Help System

Using the Help Search
Using the Help Search
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For more information:Searching Online Help

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.

Video

Title Description
Adding Resources to a Resource File Learn how to add resources to a resource file.
Export and Import Resources and Calculations Learn how to quickly enter data into a Cobra resource file by exporting to Excel, editing in Excel, and then importing the new resources and calculations.