Add task resources

Key points

  • Create a task resource for any employee who works on a project task.
  • Find resources who possess the right skills, or narrow the search to resources who are fully or partially available during the requested time frame, resources at a particular location, and so on.
  • Assign a resource to a task and specify their time commitment. You can schedule a resource to a task for multi-segment scheduling. For example, you might want to schedule a resource to work on the task full-time in one month, and part-time during the following month.
  • Create a recurring schedule for a resource.
  • You can add a task resource without being subscribed to the Project & Resource Management application of the Projects application. Go to Configure Projects for advanced resource management features.
Subscription

Access can vary depending on your organization's subscriptions and your permissions to features.

Subscribe to the Projects application to enable Project Costing. Timesheets are available with a subscription to Time and Expenses. You must have the Time application to approve timesheets.

User type
  • Business with admin privileges
  • Project Manager
Permissions
  • Business: all
  • Project manager: create, edit
To assign a resource multiple times to the task in separate segments of time, add the resource again from the Task Resource field and enter a Start Date and End Date for that segment of time. You can also create a recurring schedule by selecting the calendar next to the resource's name.

  1. Go to Projects > All > Projects and select Add (circle) next to Task resources.

  2. In the Project field, enter or select the existing project.
  3. In the Task field, enter or select the specific task.
  4. In the Employee field, enter or select the appropriate name.
  5. Optionally, use the down arrow in the Task Resources field to select a resource. If you select a resource that's not already assigned to the project, it automatically adds the resource to the project when you click Save.

  6. Enter details for the duration and hours of resource assignments in the table at the bottom of the page.

    • The start and end dates default from the task’s start and end dates, but you can edit the dates for this assignment. If you use Resource Search, and you select a resource, the date range used in the search will be the default start and end dates.
    • In the Estimated Hours field, enter the number of hours that you estimate the resource to be working on the task. For multi-segment scheduling, enter the estimated hours your resource will be working during that particular segment of time. Enter the number of hours to estimate availability. You'll receive a warning message if you’re overbooking the resource. If you do not enter the Estimated Hours, the Planned Hours will be used instead. However, planned hours are not checked for overbooking.
    • If you want to consider the resource fully booked on this assignment (regardless of the number of hours you estimate), select the Full-time checkbox.
    • If you want the resource to be considered soft booked, select the Soft book checkbox.
    • If you do not enter any hours for the resource, the resource is not booked during the time period.

  1. Go to Projects > All > Projects and select Add (circle) next to Task resources.

  2. In the Project field, enter or select the existing project.
  3. In the Task field, enter or select the specific task.
  4. In the Employee field, enter or select the appropriate name.
  5. Optionally, use the down arrow in the Task Resources field to select a resource. If you select a resource that's not already assigned to the project, it automatically adds the resource to the project when you click Save.

  6. Enter details for the duration and hours of resource assignments in the table at the bottom of the page.

    • The start and end dates default from the task’s start and end dates, but you can edit the dates for this assignment. If you use Resource Search, and you select a resource, the date range used in the search will be the default start and end dates.
    • In the Estimated Hours field, enter the number of hours that you estimate the resource to be working on the task. For multi-segment scheduling, enter the estimated hours your resource will be working during that particular segment of time. Enter the number of hours to estimate availability. You'll receive a warning message if you’re overbooking the resource. If you do not enter the Estimated Hours, the Planned Hours will be used instead. However, planned hours are not checked for overbooking.
    • If you want to consider the resource fully booked on this assignment (regardless of the number of hours you estimate), select the Full-time checkbox.
    • If you want the resource to be considered soft booked, select the Soft book checkbox.
    • If you do not enter any hours for the resource, the resource is not booked during the time period.

How do resource assignments affect hours?

The hours that you assign to resources automatically roll up and update the Estimated Duration and Planned Duration fields on the Additional info tab of the task.

If you want both a task budget that's not affected by assignments and a rollup of assigned hours, enter Estimated Hours in the Resource Scheduling tab, and leave the Planned Hours blank or zero. Then, Planned Duration at the task level is not updated.

You can then view the task and see the difference between your budget for the task, and how much of that budget has been assigned.