Deltek Open Plan Help

Using the Help Search

Resources Tab

This tab controls resource assignments for a selected activity.

Contents

Field	Description
ID, Desc., Status, Duration	These fields are common to all tabs. See Common Fields for a description of these fields.
Normal/Time Phase Button	Open Plan lets you enter resource information in either Normal or Time Phase mode. The fields on the dialog box change, depending on which mode you select. This help topic lists both sets of fields.

Normal Mode

In Normal mode, Open Plan controls resource assignments for the selected activity using.

Field	Description
Skill ID	Early in the project lifecycle, you may elect to specify the skills needed to complete an activity rather than asssign specific resources. When a resource is assigned to the activity at a later date, the original skill remains on record. Once you have specified a skill in this column, when you add a resource on the same row using the Select Resource dialog box, the Skill Filter is preset to the intended skill, displaying only those resources that match the skill.
Resource ID	Open Plan uses the resources displayed in this column for the activity. If you hover your mouse cursor over this field, Open Plan displays the description associated with the resource. Clicking the ellipsis next to the list field displays the Select Resource dialog box that you can use to quickly select the appropriate resource.
Resource Curve	In Open Plan, the amount of a resource requirement can be interpreted as either a total quantity or a level-per-time unit. For example, if a 5-day activity has a resource requirement of 10 units, this information can be interpreted in two different ways: as a total requirement of 10 units or as a level of 10 units per day. If you leave the Resource Curve setting blank, Open Plan interprets the amount of the resource requirement as a level-per-time unit. Thus, if the activity duration changes, the amount of the resource requirement changes as well. If you want Open Plan to interpret the amount of the requirement as a total rather than as a level, change the Curve setting to one of the following values: B: Back Load D: Double Peak E: Early Peak F: Front Load L: Late Peak N: Normal (Bell) T: Linear Note: For a description of each curve, see Resource Curve Descriptions. For requirements defined as totals, the time unit for the requirement is based on the default duration unit specified for the project. For example, a total requirement for 10 people for a project scheduled in days is interpreted as a requirement for 10 labor-days. For information on setting the default duration unit for a project, see the Project Properties dialog box Preferences Tab. Using the Spread Curves dialog box, you can add custom spread curves to this list. In addition, you can edit or delete any spread curve.
Resource Level	The amount of the resource requirement. This numeric value is interpreted by Open Plan as either a level-per-activity time unit or as a total requirement, depending on the contents of the Resource Curve field. To understand the difference between entering a resource requirement as a level-per-time unit or as a total requirement, let us take the example of an activity that has a duration of 10 days. Now, let's look at two cases: If you assign a resource to work on this activity for 8 hours per day, the resource requirement equates to 80 hours. Now, assume that the work of the activity actually takes 12 days. Since the resource was assigned as a level per time unit, the resource will work on the activity for a total of 96 hours. If you assign a resource to work on this activity for a total of 80 hours, it no longer matters how long the activity actually takes. You still have a fixed 80 hours of the resource to spread over the duration of the activity regardless of whether the activity duration is 10 or 12 days. Attention: For more information about how Open Plan interprets resource requirement levels and totals, see Resource Scheduling Calculations, in the Deltek Open Plan Developer’s Guide. For more information about how Open Plan deals with resource profiles of in-progress activities, see The Effect of Progress Information, in the Deltek Open Plan Developer’s Guide.
Alternate Resource ID	You can enter an alternate for any required resource, pool, or skill. If Open Plan determines that the original required resource is not available during resource scheduling, it attempts to substitute the alternate resource. Following resource scheduling, you can use the resource allocation feature to confirm or change any substitutions Open Plan has suggested.
Resource Offset	The number of time units that must elapse from the start of an activity and the time when the resource starts working. For example, if you define the offset of a requirement as 5 periods, the requirement will begin on the sixth period of the activity duration. If you enter an Offset value and do not enter a Period, Open Plan will assume a maximum period value of activity duration minus the offset value. You may enter offsets using any of the following units: M: months W: weeks D: days H: hours T: minutes While you may use decimal values (for example, 4.5 D), you cannot enter offsets using mixed units. (For example, 4D4H is not allowed.) The offset defaults to zero if left blank. If both the offset and period are left blank, the resource is assumed to start on day one of the activity. Open Plan does not allow you to enter values for a requirement offset that extend beyond the duration of the activity, nor can you enter the offset value equal to the activity duration.
Resource Period	The assignment period defines the duration for which the resource is required. If you enter an Offset value and do not enter a Period, Open Plan will assume a maximum period value of activity duration minus the offset value. For standard (that is, non-cost) resources, Open Plan does not allow you to enter values for an assignment offset and period that extend beyond the duration of the activity. You may enter periods using any of the following units: M: months W: weeks D: days H: hours T: minutes While you may use decimal values (for example, 4.5 D), you cannot enter periods using mixed units. (For example, 4D4H is not allowed.) If both the offset and period are left blank, the resource is assumed to be required for the entire duration of the activity. Open Plan does not allow you to enter values for a requirement period that extend beyond the duration of the activity. Attention: For more information about the standard resources and cost resources, see Planning Costs.
Cost Class	Cobra users can enter a cost class for each resource assignment in this column. This information is transferred to Cobra during cost/schedule integration.

