The Resource Sheet view is
the simplest, most convenient view for entering and reviewing resource
information because it resembles an Excel sheet. To access the Resource
Sheet view, select the Resource tab, and in the View group drop-down
control, select Resource Sheet. Alternately, the Resource
Sheet view can be selected directly from the Quick Launch toolbar. You
can use this view in combination with the Resource Information dialog
box to enter all the important fields of information that define a
resource. Double-click on the resource name to bring up the Resource
Information dialog box.
When
defining a resource, you should provide a resource name and information
about the availability and cost of the resource. The following sections
list the fields that are commonly used in defining resources.
Using the Resource ID Field
The ID numbers for the
resources are the row numbers listed all the way to the left side of the
screen in the Resource Sheet view. The ID number does not appear in the
Resource Information dialog box. These numbers are fixed; if you move a
resource on the list, it automatically acquires the ID number for the
row that you moved it to. Like the task ID numbers, you cannot edit this
field.
Caution
Be
cautious when entering resource names to avoid duplicate ones. If you
add a resource name that is a duplicate of another name on the list,
Project accepts it and does not warn you that you have duplicate names.
Additionally, if you assign a non-unique resource name to a task,
Project uses the first resource it finds with that name from the
resource list. |
Interpreting the Indicator Field
Indicator icons are
helpful in pointing your attention to additional information about the
resource. The Indicator field displays icons that show the status of
critical fields that might not normally be displayed. The Overallocation indicators mean that those resources
have been overallocated at some point in the project; they may have been
assigned to work on two different tasks at the same time, violating the
amount of time they were available to work. The Note indicators show
that there is text in the Notes field for those resources. Resource
Indicators appear only on resource table views such as the Resource
Sheet view.
Tip
It is
helpful to come up with a standard naming convention for resources. Two
approaches are commonly used: full first name space full last name (John
Smith), and full last name space full first name (Smith John). The
format last name comma first name (Smith, John) is not allowed in many
language versions because Project uses the comma to separate the
resource names when assigning multiple resources to a task. Also with
cost or budget resources, it is helpful to prefix or suffix the resource
name—for example, Budget Expense, Travel Costs. |
Specifying Resource Names Using the Name Field
You can define a
descriptive name for a resource in the Resource Name field. The name can
contain any characters except for the square brackets ([ ]) and the
Windows separator character, which is, by default, the comma (,) in the
United States. Resource names can be up to 255 characters in length. The
resource name can be a specific name, such as John Smith, or it can
describe a group of resources, such as Movers.
Using Resource Type to Categorize Resources
As stated previously, Project
distinguishes between work resources (resources that are not consumed
after contributing their work to tasks), material resources (resources
that are consumed by their assignments), and cost resources (resources
that represent additional costs on a project). The cost of work
resources is based on the number of hours the resource works on a task
and the hourly cost for the resource. The cost of material resources is
based on the cost of a unit of the resource and how many units are
consumed. The cost of cost resources is an assigned one-time charge. The
default resource type is Work, but you can select either Work,
Material, or Cost with the drop-down arrow in the Type field.
Work resources units can
be formatted as a percentage (the default) or decimal values. Material
resources are formatted only as decimal values.
Caution
Be
cautious about changing resource types after they are assigned to
tasks. When you assign a resource to a task, its type determines how the
assignment affects the schedule for the task. For instance, if it is a
work resource, the resource calendar determines when the work can take
place. If it is a material or cost resource, there is no resource
calendar to consider. Project warns you with a dialog box that the
schedule will be affected and that the changes cannot be undone if you
try to change the type of resource after it has been assigned. |
A material resource is said to
have a fixed consumption if the amount of the material that is consumed
does not depend on the duration of the task. For example, the amount of
metal used to build a car’s body does not depend on the duration of the
task.
A material resource is said to
have a variable consumption rate if the amount of the resource consumed
varies with the duration of the task. For example, the amount of film
consumed when shooting a movie depends on the number of takes a director
chooses to shoot the scenes. Project factors the duration of the task
when calculating the cost of using a variable-consumption-rate resource.
In order to tell Project that it should factor duration into the
calculated cost for a material resource, you have to attach a time unit
abbreviation when you enter the assignment units. For example, to assign
five reels of film per hour to a task, you would enter the units as 5/h.
Using the Material Label to Specify Units of Resource Measure
You use the Material Label
field to define the unit of measure for material resources. For example,
lbs for pounds, ea for each, bx for box, and gals for gallons are all
measuring units. You define the unit cost of the resource using the
measuring unit. This field is not available for work or cost resources.
Using the Initials Column to Shorten Resource Names
Sometimes using full names
creates clutter and takes up unnecessary space. The Initials field
provides a place for a shortened form of the resource name. The
abbreviated name can be used in views such as the Gantt Chart and
Network Diagram views. After you enter the resource name in a new row,
Project automatically provides the first character of the name as the
default initial but makes no attempt to keep it unique. If you intend to
use the initial to identify resources in any view, be sure to edit the
initial to make it uniquely identify the resource and be meaningful to
you.
Tip
Some users of Project find it helpful to put the name of the department that manages a resource in the Group field. |
Using the Group Field to Categorize Resources
The Group field enables you to
enter an identifying label or keyword that you can use for organizing
(sorting, grouping, or filtering) resources. For example, you could
identify all packing materials, such as boxes, tape, wrapping paper, and
so on, by entering Packing Materials, all moving personnel by entering
Movers, or all pieces of equipment by entering Equipment. You can then
use the Resource Group filter to view only the resources that have one
of those values in this field.
Note
When
applying a filter to locate one keyword in a list in the Group field,
you should use the logical test “contains” rather than “equals.” |
Many users put skills in a
custom text field so they can filter the resource list for resources
that have comparable skills. It is also useful to identify the skill
level. The most effective method is to combine the skill category with
the skill level.
For example, if you adopt the
scale 1=Trainee, 2=Semi-Skilled, 3=Skilled, and 4=Expert, any
semi-skilled technician could be identified with Technician2. Use commas
to separate entries for people who have multiple skills.
Tip
“Group”
has a special meaning when Project Professional is associated with an
instance of Project Server. Even though this is a default field, in an
enterprise environment, it is probably best to use a completely new
custom field with a different name. |
Tip
In
Project Server, skills are defined using enterprise custom fields. Even
when you are not using Project Server, you can use resource custom
fields to define skill sets. Figure 1
illustrates a skill implemented in a custom field. Note that each level
of the outline gets more specific about the skill of the resource. This
enables you to find an engineer, a mechanical engineer, or specifically
an advanced mechanical engineer based on the level of specificity you
request when searching the Skill field. |
