted Cost field" at task
and assignment level? In no project management method have I heard about
that... thus if it isn't defined, Project will not supply it. If you give me
a definition, I can think of a method (most likely VBA procdure) to
calculate it, but franly, adjust cost values depending on the budget... I do
not see that easily.

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

 

[Ian Howell]

Hi Jan

Thanks for taking the time to consider and reply to my question.

I note your comment regarding the traditional understanding of project users
that the baseline forms the budget.

What I am trying to do here is to budget for one or more 'resource budget'
items which are entered against one or more various project tasks. I would
then like to be able to compare 'Actual Costs' against those individual
budget costs (not the baseline). However if I run a Visual Report Pivot table
the budget costs appear within a separate Budget Column and on separate line
entries to the Actual Costs and Baseline. Perhaps I approaching this
completely wrong so please excuse my novice understanding.

Thanks