Microsoft® Office Project 2007 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter 1. Creating Resources

<feature><title>In This Chapter</title>

✓	Discovering resources
✓	Understanding resource types
✓	Estimating resource requirements
✓	Entering resource information
✓	Using the Resource Information dialog box
✓	Working with consolidated resources

</feature>

Projects typically involve people to get the work done. Projects also use equipment and materials. Those people, equipment, and materials are your project resources.

Resources are the means by which Project adds up the costs in your plan. For example, when you assign a resource to work for ten hours on a task and give that resource an hourly rate of $30, you’ve just added a $300 cost to your project.

Because resources affect timing and costs, they’re an important element of Project. Many tools are available to help you create resources, make settings for how and when they’ll work, assign them to tasks, manage their costs, and manipulate their workload. The first step in working with resources is to create them in Project and enter certain information about them. That’s what this chapter is all about.

What Exactly Is a Resource?

It’s natural to think of a resource as a person. After all, companies have human resources who work on projects, right? Well, people are indeed a frequently used project resource, but they’re not the only type of resource. Resources can also be equipment that you rent or buy (such as a truck), as well as materials (such as paper clips or scrap iron).

You can even create resources that represent ...