how to add costs to budget resources...

[Matteo]

Dear all I am trying to add costs to a budget resource just
created,anyway the costs tab is not editable, how can i insert the cost? the
resource
is not checked out, i tried to recreate it but the problem is the same...
Matteo

reply...

Hi Matteo,

Okay, thanks for the additional information. I don't use Project server
so I can only tell you how it works using Project desktop, but I believe
the issue is the same. As you are using Project Server (and I assume
enterprise resources), if you have follow up questions, you may want to
post those to the Project Server newsgroup. This newsgroup is focused
on the desktop usage (non-server.)

If you want to use resource costs for the analyst and systems
administrator based upon Standard, Overtime and/or Cost per use that you
define in the Resource Sheet, the resources cannot be defined as budget
resources. They need to be created as work resources or cost resources,
but de-select the "budget" check box on the resource information tab.
Then you can fill in the cost (Standard Rate , Overtime Rate, Cost per
use) on the Resource Sheet. Costs from the standard rate will carry
through when you assign the resource to tasks based upon the amount of
work for the resource. Overtime cost is based upon overtime work
assigned.

Resources (work and cost) resources that have been set as budget
resources can only be assigned to the Project summary task. You add the
cost for the budget resources on the assignment (look at the Task Usage
view) for the project summary task. In the Task Usage view, add the
cost field to the table and enter the costs there.

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

I replied

This is what I was trying, anyway the costs tab is disabled and I cannot
insert values.What I did:
1st
selected some budget resources on web access and opened with project
professional: costs tab of each budget resource is disabled
2nd
created a new project, build a team with some budget resources
assigned to the project summary line, changed the view to resource sheet,
selected each budget resource to change the cost, all of them have the costs
tab disabled.

I have no idea to workaround this.

Matteo


Reply...

:
Hello Matteo,

If you want to work with resource costs, I would create the system
administrator and analyst and add costs for them on the Resource
Sheet.
As you assign the resources, the cost for that resource will be
calculated based upon the cost you specified and the amount of work.
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

I replied...

Dear JulieS,
if I understood right I can do that only at the assignment level,
is it not possible to assingn cost at resource level?
I try to explain better what I am doing, at the creation of the
project the PM is asking, using budget resources, a system administrator and
an
analyst (not nominative resource just a budget resource), the Project
Office later will give to PM the nominative resource. Is it possible at the
first step give to the PM the chance to know the price of each kind of figure
passing through budget resources?

Reply...

:
Hello Mateo,
Budget resource costs can only be assigned to the Project Summary
task.
Create the resource and mark the resource as a budget resource to
selecting the checkbox in the resource information dialog box.
Show the Project summary task through Tools > Options > View tab.
Display the Task Usage view and add the cost on the *assignment*
line.

Help in Project 2007 under the topic "Create a budget for your
project"
also describes the process in detail.

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

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Matteo --

You can only assign a Budget Cost resource to the Project Summary Task (row
0) and then you can enter your Budget Cost value for the project. Navigate
to the Task Usage view and then click the Assign Resources button. Select
the Project Summary Task (row 0), and then select Budget Cost resource in
the dialog and click the Assign button. This assigns the Budget Cost
resource to the project as a whole. Right-click on the column to the right
of the Task Name column and click the Insert Column item on the pick list.
In the Column Definition dialog, select the Budget Cost field and click the
OK button. In the Budget Cost field for your Budget Cost resource, enter
the budget for the entire project. This is the extent of what you can do
with a Budget Cost resource. As you have discovered, you are not using it
correctly and need to follow the process I have just outlined. Hope this
helps.

 

[Matteo]

Thank you Dale, I was wondering that was available a mood to enable PM to
require budget resources (like sys admins, lan admins, etc.) knowing the
amount of this profile before the Project Office assigns the real name budget
resource to the project.

I try to explain better:

1st step
The PM creates the project asking to the Project Office some profiles budget
( like sys admins, lan admins, etc.), possibly knowing the amount of this
profiles X time required, assigned to the summary row

2nd step
The Project Office assigns to the project summary row budget resources with
real name knowing who is available on that period.

3rd step
The PM checking what the Project Office assigned to his project as budget
resources (with real names) assign to tasks real resources (not budget)

This workflow is tricky but efficient the only problem is that the pm cannot
(at this time) have an idea of how much every profile budget would it cost to
him independently from Project Office.

Matteo

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Matteo --

I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to accomplish, but the workflow you
describe is not possible. You can only assign Budget Cost resources to the
Project Summary Task (Row 0) and you can only assign Work and Material
resources to regular tasks. Therefore, your workflow step #3 conflicts with
how Project works. Hope this helps.