Page 15 - Participant Guide - Unanet GovCon Managing Project Resources

Using Grids to Create a Project Plan
Project plans can be created for both people (labor) and expenses (materials and/or
items). While an individual plan can be created, the grid allows for a many planning
increments to be created at the same time.

The single most important concept to understand about planning (or assigning)
resources or expenses is the increment used to create the plan. Plans (and
assignments) can only be edited in the exact same increment as when they were
created. As such, a monthly plan can only be edited in the future if a grid is created
using a ‘monthly’ period when creating a grid for editing purposes.

Reporting on plans (or assignments) can be displayed in many increments,
regardless of the increment used to create the plan (or assignment).

Recommendations for creating a People Planning Grid

Plan View: Plan at Project or Task level. If the project has "Manage at Task level"
enforced, and you intend to create assignments from plans, choose to plan at Task
level.

Planning Periods: These are the increments of time for each plan.
NOTE: Recommended practice is to choose a time period that best suits your planning
periods and use this same increment consistently for all planning grids on all projects.
Initial recommendation is to use your timesheet period as a planning increment as this
one provides the most flexibility with reports and management efforts.

Not adhering to this recommendation may result in a gray grid. A gray grid
reflects a view only cell. Plans can only be edited in the same increment as
created.

Number of Periods: This determines how many planning increments will be in the grid.
Recommendation is to use the entire period that you intend to plan using the project
start/end dates.

Start Date: The date for the first increment

Budget in: This option should be Hours or Utilization. Utilization rate is calculated
based on default Business Week. (EX: Using 1 = 100% capacity, using .5 = 50%
capacity)

Lesson 2: People and Expense Plans
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