Time Phase Mode

In Time Phase mode, Open Plan allows resource assignments to be displayed and edited in a time-phase manner. This allows resource levels to be more precisely allocated within the duration of the activity.

When this mode is selected, any assignments displayed in the Normal mode are translated into time-phase periods starting at the activity early start date and spread based on the assignment’s spread curve, offset, period, and cost class.

Multiple assignments of the same resource with differing cost classes are treated as separate assignments when translated into time-phased periods.

Field	Description
Copying and Pasting From/To Excel	When you are in the Time Phase mode, you can copy a range of cells and paste them into Excel. The cells that you copy can either be contiguous, or non-contiguous; however, you cannot select a mixture of different columns on different rows. For example, you cannot select Resource ID and Total Quality on row 1, and Resource ID and a Date field on row 3. If you select Resource ID and Total Quality on row 1, then you must select Resource ID and Total Quality on row 3. Only the data that you copy is pasted into Excel. The column headings are not copied. When you copy data from Excel and paste it into the time-phased grid, each row must be associated with a unique combination of Resource, Skill ID, and Cost Class. An assignment can have either a resource or a skill, or both. If both the resource and skill values are missing, but the cost class is present, and the resource and/or skill value can be determined by Open Plan looking at the row prior to the paste, the system will still allow you to paste the data. If neither the resource or skill are present and they cannot be determined, the system will not allow you to complete pasting the data. You can paste time-phased values on an existing row (and overwrite the resource, skill, or cost class fields as long as paste doesn't cause the row to become non-unique. You can paste time-phased values on a new row providing the cost class is available, and is different from cost classes in the grid pertaining to the same resource/skill combination. You can paste time-phased values provided that the resource column is present and differs from other resources in the grid.
Skill ID	Early in the project lifecycle, you may elect to specify the skills needed to complete an activity rather than assign specific resources. When a resource is assigned to the activity at a later date, the original skill remains on record. Once you have specified a skill in this column, when you add a resource on the same row using the Select Resource dialog box, the Skill Filter is preset to the intended skill, displaying only those resources that match the skill.
Resource ID	Open Plan uses the resources displayed in this column for the activity. If you hover your mouse cursor over this field, Open Plan displays the description associated with the resource. Clicking the ellipsis next to the list field displays the Select Resource dialog box that you can use to quickly select the appropriate resource.
Cost Class	Cobra users can enter a cost class for each resource assignment in this column. This information is transferred to Cobra during cost/schedule integration.
Total Qty	The total amount of the resource requirement. If a resource assignment exists in Normal mode, the total quantity is calculated in one of the following ways: Level: The Total Quantity is the Level of the resource assignment multiplied by the Duration. For example, if you assign a resource to work 8 hours per day on a 10 day activity, the resource requirement equates to 80 hours. Now, assume that the activity actually takes 12 days. Since the resource was assigned as a level per time unit, the resource will work on the activity for a total of 96 hours. Total: The Total Quantity is the Level entered spread over the duration of the activity according to the assigned spread Curve. For example, if you assign a resource to work on the same 10 day activity for a total of 80 hours, you still have a fixed 80 hours of the resource to spread over the duration of the activity regardless of whether the activity duration is 10 or 12 days.
Cutoff Dates	The time-phased cutoff dates are based on the project’s fiscal calendar (if one has been assigned to the project). If there is no fiscal calendar, the cutoff dates are generated using weekly periods.
Total Labor Qty	This summary row displays the total quantity for Labor resources for the Total Qty column and each time-phased cutoff date column.
Show As Levels	This option allows time-phased resource assignments values to be displayed and edited using a level-per-period value instead of a total-per-period value. When in this mode, the Total Qty column is disabled and used for reference only, and the Spread and Reconcile buttons are dimmed.
Spread	Clicking this button displays the Spread Method dialog box that you can use to re-spread the total quantity over the time phased periods.
Reconcile	If there is a discrepancy between the total quantity and the sum of the time-phased periods, you can use the Reconcile button to quickly fix the problem. When you click this button, the Reconcile command calculates the difference between the total quantity and the sum of the periods. The difference is placed into the selected period after you confirm the operation.
Show Time Phase Based On	This option allows the direct updating of the integration baseline to apply a scope change, integrate the data with Cobra and analyze the Cost impact. You may select either Current Plan (Early Dates) or Selected Baseline. By default, Current Plan (Early Dates) is selected. You must click Apply to commit any changes you select.
Date Range	The activity Start and End dates are displayed here.

