Cap Actual Effort Hours for Cost Calculations

[Connie]

Hello - I am using Microsoft Project Server 2007. I have a question
with regard to the setup in Server for tracking effort hours and
calculating project costs. For purposes of calculatng actual cost, my
organization does not recognize effort hours in excess of 40; when
cost is calculated (in a spreadsheet), effort hours are capped at
40.

I would like to use Server to calculate actual project costs instead
of downloading the data to Excel and performing the calculations
there. I would like to track the actual effort (work) hours,
regardless of whether the hours exceed 40 or not, but cap the hours at
40 (per week for each resource) and use the capped hours to calculate
costs. Is it possible to configure Server to cap effort hours at 40
for purposes of calculating actual cost? I'm trying to figure out how
to do that without disturbing earned value calculations. To be
meaningful, I want any earned value calculations to reflect actual
hours (uncapped) Is it possible to accomplish this? Let me know if I
have not provided enough information. Thanks!

 

[Mark Everett | PMP]

Hello - I am using Microsoft Project Server 2007.  I have a question
with regard to the setup in Server for tracking effort hours and
calculating project costs.  For purposes of calculatng actual cost, my
organization does not recognize effort hours in excess of 40; when
cost is calculated (in a spreadsheet), effort hours are capped at
40.

I would like to use Server to calculate actual project costs instead
of downloading the data to Excel and performing the calculations
there.  I would like to track the actual effort (work) hours,
regardless of whether the hours exceed 40 or not, but cap the hours at
40 (per week for each resource) and use the capped hours to calculate
costs.  Is it possible to configure Server to cap effort hours at 40
for purposes of calculating actual cost?  I'm trying to figure out how
to do that without disturbing earned value calculations.  To be
meaningful, I want any earned value calculations to reflect actual
hours (uncapped)  Is it possible to accomplish this?  Let me know if I
have not provided enough information.  Thanks!

Connie,

Since you are using the default cost fields to for EV calculations, I
think the simplest solution would be to use a custom Resource cost
field that would not change actual hours if actual hours are less than
40, but not record more than 40 hours. Include that cost field in
your reporting and you should be good.

Regards,
Mark Everett MCITP | PMP
www.umt.com