Track material usage

[agarwalp]

I am new to MS Project 2002. I have a list of tasks and there are
materials (resources) required for these tasks. i need to track the
usage of these resources. I don't have to track human resource. how
should i do this. Any sugesstions or links will be really helpful.
Thanks

 

[JulieS]

Hi,
You may create your material resources on the resource sheet and set the
type to "material".
Assign you material resources to the tasks estimating the total amount of
the material resource needed for the task duration. Project will divide the
total amount into the duration and assign the material per day. [You may wish
to set the task type to fixed duration so as you track actual material
consumption it doesn't change the task duration.]
Using the task usage view, you show "actual work" on the right side (Format-
Details) and enter the actual material usage per day (or zoom out to show per
week etc.).

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

 

[agarwalp]

Thanks Julie for you input. It has surely cleared my way ahead. One
question though i wanted to ask. when i am assiging material resources
it does not take the MAX units ? is it because the materials keep on
coming and there is no need of it. Is it fine if i don't assign the MAx
units.

Please clear my doubt.

Thanks

 

[agarwalp]

One more question Julie.
For each task i enter the total amount of material resource needed. But
how do i enter the incoming inventory. In other words i need to
calculate how much inventory i have received, how much consumed and how
much left with us.
I hope you get what i need. Any help is appreciated.

thanks

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Project considers materials to be infinite in supply and available whenever
you need them. You might be able to adapt some of the user defined fields
in the resource table to your needs but updating it is likely to be a manual
process. Project's forte is work scheduling and is not really intended for
inventory management.

 

[agarwalp]

I agree with you that materials are infinite, but we still need to know
when to order for new material. Let me give you an example. Now i have
a schedule which spans till 2008. The tasks listed in the schedule use
these materials. But we cannot have all the materials right now. It has
to depend on the consumption, and the consumption again is not fixed.
So lets say we have 100 units in the begining, but my schedule requires
1000 units. And suppose in between some tasks require more than planned
or new task is added. In that case i need to know the actual
consumption so that i know or predict when to order for new materials
or by what date the present stock will get exhausted.
I guess that clears my actual problem.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

It would be nice if Project had that facility but as it stands, it doesn't.
What you might do is incorporate the tasks for ordering and delivery of the
materials as part of the project schedule with appropriate lead time to the
tasks that utilize that particular supply of materials. If that won't serve
your needs you're probably going to have to look to something outside of
Project to deal with it, perhaps in Excel.