Related Procedures

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Resources Tab

This tab controls resource assignments for a selected activity.

Contents

Field	Description
ID, Desc., Status, Duration	These fields are common to all tabs. See Common Fields for a description of these fields.
Normal/Time Phase Button	Open Plan lets you enter resource information in either Normal or Time Phase mode. The fields on the dialog box change, depending on which mode you select. This help topic lists both sets of fields.

Normal Mode

In Normal mode, Open Plan controls resource assignments for the selected activity using.

Field	Description
Skill ID	Early in the project lifecycle, you may elect to specify the skills needed to complete an activity rather than asssign specific resources. When a resource is assigned to the activity at a later date, the original skill remains on record. Once you have specified a skill in this column, when you add a resource on the same row using the Select Resource dialog box, the Skill Filter is preset to the intended skill, displaying only those resources that match the skill.
Resource ID	Open Plan uses the resources displayed in this column for the activity. If you hover your mouse cursor over this field, Open Plan displays the description associated with the resource. Clicking the ellipsis next to the list field displays the Select Resource dialog box that you can use to quickly select the appropriate resource.
Resource Curve	In Open Plan, the amount of a resource requirement can be interpreted as either a total quantity or a level-per-time unit. For example, if a 5-day activity has a resource requirement of 10 units, this information can be interpreted in two different ways: as a total requirement of 10 units or as a level of 10 units per day. If you leave the Resource Curve setting blank, Open Plan interprets the amount of the resource requirement as a level-per-time unit. Thus, if the activity duration changes, the amount of the resource requirement changes as well. If you want Open Plan to interpret the amount of the requirement as a total rather than as a level, change the Curve setting to one of the following values: B: Back Load D: Double Peak E: Early Peak F: Front Load L: Late Peak N: Normal (Bell) T: Linear Note: For a description of each curve, see Resource Curve Descriptions. For requirements defined as totals, the time unit for the requirement is based on the default duration unit specified for the project. For example, a total requirement for 10 people for a project scheduled in days is interpreted as a requirement for 10 labor-days. For information on setting the default duration unit for a project, see the Project Properties dialog box Preferences Tab. Using the Spread Curves dialog box, you can add custom spread curves to this list. In addition, you can edit or delete any spread curve.
Resource Level	The amount of the resource requirement. This numeric value is interpreted by Open Plan as either a level-per-activity time unit or as a total requirement, depending on the contents of the Resource Curve field. To understand the difference between entering a resource requirement as a level-per-time unit or as a total requirement, let us take the example of an activity that has a duration of 10 days. Now, let's look at two cases: If you assign a resource to work on this activity for 8 hours per day, the resource requirement equates to 80 hours. Now, assume that the work of the activity actually takes 12 days. Since the resource was assigned as a level per time unit, the resource will work on the activity for a total of 96 hours. If you assign a resource to work on this activity for a total of 80 hours, it no longer