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Durations, Work & Resource Units
Summary
A fundamental relationship exists between these three entities in
the planning of a task. Here we review this relationship and explore
how these can be examined and modified easily on the screen.
The
Fundamental Relationship
This equation relates the three variables in any Task/Resource
assignment pairing:
Work = Duration * Assigned Resource Units
In this equation, the Duration is a property of the task while the
other two may be different for each assignment. The sum of the work
over the various assignments made on a task becomes the work to
be done on the task. The sum of the work over the various assignments
made by a resource becomes the total work to be done by that resource.
These are all values that can be seen on the screen.
Editing
& Recalculating the Three Variables
If you are not happy with the values calculated automatically when
the assignment is made, you can modify any one of these values by
manually editing them.
Note: It is best not to edit the work that rolls-up to
the task level, but rather those that relate to individual resources
(lower half of the screen).
Recalculation
Rules
Which of the others that re-calculate is decided by the 'Task Type'
setting (see arrow) for the task. In brief, the rules are as follows:
Fix one variable so that when you modify a second the third will
calculate. Thus, under:
- Fixed duration mode, modify the units and the work will be
recalculated.
- Fixed work mode, modify the duration and the units will be
recalculated.
- Fixed units mode, modify the work and the duration will be
recalculated.
If you modify a fixed variable then choose:
- Fixed duration mode, modify the duration and the work
will recalculate.
- Fixed work mode, modify the work and the duration will
recalculate.
- Fixed units mode, modify the units and the duration will
recalculate.
Viewing
the Assignment Task & Resource Work
One way of seeing individual work/units details for each assignment
pairing is to split the screen.
- Choose Window - Split. Now click in the lower part of
the screen (to activate it)
- Choose Format - Details - Resource Work.
Alternatively right-click the lower part of the screen (right
hand grey area) and choose Resource Work. Notice how
the individual hours (10 = 5*2) and (5 = 5*1) are
shown (circled) in the lower screen.
Notice also the Task Duration circled in the middle of the form.
Viewing
the Task Work
Adding a Work Column to the Task Table. To see the total work accumulated
at the task level:
- Choose Insert - Column and select 'Work' from
the drop-down list.
This shows the total of the individual assignment work (also
circled).
Saving
the View
If the view we have used here is appealing, you can save it as
a permanent member of your 'view' menu so that you can recover it
with two clicks of the mouse.
- Choose View - More Views - New - Combination View
Fill out the form as you see here. Then simply use the 'View -
Work View' that will appear in the View menu option.
Viewing
the Resource Work
To see the total work at the resource level:
- Select Resource Sheet View. Choose View- Resource
Sheet.
- Switch to a Work table
- Choose View - Table - Work
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