Adding additional material resources to a baselined task

[G Murphy]

When I add additional material resources to a baselined
task (Ex. 6 cm of unshrinkable fill to a trench backfill
phase) project is taking the quantity that was entered on
a specific day and spreading it out over numerous days,
weeks, and in some cases months. Sometimes it does it
and other times it doesn't. I am quite confused about
the underlying logic and was wondering if someone could
provide some insite. FYI - I am using Microsoft Project
Professional 2002, Tasks with Fixed Unit, Effort Driven
option turned off. To add, my problem seems to be linked
to the Actual Finish as it seems to be getting
manipulated.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Where, what view, in Project are you entering the consumption?

 

[Guest]

Steve,
I am enter actuals in the task usage view under actual
work. When I require additional material resources i
insert them when needed. Most cases there is not a
problem, but every so often I will notice one of these
material resources are all over the map (seem to be an
underlying duration which puts a contour on the entries --
I have seen it take a entry that was put in on Monday and
spread it evenly over the week [$100 entered on a Monday
turns into $20/day for the week]). Under task
information the actual work is fine (ie. the total, but
the entrys are not. As a note, I have a hunch that it
has something to do with actual start and finish, but not
sure. Please help, I think I have tried everything,
correcting the entries, making new resouces, etc to no
avail.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

When you look at the resource sheet where the resources are defined, near
the right hand end of the line, look for a field labeled "Accrue At." The
options are Pro-rated, Start, and End. Prorated means the usage will be
distributed evenly over the duration of the task that uses it, Start is all
the consumption will be considered to take place the instant the task
starts, and End means, obviously, all the consumption is charged when the
task ends. In most cases prorated is the most appropriate and so that is
the default.

We need to ask, does it really matter? In the long run, all that usually
matters is this wall requires 100 bricks and my project budget must pay for
them. Sometimes the timing might be important but for the most part, as a
project manager responsible for the big picture, does it matter if I
consider that I've consumed all 100 bricks on the first day of the task or
if I consume them at a rate of 20 per day for 5 days, or is the fact that
the wall required 100 bricks costing X dollars the critical information?
Project is a work scheduling and budgeting tool, not a financial management
or inventory control tool <g>.

--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Steve,
I am enter actuals in the task usage view under actual
work. When I require additional material resources i
insert them when needed. Most cases there is not a
problem, but every so often I will notice one of these
material resources are all over the map (seem to be an
underlying duration which puts a contour on the entries --
I have seen it take a entry that was put in on Monday and
spread it evenly over the week [$100 entered on a Monday
turns into $20/day for the week]). Under task
information the actual work is fine (ie. the total, but
the entrys are not. As a note, I have a hunch that it
has something to do with actual start and finish, but not
sure. Please help, I think I have tried everything,
correcting the entries, making new resouces, etc to no
avail.

-----Original Message-----
Where, what view, in Project are you entering the consumption?
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs




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