Managing resources in Project Web App
Applies to: Project Server 2010
Topic Last Modified: 2012-02-21
Summary: The fourth article in a series of eight articles about how to use Microsoft Project Web App to work with Microsoft Project Server 2010 data and to perform project management-related tasks.
Applies to: Project Server 2010 | Project Web App
In this article:
Overview of the Resource Center
Viewing resource assignments
Exporting Resource Center data to Excel 2010
Overview of the Resource Center
Understanding resources and their availability to work on projects is important to a project manager. This article describes how to use the Resource Center page in Project Web App to assist you in such tasks as viewing resource availability, viewing resource assignments, adding a resource in PWA, filtering for resources, and exporting Resource Center data to a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel 2010.
You can use the Resource Center in Project Web App to view, modify, and analyze information for one or more resources who are assigned to tasks in projects that are published to the Project Server database. Assignment information in the Resource Center tells you who is doing what in which project. The Resource Center displays a list of the resources in the Enterprise Resource Pool; permission to view items in the Resource Center is granted by the Project Server administrator.
The following table lists the Project Server 2010 permissions that are required for Project Professional 2010 and Project Web App users to work with the Resource Center.
Required permissions
| Permission Type | Permission | Description |
|---|---|---|
Category |
View Enterprise Resource Data |
Enables the user to view resources and resource data that is stored in the Enterprise Resource Pool, including the Build Team, Resource Center. |
Category |
Edit Enterprise Resource Data |
Enables editing and saving of resources in the Enterprise Resource Pool using Project Professional 2010 (optional) |
Category |
View Resource Assignments in Assignment Views |
Enables the user to view assignment details by using Assignment view in the Resource Center |
Category |
Approve Timesheets |
Enables the user to accept, but not approve, a timesheet (only needed if she or he is using Timesheets) |
Global |
View Resource Center |
Enables users to access the Resource Center from Project Web App or Project Professional 2010 and view resource allocation data |
Global |
View Assignments View |
Enables a user to view resource assignments in the Resource Center |
Global |
View Resource Availability |
Enables a user to access the View Resource Availability page to view resource allocation data in Project Web App |
The Resource Center ribbon
The Resource Center provides insight into enterprise resource information. The Resource Center ribbon provides visibility into resource information, assignments and availability.
You can do the following in the Resource Center:
Modify information about resources. Some resource attributes, such as calendar settings, can only be changed by using Project Professional 2010.
View and analyze resource information, such as the availability of resources and their allocation across projects.
Analyze project performance by exporting data to Excel 2010.
View resource assignments at the task and project level, and by availability. Project managers and resource managers can access this view; each group sees information that is specific to their needs. By default, a project manager can only use the View resource assignments option; what a project manager can view is determined by Project Server security categories and security groups, and the projects that they are associated with. (A user in the default Project Manager role in Project Server 2010 is not granted the Edit Enterprise Resource Data permission and therefore cannot edit or save information related to resources in the Enterprise Resource Pool.)
View and approve resource timesheets. Approving timesheets is useful for organizations that have multiple departments, such as payroll departments and project management departments, which require that timesheet approval be a separate process from updating task and project status by using timesheets.
Adjust actual work values on resource assignments that were submitted by team members. If your organization uses the managed timesheets feature of Project Server 2010, users who are assigned the appropriate permission can update or change actual work entered by team members in their timesheets and locked-down timesheet reporting periods.
Using the Filter drop-down and Group By features in the Resource Center
You can use the Filter and Group By drop-down lists to customize how you want to sort and group resources. The Filter and Group By features are useful when the Resource Center includes lots of resources. This feature includes the following options:
Filter. Enables you to filter resources by using a custom filter. You can use a custom filter by selecting Custom filter from the Filter drop-down list and then completing the More Filters dialog box.
Group. Enables you to group resources by specified values. In the Group By drop-down list, either select a single grouping from the available list, which is all of the columns active in the view, or create a custom grouping parameter in the Group by drop-down list. When you create a custom grouping, you can set additional grouping parameter from the Then by drop-down list. The second parameter filters data within the data filtered by first parameter. To remove grouping, select the No Group option in the Group By drop-down list.
Resource types
When you use the Resource Center page in PWA, you must understand that there are three types of resources for projects:
Work. A Work resource is anyone or anything that works on a task in your project.
Material. Material resources are things that are kept available and used up by the tasks in a project.
