change methode of distributing cost 1

[190781]

Hello,
I would like to know how we can change the methode of accrue cost in MS Project because there are just 3: prorotated, start or end, but I'd like to distribute 50% cost at start and 50% at the end of the task, or not prorotated but 30%,40%,30% for other task.
I see some suggesions that we can change in the task/resource usage view with displaying cost, I tried but I couldn't change anything in the timephased data. What should I do to have a right cost schedule?
Thank you very much.

 

[PDQBach]

This is certainly correct for Fixed Costs.

As a possible (but somewhat cumbersome) workaround

Create special case resource
1. View > Resource Sheet
2. Create a Resource (R1) with a standard rate of $100/day.

Create task(s)
3. View > Gantt
4. Create task(s) with a duration, 0 Work
5. Assign resource R1 to those tasks

Edit task(s)
6. View > Task usage
7. RightMouseButton on the righthand grid and make certain that Actual Cost is displayed.
8. Edit the Actual Costs to reflect the way costs will actually be accrued.

Yes, your Actual Cost totals will be "out of whack" (because you'll be "recognizing" some actual costs in advance of their actually occurring). But I've never been a big fan of using Project for costs tracking ... for that, I've generally found Excel to be a better tool.

 

[190781]

Thank you very much,(a good gift for my DOB
I will try your way and keep you informed. By the way, could you please show me the way you track cost with Excel? I've never done it before and I really want to learn. Thanks in advance.

 

[190781]

Re-Hello BDQBach,
In fact, I try what you've told me but when I right-click on the actual cost, I can't edit it (the detail styles appears). To make you clear,my question is:
I have all tasks defined with duration, cost( initial budget)and the way of distributing cost along the duration(ex: 50/50, 30/40/30, 25/75).
And my problem is that I can not edit the cost information in the task usage view. Did I do something wrong or I have to change somes defauts of MS project to be able to edit that?
Thank you for your help.

 

[PDQBach]

4. Typo -- remove the "0" (you gotta have some work).


7.5 On the righthand grid, enter any non-zero value in the ActualWork cells (note: I had my display set up so that the top calendar item was Months and the Bottom was weeks).

(My apologies for the omission and typo)

 

[PDQBach]

Forgot to answer your Excel question.

I get two sets of values sent to me (actually, I get more but these are the two that we're interested in):

1. Accounting sends hours charged to the project (Workforce costs)
2. Various sources send copies of invoices (Non-workforce costs)

Workforce costs
From my schedule (various views but especially View > Task Usage showing numbers week by week) I can see what my projected "spend" will be. I copy this to an Excel spreadsheet. Depending on the project, I might just track total costs or I might track costs at the resource level.

Non-Workforce costs
I will have a second tab in the spreadsheet showing the non-workforce costs -- *generally* (but not always) on a week-by-week basis (to match the schedule of the resource "spend").

This second tab has lots of additional information (invoice number, date received, date approved, etc.) for each non-workforce cost. Because these non-workforce costs have a lot of variations (both from project to project as well as depending on the actual non-workforce item -- some are "one-off", some are repetitive, recurring costs, some are repetitive and recurring but at different locations each time) I just find it's easier to use Excel to simply enter the amounts instead of having to try to force Project to do what I want.

Project is great for scheduling and schedule tracking; but for non-workforce costs ... not so much!

 

[190781]

Thank again, PDQBach
I think I do make something wrong with my MS Project. I displayed Actual cost already on the righthandgrid, but I can not enter anything in these cells (as they were blocked), on the contrary, I can edit easily in the work cells. You all say that we can modify the information in these cells but I can not, how can I find the problem?
Thank you as well for the answer about excel, I will try. But I really get angy when I cannot manage with MS Project

 

[PDQBach]

It would be nice to be able to use MSPrj for everything but sometimes you need a hammer, sometimes you need a wrench <grin>

Not sure what problem you're having.

View > Resource sheet
Create the resource (R1) with a standard rate of $100/day

View > Gantt
Create the task(s) so they have (at a bare minimum) a name, start, duration, work.

Assign R1 to the tasks.

View > Task Usage
In the righthand "grid" make sure you are displaying Work, Actual Work, Actual Cost rows. If you are not then RightMouseButton in the grid and select those items. If you can't see the item then, after RightMouseButton click on "Detail Styles" and select the field(s) you are missing.

Each task now has 3 rows for task info and 3 rows for the resource info.

On the Actual Work row for the resource (or the Actual Work row for the task), enter values -- I just entered numbers so that the Actual Work matched Work. This will automatically create entries in the Actual Cost rows for the resource (and for the Task).

On the Actual Cost row for the resource (or the task), enter the costs the way you expect them to occur (front/back; irregular).

If you want, you can now go back to the Actual Work row for the resource (or the task) and enter 0 minutes.

As I warned in my first answer, your Actual Cost numbers will be "out of whack" because you are recognizing the costs ahead of when you will actually incur them.

 

[190781]

Thank you, I understand all your instruction (create tasks, display actual cost row...)but I just can't do this step:
"On the Actual Cost row for the resource (or the task), enter the costs the way you expect them to occur (front/back; irregular)" (I said that I could enter the number in the work cells but NOT in the actual cost cells)I think there are some options in my Project that I didn't set as yours maybe.... I tried to figured it out but...

 

[PDQBach]

What version of Project are you using?
Please email the file to me PDQBach4100 at H0TMAIL . com