Lesson3.2.Entering Equipment Resources

Lesson 3.2. Entering Equipment Resources

Figure 3-2. Entering an equipment resource in the project.

Equipment resources are also work resources, but they are different from people resources in the way they are used and scheduled. People generally have a set number of working hours that they will contribute to a task each day. But pieces of equipment don't really have a schedule: they can work around the clock if it's needed.

You don't have to track every piece of equipment that is used in the project, but you should keep track of equipment that accumulates cost or that is shared.

Let's enter an equipment resource into the project.

1. Click the empty cell below the CD replication vendor resource in the Resource Name field.

   Entering an equipment resource is the same as entering a people resource; both are work resources. The main difference is that equipment has more scheduling flexibility.

2. Type Recording studio and press Tab.

   The resource is entered in the list.

3. Click in the Max. Units field of the Recording studio resource.

   This field indicates how much time the resource can devote to the project. For example, if you had two recording studios, you could change the data to 200%. Or, if you know the studio is available only part-time because another party is using it, you would enter 50%. For this project, there is one recording studio available all the time, so this data stays at 100%.

4. Click in the Std. Rate field of the Recording studio resource.

   The recording studio must be rented by the hour, so we'll enter its hourly rental rate in this field.

5. Type 30 and press Enter.

   Compare your project to Figure 3-2.

QUICK REFERENCE

TO ENTER AN EQUIPMENT RESOURCE:

1. CLICK IN THE RESOURCE NAME FIELD AND ENTER A NAME FOR THE RESOURCE.

2. CLICK IN THE MAX. UNITS FIELD AND ENTER THE RESOURCE'S AVAILABILITY TO THE PROJECT.

3. CLICK IN THE STD. RATE FIELD AND ENTER THE COST OF THE RESOURCE.