Cost. A Cost resource is a cost that has no time or quantity associated with it.
Viewing resource assignments
You can view current resource assignments by using the Resource Assignments page in the Resource Center in Project Web App. Resource assignments are displayed in a timesheet that shows the data for the current assignments that fall within the range that is specified for the view or are displayed in a Gantt Chart view.
This view resembles the Task Usage view in Project Professional 2010. Assignments are displayed in a grouped structure of tasks within projects within resources, including generic and specific resources. (Only resources that are members of the Enterprise Resource Pool are available.) Tasks are sorted by Task ID within each project. Only resource assignments in projects that the user has permission to view are available.
To view assignments for a resource
In the Resource Center in Project Web App, select the resources whose assignments you want to view on the Resource Assignments page. You can choose to view the resource information in a Gantt chart view or a Time-phased Data view.
In a Gantt chart, a table appears that shows resource assignments and other information about the assignments. By selecting the check box, you can view Work hours, Overtime Work, Summary Tasks, and time with date. Additionally, you can modify the displayed date range by using the Set Date Range button.
On the Resource Assignments page, in the View drop-down list, select the view that shows the resource information that you want to review.
View resource availability
You can easily view the availability information for specific resources on the Resource Availability page.
To view the availability of a resource
In the Resource Center in Project Web App, select the resources whose availability you want to view, and then click the Resource Availability button.
You can check and clear the resources that you select in the list on the left side, which adjusts the numbers used to create the graph. This view provides a graphical representation of resource information that will help you assess whether a resource is available for work during the period that you choose in the Date Range. Various views exist that help you determine the resource’s availability, including Assignment Work by project, Remaining Availability, and Work. The resource availability Details are represented in tabular form on the lower portion of the page.
You can edit the details of enterprise resources by selecting the resource and then clicking the Open button. Note that this opens Project Professional 2010, which is required to edit the resource.
Note
Only users who are assigned the Edit Enterprise Resource Data permission and who have Project Professional 2010 installed on their local computer can edit resources in Project Professional 2010.
Create a new resource in PWA
You can add a new resource by using the New Resources feature on the Resource Center page.
To create a new resource through the Resource Center
In the Resource Center in Project Web App, select the New Resource button.
Specify the necessary properties for your resource.
In the Type section, complete the following:
Type. Choose whether you are creating a Work, Material, or Cost resource.
Budget. If the resource is a budget resource, select the Budget check box.
Generic. A Generic resource is one that you use to plan, and then replace it with at least one named resource later in the planning process. If this is a Generic resource, select the Generic check box.
In the Identification Information section, complete the following:
Resource can logon to Project Server. Select this check box if you want the resource to also be a Project Web App user.
Display Name. Type the name of the resource in this box. This field is required.
E-mail address. If this resource has an e-mail address that he or she wants associated with project work, type the address in this box.
RBS. If your organization uses a resource breakdown structure (RBS), click the button next to this field and select the appropriate RBS code for this resource from the list.
Initials. This field is automatically populated with the initials of the resource, based on the name that is specified in the Display Name box. If you want to use different initials to refer to this resource, specify them in the Initials box.
Hyperlink Name. If this resource has an associated Web site, specify the name of that site in this box.
Hyperlink URL. If this resource has an associated Web site, specify the URL to that site in this box.
In the User Authentication section, complete the following:
Note
The User Authentication section only appears if the Resource Can Log on to Project Server option is enabled in the Identification Information section.
User logon account. If you use Integrated Windows authentication, specify the user’s account name in the following form: DomainName\UserAccountName. If you use forms-based authentication, specify the user account name in the following form: MembershipProviderName:UserAccount.
Prevent Active Directory Synchronization for this user. Select this check box to prevent a user account from being synchronized during Active Directory Resource Pool Synchronization.
In the Assignment Attributes section, complete the following:
Resource can be leveled. If you want to give project managers the ability to balance this resource's workload based on his or her availability and assignments (leveling), select this check box.
Base Calendar. Choose the calendar that most closely represents this resource's overall availability. For example, if your organization has a base calendar that accounts for specific holidays or events, you can set that as this resource's calendar, and work assigned to this resource will be scheduled around the calendar's nonworking days.
Default Booking Type. Choose whether you want this resource to be Committed or Proposed when assigning work.
Timesheet manager. Type the name of the person who approves or rejects this resource's timesheets, or click Browse to select the timesheet manager from a list. Resources might not have separate timesheet managers.
