Microsoft Project 2007 - Assignment Units fields    (back)

The Assignment Units fields (field: A location in a sheet, form, or chart that contains a specific kind of information about a task, resource, or assignment. For example, in a sheet, each column is a field. In a form, a field is a named box or a place in a column.) show the percentage or number that represents the assigned resources' allocation (allocation: The percentage of a resource's capacity that is designated for a specific assignment.) to a task (task: An activity that has a beginning and an end. Project plans are made up of tasks.).

There are several categories of Assignment Units fields.

Data Type Percentage/number (percentage/number field: A type of field whose content is a value that can be expressed as either a percentage or a decimal number. For example, in the Assignment Units field, one full-time assigned resource can be expressed as 100% or as 1.00.)

Assignment Units (task field)

Entry Type Null (Null field: A field that displays no actual information but that sets up the field for information elsewhere in the view, particularly in the Task Usage or Resource Usage view.)

Best Uses Add the Assignment Units field to the Task Usage view (view: The combination of one or more views [Gantt Chart, Resource Sheet, and so on] and if applicable, a table and a filter. Use views to work with information in a variety of formats. There are three types of views: Charts or graphs, Sheets, and Forms.) when you want to display the allocation of time for each individual assignment (assignment: A specific resource that is assigned to a particular task.). No information is displayed in the Assignment Units task field; it merely makes the corresponding Assignment Units field for the assignments available.

Example You are reviewing assignment units (assignment units: The percentage of a work resource's time, or units, that the resource is assigned to a task.) for resources assigned to various tasks. You add the Assignment Units field to the Task Usage view. No information appears in the Assignment Units field next to the task names. However, the assignment units for their individual assignments appear below each task name in the Assignment Units fields.

Remarks The default assignment unit is 100 percent (or 1.0 in decimal units), unless the value in the resource's Max Units (maximum units) field is less than 100 percent. In this case, the default assignment unit for the resource is its maximum units (maximum units: The maximum percentage or number of units that a resource is available to be scheduled for any tasks. The maximum units value indicates the highest capacity at which the resource is available for work; the default value is 100 percent.) value. Units can be expressed as either percentages or decimals. To switch between the two, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Schedule tab. In the Show assignment units as a box, click Percentage or Decimal.

Assignment Units (resource field)

Entry Type Null (Null field: A field that displays no actual information but that sets up the field for information elsewhere in the view, particularly in the Task Usage or Resource Usage view.)

Best Uses Add the Assignment Units field to the Resource Usage view when you want to display the resources' assignment units (units: The quantity of a resource assigned to a task. The maximum units is the maximum number of units available for the resource. For example, if you have three plumbers, the maximum units is 300 percent or three plumbers working full-time.) for their individual assignments. No actual information is displayed in the Assignment Units resource field; it merely makes the corresponding Assignment Units field for the assignments available.

Example You are reviewing assignment units for tasks assigned to various resources. You add the Assignment Units field to the Resource Usage view. No information appears in the Assignment Units field next to the resource names. However, the assignment units for their individual assignments appear below each resource name in the Assignment Units fields.

Remarks The default assignment unit is 100 percent, unless the value in the resource's Max Units field is less than 100 percent. In this case, the default assignment unit for the resource is its Max Units value. You can switch between percentages and decimals for representing assignment units. On the Tools menu, click Options and then click the Schedule tab. In the Show assignment units as a box, click Percentage or Decimal.

You can set the assignment units in the Task Information dialog box, when you first assign a resource to a task. In a task sheet view, select the task, and then click Task Information . Click the Resources tab, and then click the name of the resource. In the Units field, type the percentage or number of assignment units for this resource on this task.

Assignment Units (assignment field)

Entry Type Calculated or entered field (calculated or entered field: A field in which the value is determined by Project based on information in other fields. Information that you enter in the field yourself overrides calculated values.)

How Calculated An assignment (assignment: A specific resource that is assigned to a particular task.) assuming a resource's full effort can usually be expressed as 100 percent, assuming the resource's maximum units (maximum units: The maximum percentage or number of units that a resource is available to be scheduled for any tasks. The maximum units value indicates the highest capacity at which the resource is available for work; the default value is 100 percent.) value is 100 percent. Two resources assigned to a task can be expressed as 200 percent, again assuming a maximum units value of 100 percent each.

By default, Assignment Units are set to 100 percent (or 1.0 in decimal units). If you modify Assignment Units directly, either work or duration changes, depending on your task type setting. If your task type is fixed work and you modify the duration, Microsoft Office Project changes the assignment units (assignment units: The percentage of a work resource's time, or units, that the resource is assigned to a task.). If your task type field is set to fixed duration and you modify work, Project recalculates the assignment units.

Best Uses Add the Assignment Units field to the sheet (sheet: A spreadsheet-like representation [in rows and columns] of task or resource information. Each row specifies an individual task or resource. Each column [field] specifies a type of information, such as start dates or standard rates.) portion of the Task Usage or Resource Usage view (view: The combination of one or more views [Gantt Chart, Resource Sheet, and so on] and if applicable, a table and a filter. Use views to work with information in a variety of formats. There are three types of views: Charts or graphs, Sheets, and Forms.) when you want to display or modify the number of units for which a resource is assigned to a task. The assignment units value interacts with the value in the resource's Max Units field. If you make an assignment with a larger assignment unit than the value in the Max Units field, the resource will be overallocated (overallocation: The result of assigning more tasks to a resource than the resource can accomplish in the working time available.).

Example You want to assign three carpenters to a task, so you type 300% in the Assignment Units field for the carpenter assignment. To use a single resource part-time on a task, type the percentage in the Assignment Units field that represents the percentage of the resource's daily time spent on the task. For example, if you type 25% in the Units field, you are assigning one-fourth of a resource's day.

Remarks The default assignment unit is 100 percent (or 1.0 in decimal units), unless the value in the assigned resource's Max Units field is less than 100 percent. In this case, the default assignment unit for the resource is its maximum units value. Units can be expressed as either decimals or percentages. To switch between the two, click Options on the Tools menu and then click the Schedule tab. In the Show assignment units as a box, click Percentage or Decimal.

By default, the Assignment Units field is included in the Assign Resources dialog box, so you can set assignment units when you first assign a resource to a task. You can also set the assignment units in the Task Information dialog box. In a task sheet view, select the task, and then click Task Information . Click the Resources tab, and then click the name of the resource. In the Units field, type the percentage or number of assignment units for this resource on this task.