Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

  • Congratulations Mike Lewis on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Spreading out Costs with the Task 1

Status
Not open for further replies.

piedpiper11

Technical User
Apr 16, 2013
34
US
I'm using MS Project Pro 2013 and am fine tuning the cash flow of a project, where I'm having trouble getting the costs to span the project duration. In particular, I have a task, let's call it "Balance of System", which has multiple resources assigned. The largest one (90% of the total for this task) is a cost-resource - let's call it "SW BOS Budget". I've assigned that resource to be Prorated in the Resource Sheet. I want that cost item to be spread out over 3 or 4 months. When I first looked at Resource Usage page after creating the task, the cost was showing up in the Resource Usage table all bunched up in a single month (the same as it's starting date), even though the task duration was 3 months long. Clicking into the Assignment Information box, I found that the Start and Finish dates were BOTH the same as the Task start date. I can manually change the Assignment end date to be 3 or 4 months out. But now it seems like the cost is locked on those specific dates - EVEN IF the Task dates change and move or compress or expand. I'd think Project would allow the task to determine the beginning and end points of a prorated Resource cost. Am I wrong? I have one other (small) cost resource in the same task, along with a small amount of work assigned to a work-resource. Could that be confusing things? Every time I adjust the task's duration, I also change the work units/day to keep the amount of work consistent, so I can't imagine why that would make a difference.

Scott
 
Hi Scott,

To the best of my knowledge, Microsoft's recommendation to separate cost resource assignments from work resource assignments still stands. Cost resources should not be affecting schedules, however there have been ongoing issues with tasks with both cost and work resources assigned.

Julie
 
Hi Scott,

Yes, last I knew that was the recommendation - do not mix work and cost resource assignments on the same tasks.
 
I've never heard that but it makes sense. Thanks for clarifying it

Scott
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top