Microsoft® Project 2007 Bible

Chapter 5. Creating Resources and Assigning Costs

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding resources

• Modifying resource information

• Using resources and tasks

• Handling unusual cost situations

The management portion of the term project management suggests that you are overseeing and, supposedly, controlling what goes on during the project's lifetime. In the last chapter, you found out how to build the tasks that comprise the project. Now you need to identify the resources for each task. Some tasks require people only; other tasks may also require equipment.

As you create resources, yon see that various rates are associated with a resource. As you assign the resource to a task in your project, Microsoft Project automatically begins to calculate the cost of your project.

Understanding Resources

Resources are the people, supplies, and equipment that enable you to complete the tasks in your project. In versions prior to Project 2000, you could define only work resources — people or equipment that consume time when working on a task. When you set up work resources, you define the amount of time that the resources have to spend on a project (100 percent is full-time). Similarly, when you assign a work resource to a task, you indicate the amount of time that you want the work resource to spend on the task (100 percent is full-time).

Project 2000 added material resources — items that are consumed while working on a project. Material resources use, well, materials such as gasoline or wood — as opposed to time. ...