matters how long the activity actually takes. You still have a fixed 80 hours of the resource to spread over the duration of the activity regardless of whether the activity duration is 10 or 12 days. Attention: For more information about how Open Plan interprets resource requirement levels and totals, see Resource Scheduling Calculations, in the Deltek Open Plan Developer’s Guide. For more information about how Open Plan deals with resource profiles of in-progress activities, see The Effect of Progress Information, in the Deltek Open Plan Developer’s Guide.
Alternate Resource ID	You can enter an alternate for any required resource, pool, or skill. If Open Plan determines that the original required resource is not available during resource scheduling, it attempts to substitute the alternate resource. Following resource scheduling, you can use the resource allocation feature to confirm or change any substitutions Open Plan has suggested.
Resource Offset	The number of time units that must elapse from the start of an activity and the time when the resource starts working. For example, if you define the offset of a requirement as 5 periods, the requirement will begin on the sixth period of the activity duration. If you enter an Offset value and do not enter a Period, Open Plan will assume a maximum period value of activity duration minus the offset value. You may enter offsets using any of the following units: M: months W: weeks D: days H: hours T: minutes While you may use decimal values (for example, 4.5 D), you cannot enter offsets using mixed units. (For example, 4D4H is not allowed.) The offset defaults to zero if left blank. If both the offset and period are left blank, the resource is assumed to start on day one of the activity. Open Plan does not allow you to enter values for a requirement offset that extend beyond the duration of the activity, nor can you enter the offset value equal to the activity duration.
Resource Period	The assignment period defines the duration for which the resource is required. If you enter an Offset value and do not enter a Period, Open Plan will assume a maximum period value of activity duration minus the offset value. For standard (that is, non-cost) resources, Open Plan does not allow you to enter values for an assignment offset and period that extend beyond the duration of the activity. You may enter periods using any of the following units: M: months W: weeks D: days H: hours T: minutes While you may use decimal values (for example, 4.5 D), you cannot enter periods using mixed units. (For example, 4D4H is not allowed.) If both the offset and period are left blank, the resource is assumed to be required for the entire duration of the activity. Open Plan does not allow you to enter values for a requirement period that extend beyond the duration of the activity. Attention: For more information about the standard resources and cost resources, see Planning Costs.
Cost Class	Cobra users can enter a cost class for each resource assignment in this column. This information is transferred to Cobra during cost/schedule integration.

Time Phase Mode

In Time Phase mode, Open Plan allows resource assignments to be displayed and edited in a time-phase manner. This allows resource levels to be more precisely allocated within the duration of the activity.

When this mode is selected, any assignments displayed in the Normal mode are translated into time-phase periods starting at the activity early start date and spread based on the assignment’s spread curve, offset, period, and cost class.

Multiple assignments of the same resource with differing cost classes are treated as separate assignments when translated into time-phased periods.

