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How to Calculate Resource Hours for Fixed-Duration Tasks
Question details
The user needs to automatically calculate the total number of hours each resource contributes to fixed-duration tasks based on their specific assignment percentages.
- Product
- Microsoft Project
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Assigning multiple resources to fixed-duration tasks at varying percentages (e.g., 20%, 50%, 100%) and needing to view the exact calculated work hours for each resource.
- Observed behavior
- The user wants to find the correct software views or tables that display the automatically calculated work hours produced by these percentage assignments.
Ensure that your tasks are explicitly set to 'Fixed Duration' in the task information settings before assigning resources to guarantee that the duration remains constant while work hours are calculated.
Use the Task Usage or Resource Usage Views
These built-in usage views automatically calculate and display the total work hours for each resource based on their individual assignment percentage.
Click on the 'View' tab on the top ribbon of your project management interface.
Click on 'Task Usage' or 'Resource Usage' from the Task or Resource view groups.
Look at the 'Work' column in the table portion of the view to see the exact calculated hours for each assigned resource (for example, a 10-hour task with a 20% assignment will correctly display as 2 hours).
Apply the Work Table to the Resource Sheet
Applying the Work table allows you to see the summarized calculated work hours for each resource across all assigned tasks.
Utilize the Split-Screen Work Form
The Work form provides a detailed, split-pane view of individual task assignments and their respective hours, making it easy to analyze single tasks.
Manage Project Schedules Easily with WPS Office
While heavy project management software handles complex resource algorithms, WPS Office offers a lightweight, free alternative for tracking tasks and resource hours. You can easily use WPS Spreadsheet's rich template library and standard formulas to calculate project resource hours without the steep learning curve.
- 1. Download and install WPS Office: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and install it on your device.
- 2. Open a project template: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and search for 'Project Management' or 'Task Tracker' in the templates section.
- 3. Calculate resource hours: Enter your task durations in one column and assignment percentages in another. Use standard multiplication formulas (e.g., =B2*C2) to calculate the resource hours automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do resource hours change when I add a new resource to a fixed-duration task?
If the task is configured as 'effort-driven', adding a new resource will distribute the total work among all resources while keeping the duration fixed. To prevent this, double-click the task, go to the Advanced tab, and uncheck the 'Effort driven' option.
How do I change a task to Fixed Duration?
Double-click the task to open the Task Information dialog box. Navigate to the Advanced tab, locate the 'Task type' dropdown menu, and select 'Fixed Duration'.
Can I calculate resource hours using a spreadsheet instead of specialized project management software?
Yes. You can use tools like WPS Spreadsheet or Microsoft Excel. Simply create a column for Task Duration (in hours) and a column for Assignment Percentage. Use a multiplication formula (e.g., =A2*B2) in a third column to instantly calculate the total resource hours.
