Resources
Cobra project costs are entered as resource assignments. Resources are a combination of labor, material, and other direct costs associated with a project.
In most cases, a resource is defined as a skill or labor group with an average rate. Typically, estimators research past projects before defining these labor groups and standard labor rates. Common terms used by estimators are bid codes, skill categories, and labor pools. For example, resources can be Structural Engineer Grade 1, Technician, Clerical, Travel, and even Pipe. Using these skill groups as resources in Cobra is an efficient means of budgeting and controlling costs on a project.
While there are no limitations in Cobra, most implementations do not include the name of a person in the resource name. Most often, the benefit that could be gained from budgeting with this level of granularity does not outweigh the additional time it would take to maintain the system and explain variances due to changes in personnel.
In addition to using standard rates for budgeting, you need to also investigate your accounting system. When determining Estimate at Complete (EAC), it is helpful to have the actual costs use the same resource codes as the budgeting codes. Hopefully, the estimators coordinated with the accounting department a long time ago and the resource codes used in estimates are the same resource codes stored in the accounting system. If so, your resource codes in Cobra should correlate to these same codes.
Resources are typically assigned to a work package in a manner that is similar to assigning resources to an activity in a schedule. However, in Cobra, resources can also be at the control account level for planning packages, contingency amounts, and other items that do not earn value. Actual costs and forecasts are also typically resources assignments at the control account level.
Use the Resource view to edit or modify resource files. Use the New Resource File wizard to create a new resource file. Use the Resource File Properties dialog box to view or change important information about the resource file.
- Related Topics:
- Resource Components
Resources consist of several different components. - Define Costs for Resources
For each resource that you want to assign to your project, you define how the costs are calculated for that resource, the rate set that should be used, and the way you want the costs to be displayed. - Examples of Resources
Cobra resources define how costs are calculated, by associating a rate set with a particular cost definition. - Element of Cost
Use the element of cost to classify costs for reporting purposes. - Plan Resource Information
It is important to plan the development of your resources. - Additional Information in Resources
Cobra resources include other fields of information in addition to defining a series of source/result relationship for each cost calculation. Use the Results tab of the Resource File Properties dialog box to define these fields. - Results or Field Names
Cobra allows you to define multiple results in a calculation. Results relate to a field name that becomes a column in the database. - Resources and Code Files
Cobra allows you to associate resources with codes in a code file. - Load Resource Files from Open Plan
A resource code file originating from Open Plan can be brought into Cobra. You can use a punctuated significant breakdown structure for resource codes in Open Plan and a non-significant breakdown structure for resource assignments in Cobra. - Resource-Loaded Schedule
Cobra uses the value in the Resource Assignment Level field from the schedule as the value for the base or first result when linking with a resource-loaded schedule. - Variance Thresholds
Management by exception, concentrating on areas that exceed predefined thresholds, is an efficient way to manage a large project. - Code the Resources for IPMR Format 2 Reports
You can break out materials, major subcontractors, and major vendors on the IPMR Format 2 report. Select a code on the resource file and use it for coding IPMR Format 2 Summary on the resource assignments. - Resource View
Use the Resource view to modify resource files. - New Resource File Wizard
Use the New Resource File wizard to create resource files. - Procedures
Use the procedures to launch the New Resource File wizard and create resource files. - Resource File Properties Dialog Box
Use this dialog box to view and change information about your resource files. - Resource File Security
You can enable a user or a group to access a resource file.