Effort-Driven Scheduling

In Microsoft Project, after a resource is assigned to a task, the task is scheduled according to the formula Duration = Work / Units. For any task, you can choose which piece of the equation Microsoft Project calculates by setting the task type. When you assign or remove resources from a task, Microsoft Project lengthens or shortens the duration of the task based on the number of resources that are assigned to it. However, Microsoft Project does not change the total work for the task. This is called effort-driven scheduling, and it is the default Microsoft Project uses when resources are assigned to tasks.

In OpenAir, you cannot select whether or not a task is effort-driven. OpenAir operates in one of two ways based on an internal setting: input planned hours for each user assigned to a task.

• If the setting is enabled, OpenAir's behavior is different than Microsoft Project's behavior. Planned hours must be input for each user assigned to a task.

• If the setting is not enabled, OpenAir mirrors Microsoft Project's behavior. They both change the duration of the task when resources are added or removed from the task, but neither change the planned hours or total work for the task.