Default Assignment Owner. Type the name of the person who approves or rejects this resource's task progress, or click Browse to select the assignment owner from a list. Resources might not have separate assignment owners. For example, if the resource is a conference room, and the project manager tracks how long that the conference room is used, the assignment owner might be the project manager.
Tip
You can set the assignment owner in the project on an assignment-by-assignment basis.
Earliest Available. Choose the date when the resource becomes available to assign to tasks, if it is appropriate. If the resource does not have a set period of availability (that is, if he or she is always available), leave this setting blank.
Note
The earliest and latest available dates correspond to the resource availability dates for a resource, as seen in Project Professional 2010.
Latest Available. Choose the last date that the resource is available to work on tasks, if it is appropriate. If the resource does not have a set period of availability (that is, if he or she is always available), leave this blank.
Standard Rate. Type the standard pay rate for this resource in this box.
Overtime Rate. Type the overtime pay rate for this resource in this box.
Current Max. Units (%). Specify the maximum time period that a resource is available for work, as a percentage. For example, if the resource is available full-time, type 100%. If the resource is available half-time, type 50%.
Cost/Use. If the resource has a flat fee associated with each use, type that cost in this box. For example, a van rental might require a flat fee up front, with an added standard cost per mile. The flat fee is its cost per use.
In the Exchange Server Details section, you can specify whether the user’s tasks should be synchronized with Microsoft Exchange Server. Select the Synchronize Tasks check box if you want to enable task synchronization by using Microsoft Exchange Server for this user. Exchange integration must be configured for task synchronization to function.
For more information about how to configure task integration with Microsoft Exchange Server, see Deploy Project Server 2010 with Exchange Server in the TechNet library.
Note
The Exchange Server Details section only appears if the Resource Can Log on to Project Server option is enabled in the Identification Information section.
In the Departments section, click the button next to the Resource Departments box, and select a department or departments to associate with the resource. If the resource is not associated with a particular department, leave this blank
Tip
Associating a resource with a department narrows what the resource sees when they use Project Web App. It can help the resource find what he or she is looking for more quickly, by removing things from other departments that do not apply to his or her work.
If your organization created codes for grouping and costing purposes, in the Group Fields section, complete the following:
Group. Specify the name of the group in this box.
Code. Specify the code for the group in this box.
Cost Center. Specify the cost center code for the group in this box.
Cost Type. Click the button next to the Cost Type field, and then select the type of cost associated with this group.
In the Team Details section, click the button next to the Team Name box, and select which team the resource belongs to, if it is appropriate. If the resource will be managing and delegating tasks that are assigned to the team, select the Team Assignment Pool check box.
Tip
Some organizations create a generic resource for each team so that tasks assigned to the team first go to the generic resource. This way, no single resource takes on the task assignment before it is appropriately delegated. If you choose to use a generic resource in this manner, set the assignment owner for the resource as the team manager, select the Team Assignment Pool check box, and select the team from the Team Name list.
In the System Identification Data section, type additional identifying information for the user in the External ID box, if it is appropriate.
For example, your organization's HR department might use employee ID numbers to track data in its HR systems. By providing that ID number in the External ID box, you identify an association between the resource that you are creating and the HR department's employee data. The External ID box can also be used to facilitate the consolidation of reporting of resource use beyond what Project Server provides.
Tip
If you are not sure whether to specify information in the External ID box, check with other departments in your organization to determine whether it is useful to connect resource data with other systems, or to just leave this box blank.
After you specify all the information, select the Save button to create the new resource.
Note
For information about adding a resource to a project, see Managing projects in Project Web App in the "Adding Resources to a Project Plan" section.
Exporting Resource Center data to Excel 2010
You can export Resource Center data to Excel 2010 from Project Web App by using the Export to Microsoft Excel feature. Project Web App also enables you to copy data that is displayed in the Project Web App Grid Control and paste it into applications such as Excel, Word, and Outlook.
To export Resource Center data to Excel 2010
In the Resource Center in Project Web App, click the Export to Excel button.
A file download window appears that enables you to open or save the document. Select Open.
A message box might is displayed to say that the file that you are trying to open is in a different format than what is specified by the file name extension. Select Yes.
The Resource Center view opens in Excel.
Click Save As on the File menu in Excel if you want to save the data as it is currently presented. You can save the data in any supported Excel format.
Other chapters
For more information, see the other chapters in this guide: