Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Assigning Resources to Tasks Switch to the Gantt Chart View Then click the Assign Resources button on the Standard toolbar (it looks like two people) Click task 2 (Document Current Environment) Click your name (or my name) on the Assign Resources dialog box and click the Assign button on the Standard toolbar Roll over the column to the left of your name and drag to task 3 (Conduct Needs Analysis) in the Task Entry Table

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Assigning Resources to Tasks select task 6 (Build RFP) use the Control Key to assign Emily King and yourself to the task at the same time you can also apply resource units to a task we have five General Labour units available click task 13 (Install Software) select General Labour from the Assign Resources dialog box type 200 in the Units column and Assign it you have assigned two General Labour units to this task

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Graphing Resources you can also view resources in a graph select all the resources in the Assign Resources dialog box (shift or drag) click Graphs and switch the view to Remaining Availability zoom in and out of the graph

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Assigning a new Cost Rate table remember that we set up two cost rate tables for General Labour as it is a specialized task, we want to assign the higher one to the task Install Software click Task Usage on the View Bar click General Labour assigned to task 13 click the Go to Selected Task button to jump to task 13 double-click General Labour to view the Assignment Information Dialog Box and click the General tab change the Cost Rate table to B

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Assigning Resources using a Split Screen switch to the Gantt View click Task 3 (Conduct needs Analysis) click Window > Split right-click on the lower window and select Resources and Predecessors you can see the Resource Information for this task switch to the Resource Work view select task 7 (Gather Vendor Bids) click in the Resource Name column and select yourself click Okay

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Assigning Resources using a Split Screen click the Next button to move to Task 8 add yourself and Emily King as Resources attached to this task click anywhere on the Gantt Chart View Print Preview click Task Usage on the View Bar Print Preview click Page Setup and the View tab click the checkboxes Print Row Totals… and Print Column Totals to add the totals to your printout save and close your file

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Work, Duration and Units work = duration * units units are Resources open LAN-4-2 save it with your initials as usual click the Assign Resources button change Your Name to your name notice how the tasks are updated

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Work, Duration and Units click task 3 and add the Receptionist to this task Project assumes that work is evenly distributed among units change the duration task duration to two weeks instead of one and click okay click task 2 and add yourself and Emily King as Resources change Emily King’s work hours to 8 notice that the overall task duration does not change as it is driven by your 32 hours of work

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Work, Duration and Units click task 11 add 200 units of General Labour to this task 32 hours of work are created change the units to 400 (%) notice that the duration is halved undo and redo this if you do not see it

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Effort-Driven Scheduling as seen in the previous example in effort-driven scheduling, duration usually changes when resources are added beyond the initial resource allocation however, in some cases, you will want to turn off effort driven scheduling and assign fixed duration tasks some tasks, such as meetings and seminars, should have fixed durations

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Fixed Duration Tasks tasks can be changed to fixed duration click task 22 uncheck the Effort Driven checkbox in the Resource Work form in the lower window add your name as the initial resource your initial work calculation is 16 hours type the name Gabriel Mitchell as the second Resource Assignment and click okay notice that the duration does not change now 32 hours of work are assigned to this task type Maureen Hill as the third assignment again duration does not change

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Fixed Duration Tasks go to the Resource Sheet on the View Bar give both Gabriel and Maureen initials, add them to the Project Management group and standard and overtime rates of $40/hour

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Resource Usage View and Resource Information open LAN-4-2B save it with your initials as usual click the Resource Usage button change Your Name to your name and initials notice that you can expand and collapse Resource Information as usual click Install Cabling and click the Go to Selected Task button now you can see the resources attched to this task

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Resource Usage View and Resource Information click the Select All button and the Hide Subtasks button (on the left of the Formatting Toolbar) click Project > Sort> by cost now sort by name filter your resources click All Resources and choose Overallocated Resources click the Go to Selected Task button notice that the overallocated resources are in red expand Gabrielle Mitchell and notice where the overallocations occur

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Resource Usage View and Resource Information return to All Resources group resources by Resource Group Project > Group By: Reosurce Group > Customize Group by click the Group Assignments, not Resources checkbox change the field type to Assignments change the Cell background to Aqua and click okay save and close your file

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Leveling Overallocations we just saw some overallocations where a resource was assigned more work in a given time period than it has working hours leveling means correcting such overallocations open LAN-4-3 save as usual change Your Name to your name filter for Overallocated Resources

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Leveling Overallocations notice the yellow overallocation markers (!) View > Toolbars > Resource Management click the Resource Allocation View on the toolbar (first button) filter for Overallocated Resources Project > Sort > by name expand Gabriel Mitchell reduce his tasks Test Software (4h), Test Hardware (2h) and Test Security (2h) notice the changes

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Leveling Overallocations switch to the Task Entry View on the Resource Management toolbar click the go to next task overallocation button several times until you reach task 16 notice that you are scheduled to do other tasks that day too increase the General Labour hours to 16 and decrease your own to zero you are no longer overallocated for this task

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 Leveling Overallocations go to task 26 notice that the same resources are assigned to tasks 26 and 27 on overlapping days double click Contract Trainer to open Resource info notice that 200% units are indicated this means that two contact trainers were to be hired however, only one was available reduce the units to 100% go back to the Resource Allocation View and notice that the Contract Trainer is now overallocated

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 The Leveling Tool Project includes a sophisticated leveling took it levels work resources, though not material resources does not adjust task durations, work entries or resource assignments levels by delaying or splitting tasks so that work can be completed by the assigned resource during available working time

Microsoft Project – Tutorial 4 The Leveling Tool splits tasks so that they are interrupted work starts and stops on the task so that there is a period of time when no work is being done on the task introduces delays to a project delay is the amount of time between the scheduled start of a task and the time when work actually begins on the task usually extends the project’s length as it moves tasks into time periods when a resource is available