Assigning Resources to the Estimate

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Assigning resources to tasks is the primary way to cost a project. Once resources are allocated to tasks SmartSimple will:

  • Calculate the costs of the tasks.
  • Calculate the effort associated with the task, based on the resource effort assigned.
  • Roll up the costs incurred in each task to the project.

You can use two approaches to resource assignment: Individual assignment or Team assignments.

Individual Assignment – this requires that you assign specific resources to specific tasks. When you take this approach, only the assigned people can work on the assigned tasks, unless you replace that person with someone else.

  • If you are using the Time Tracking application to update the project effort, only the assigned tasks will be displayed to the assigned person.
  • Using individual assignments allows you to create a very accurate budget, since the resources are specifically assigned, and the direct and indirect costs can be calculated.

Team Assign – using this feature you assign a team of resources to the project, and various people can work on any task. This is useful where the team have common skills.

  • If you are using the Time Tracking application to update the project effort, then all tasks will be displayed to everyone on the team.
  • You cannot create a very accurate budget using team assignment, as you cannot be sure which team member will perform a task, and the team member costs may vary significantly.

You can combine both approaches and assign some tasks to specific people, and use team assign for the overall project.

In this example you will directly assign some resources but also assign a team.

1. Choose Applications, Job Costing.

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2. Click the Job Name link.

3. Click the Review Current Office Layout task.

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4. Click the Add Resource tab.

The Add Resource window is displayed.

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This window is used to navigate all resources in the system.

5. Click the All tab to display all resources in SmartSimple.

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6. Click the Charles Sutherland record.

The resource details are added to the top of the window.

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This section displays the following values.

  • User - The name of the resource.
  • Pay Rate - Select from the pay rates.
  • Bill Factor - Applies a multiplication factor to the resource billing rate.
  • Cost Factor - Applies a multiplication factor to the resource cost rate.
  • Currency - The currency associated to the resource.
  • Quantity - The number of units available for assignment. Generally you will set to 1 for people, but for equipment and materials this can be set to the number required.
  • Effort - The amount of effort required to complete the task. Effort is entered in hours.
  • Bill - The hourly amount to bill for this effort. The hourly billing rate is carried forward for the resource. You can change this rate when assigning the resource to the task.
  • Cost - The total hourly cost for the resource as defined through the direct and indirect costs. You can change this rate when assigning the resource to the task.
  • Cost Unit - Defines the basis for cost calculation and is carried forward from the resource settings.
  • Total Bill - Calculated billing estimate for the resource in this task.
  • Total Cost - Calculated cost estimate for the resource in this task.

7. Set the Effort to 8.

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  • The cost of the effort for this resource in this task is calculated to be $431.04.

8. Click the Add button.

9. Close the Resource Assignment window.

The Resource Assignment window displays the cost details.

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10. Click the View Estimate tab.

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The costs estimate has started to build by assigning the resource to the task.