Field	Description
Copying and Pasting From/To Excel	When you are in the Time Phase mode, you can copy a range of cells and paste them into Excel. The cells that you copy can either be contiguous, or non-contiguous; however, you cannot select a mixture of different columns on different rows. For example, you cannot select Resource ID and Total Quality on row 1, and Resource ID and a Date field on row 3. If you select Resource ID and Total Quality on row 1, then you must select Resource ID and Total Quality on row 3. Only the data that you copy is pasted into Excel. The column headings are not copied. When you copy data from Excel and paste it into the time-phased grid, each row must be associated with a unique combination of Resource, Skill ID, and Cost Class. An assignment can have either a resource or a skill, or both. If both the resource and skill values are missing, but the cost class is present, and the resource and/or skill value can be determined by Open Plan looking at the row prior to the paste, the system will still allow you to paste the data. If neither the resource or skill are present and they cannot be determined, the system will not allow you to complete pasting the data. You can paste time-phased values on an existing row (and overwrite the resource, skill, or cost class fields as long as paste doesn't cause the row to become non-unique. You can paste time-phased values on a new row providing the cost class is available, and is different from cost classes in the grid pertaining to the same resource/skill combination. You can paste time-phased values provided that the resource column is present and differs from other resources in the grid.
Skill ID	Early in the project lifecycle, you may elect to specify the skills needed to complete an activity rather than assign specific resources. When a resource is assigned to the activity at a later date, the original skill remains on record. Once you have specified a skill in this column, when you add a resource on the same row using the Select Resource dialog box, the Skill Filter is preset to the intended skill, displaying only those resources that match the skill.
Resource ID	Open Plan uses the resources displayed in this column for the activity. If you hover your mouse cursor over this field, Open Plan displays the description associated with the resource. Clicking the ellipsis next to the list field displays the Select Resource dialog box that you can use to quickly select the appropriate resource.
Cost Class	Cobra users can enter a cost class for each resource assignment in this column. This information is transferred to Cobra during cost/schedule integration.
Total Qty	The total amount of the resource requirement. If a resource assignment exists in Normal mode, the total quantity is calculated in one of the following ways: Level: The Total Quantity is the Level of the resource assignment multiplied by the Duration. For example, if you assign a resource to work 8 hours per day on a 10 day activity, the resource requirement equates to 80 hours. Now, assume that the activity actually takes 12 days. Since the resource was assigned as a level per time unit, the resource will work on the activity for a total of 96 hours. Total: The Total Quantity is the Level entered spread over the duration of the activity according to the assigned spread Curve. For example, if you assign a resource to work on the same 10 day activity for a total of 80 hours, you still have a fixed 80 hours of the resource to spread over the duration of the activity regardless of whether the activity duration is 10 or 12 days.
Cutoff Dates	The time-phased cutoff dates are based on the project’s fiscal calendar (if one has been assigned to the project). If there is no fiscal calendar, the cutoff dates are generated using weekly periods.
Total Labor Qty	This summary row displays the total quantity for Labor resources for the Total Qty column and each time-phased cutoff date column.
Show As Levels	This option allows time-phased resource assignments values to be displayed and edited using a level-per-period value instead of a total-per-period value. When in this mode, the Total Qty column is disabled and used for reference only, and the Spread and Reconcile buttons are dimmed.
Spread	Clicking this button displays the Spread Method dialog box that you can use to re-spread the total quantity over the time phased periods.
Reconcile	If there is a discrepancy between the total quantity and the sum of the time-phased periods, you can use the Reconcile button to quickly fix the problem. When you click this button, the Reconcile command calculates the difference between the total quantity and the sum of the periods. The difference is placed into the selected period after you confirm the operation.
Show Time Phase Based On	This option allows the direct updating of the integration baseline to apply a scope change, integrate the data with Cobra and analyze the Cost impact. You may select either Current Plan (Early Dates) or Selected Baseline. By default, Current Plan (Early Dates) is selected. You must click Apply to commit any changes you select.
Date Range	The activity Start and End dates are displayed here.

Related Procedures