Why does MSP2007 spread cost resource amounts when I enter a dollar amount?

[anovak]

I'm attempting to utilize the budget cost capability by assigning a
project budget at the project level, defining multiple expense
resources and assigning them to a task called "Procurement".

When in the Resource Usage view, I split the screen in order to enter
the Cost amount in a particular FY or month within the FY. If a
Server costs $4,000 and I enter that amount in a particular FY or
month within the year, often times it enters other odd amounts in
subsequent FY/months, and changes the figure I entered.

I even went back to the Procurement task to ensure that the start and
end dates spread across the entire time (both FY) w/fixed duration.

What in the heck is going on? I need to demo this to Mgt very
shortly and this does not look good.

Please advise. Perhaps there's just a little bit I need to flip
somewhere.

Thanks,
Andy Novak
UNT

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Andy --

When you enter costs against an Expense Cost resource assigned to a task, it
evenly speads (timephases) the cost across the Duration of the task. If
this is not acceptable, you can directly type the cost in the timephased
grid the exact way the cost is assessed. Hope this helps.

 

[anovak]

Andy --

When you enter costs against an Expense Cost resource assigned to a task, it
evenly speads (timephases) the cost across the Duration of the task. If
this is not acceptable, you can directly type the cost in the timephased
grid the exact way the cost is assessed. Hope this helps.

Dale, my confusion stems from the fact that I was already directly
typing the cost in the timephased grid the exact way the cost is
assessed, but when I would enter an amount in one FY or Month
(depending on the granularity I chose), that amount would be changed
and another amount would be placed in FY #2 / Month #2. Is this
happening because I initially entered the cost at the resource
assignment level, then decided to 0 that out and enter it by FY,
month, etc.?

Is it important to set the start date of the task to the first day of
the FY and the finish date of the task the last day of the FY if you
timephase costs? At first I was just using a single date milestone
for the procurement but it then dawned on me that MSP may get
"confused" if I chose to timephase the cost over multiple periods. Do
you have to have a task for each (actual) expense resource or is it OK
to have one "Procurement" task as I have and assign all actual
expenses to that task?

Any additional insight / detail would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andy Novak
UNT

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Andy --

Like I said, it timephases the Cost over the life of the task. If the task
does not start on the first day of a fiscal time period, it starts the Cost
on the first day of the task and not the time period. Regarding
procurement, I would probably lean toward having a single task and assigning
the total cost to it. Hope this helps.