Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project Assigning Resources to Tasks Adapted from the Microsoft Step by Step Series by Aaron Schroeder

Assigning Resources to Tasks • In this presentation, you will learn how to • Assign work resources to tasks • Control how Project schedules additional resource assignments • Assign material and cost resources to tasks

Assigning Resources to Tasks • You have already created tasks and resources • You are now ready to assign resources to tasks • An assignment is the matching of a resource to a task to do work • You do not have to assign resources to tasks in Microsoft Office Project 2007; you could work with only tasks • Several good reasons for assigning resources in your project plan • Who should be working on what tasks and when? • Do you have the correct number of resources to accomplish the scope of work your project requires? • Have you assigned a resource to so many tasks that you have exceeded the capacity of the resource to work—in other words, have you over allocated the resource?

Assigning Work Resources to Tasks • Assigning a work resource toa task enables you to track the progress of the resource’s work on the task • If you enter resource pay rates, Project also calculates resource and task costs for you • Open “Wingtip Commercial 4a” • On the Tools menu, click Assign Resources

Assigning Work Resources to Tasks • In the Task Name column, click task 2, Developscript • In the Resource Name column in the Assign Resources dialog box, click Scott Cooper and then click the Assign button • A cost value and check mark appears next to Scott’s name, indicating that you have assigned him to the task of developing the script • Because Scott has a cost standard rate recorded, Project calculates the cost of the assignment (Scott’s standard pay rate times his scheduled amount of work on the task) and displays that value $775, in the Cost field of the Assign Resources dialog box

Assigning Work Resources to Tasks • On the Window menu, click Split • Project splits the window into two panes. In the upper pane is the Gantt Chart view, and below it is the Task Form

Assigning Resources to Tasks • In the Task Name column, click task 3, Develop production boards • In the Assign Resources dialog box, click Garrett R. Vargas, hold down the Ctrl key to make a nonadjacent selection, click Patti Mintz, and then click Assign • Check marks appear next to Garrett’s and Patti’s names and their assignment costs are calculated, indicating that you have assigned both to task 3 • You can also see the resulting assignment information (units and work per resource) and the task’s duration in the Task Form

Assigning Resources to Tasks • you will make initial resource assignments for the remaining pre-production tasks • In the Task Name column, click the name of task 4, Pick locations • In the Assign Resources dialog box, click Scott Cooper, and then click Assign

Assigning Resources to Tasks • In the Task Name column, click the name of task 5, Hold auditions • In the Assign Resources dialog box, click Peter Kelly, hold down the Ctrl key, click Scott Cooper, and then click Assign

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • Now you will assign additional resources to some of the pre-production tasks to observe the effect on the overall duration of the tasks • By default, Project uses a scheduling method called effort-driven scheduling • This means that the task’s initial work value, or amount of effort, remains constant regardless of the number of resources you assign • The most visible effect of effort-driven scheduling is that, as you assign additional resources to a task, that task’s duration decreases

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • In the Gantt Chart view, click the name of task 2, Develop script • Currently, Scott Cooper is assigned to this task - A quick check of the scheduling formula looks like this: 40 hours (the same as five days) task duration x 100% of Scott’s assignment units = 40 hours work • You can see these values in the Task Form.

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • In the Resource Name column in the Assign Resources dialog box click Patti Mintz and click Assign - Patti Mintzis is assigned to task 2 • As you can see, Project reduced the duration of task 2 from 5 days to 2.5 days • Why?

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • The other important effect of reducing the duration of task 2 is that the start dates of all successor tasks have changed as well • The change highlighting that is now visible throughout the project illustrates the changes to successor tasks • In our current example you see the benefit of creating task relationships rather than entering fixed start and finish dates

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • Next, you use a feature called a Smart Tag tocontrol how Project schedules the work on a task when assigning multiple resources • In the Gantt Chart view, click the name of task 4, Pick locations • Currently, only Scott Cooper is assigned to this two-day task • You’d like to assign an additional resource and reduce the task’s duration to one day • In the Resource Name column of the Assign Resources dialog box click Patti Mintz and then click Assign

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • Note the small triangle in the upper left corner of the name of task 4 • This is a graphical indicator that a Smart Tag is now available • Click the name of task 4, and then click the Smart Tag Actions button that appears just to the left of the task name • Look over the options on the list that appears • These options allow you to choose the scheduling result you want if it should differ from the effort-driven scheduling result

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • Now you will assign additional resources to a task and change how Project schedules the work on the task • In the Gantt Chart view, click the name of task 5, Hold auditions • In the Resource Name column of the Assign Resources dialog box click Jonathan Mollerup, hold down the Ctrl key, click Patti Mintz, and then click Assign • Because effort-driven scheduling is turned on for this task, Project reduces the duration of the task and adjusts the start dates of all successor tasks

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • However, this time you do not want the additional resource assignments to change the task’s duration • Jonathan and Patti will perform additional work on the task beyond the scope of the task’s original work, which was assigned to Peter and Scott • Click the name at task 5, and then click the Smart Tag Actions button when it appears • On the Smart Tag Actions list, select the option Increase total work because the task requires more person-hours. Keep duration constant.

Assigning Additional Resources to a Task • Project changes the task’s duration back to two days and adjusts the start dates of all successor tasks • The additional resources receive the same work values (16 hours per resource) that the initially assigned resources had received, so total work on the task increases • On the Windows menu, click Remove Split

Assigning Material Resources to Tasks • Next, you’ll assign the material resource Video Tape to a task and enter a fixed-unit quantity of consumption • In the Task Name column, click the name attask 4, Pick locations • You plan to use up to your tapes while picking locations • In the Assign Resources dialog box, select the Units field for the Video Tape resource • Type or select 4, and then press Enter • Project assigns the video tape to the task and calculates the $20 cost of the assignment ($5 per video tape times four tapes)

Assigning Resources to Tasks • For the TV commercial project, you’d like to enter planned travel and catering costs for certain tasks • Click task 4, Pick locations, in the Task Name column • In the Assign resourcesdialog box, select the Cost field for the Travel cost resource • Type 500 and then press Enter • Task 4 now includes costs resulting from all three types of resource assignments: work, material, and cost

Assigning Resources to Tasks • In the Assign Resources dialog box, select the Cost field for the Catering cost resource • Type 250, and then click Assign • Project assigns the cost resource to the task

Microsoft Project