Details About Hours
OpenAir and Microsoft Project applications both handle hours and work fields. While functionality is comparable, there are some important differences. The following describe those differences in some detail:
The following table highlights the areas where differences exist.
|
OpenAir |
Microsoft Project |
|---|---|
|
Planned hours |
Work hours |
|
Worked hours |
Actual work |
|
Gap |
Remaining work |
|
Overtime work - no built-in OpenAir equivalent |
Overtime work |
|
Estimated hours |
Estimated hours - No Microsoft Project equivalent |
|
Remaining Hours |
Remaining hours - No Microsoft Project equivalent |
|
Billed hours |
Billed hours - No Microsoft Project equivalent |
Each is described in more detail in the following paragraphs.
OpenAir Planned Hours VS. Microsoft Project Work Hours
There are differences in the way OpenAir handles Planned hours versus the way Microsoft Project handles Work hours. The way your OpenAir account is configured is also a factor since internal switches determine how OpenAir handles Planned hours. Review the following descriptions.
Microsoft Project Work Hours
In Microsoft Project, work is a dynamic field that is made up of three more granular fields: actual work, remaining work, and overtime work. A user can edit the work field, changing the amount of work needed to complete a task. When a value is entered in the work field, Microsoft Project automatically divides that work between the assigned resources based on the assignment units. If a user changes any of the fields for actual work, remaining work, or overtime work, the work field is automatically adjusted. Refer to the following examples of a project plan.
Example 1: Project plan before changes are made. No actual work hours have been entered.
Example 2: Project plan after entering 10 hours of actual work for Bill Carr. Notice that while Microsoft Project moves the hours from remaining work to actual work, the number of work hours remains the same.
Example 3: Project plan after entering 40 hours of actual work for Bill Carr, which is 15 hours more than the original number of work hours. Microsoft Project adjusts the total work for the task, and changes the finish date and duration.
OpenAir Planned Hours
Unlike work hours in Microsoft Project, OpenAir planned hours are not dynamic. They do not change automatically because another field has changed. In the previous example, if actual work exceeds work hours, Microsoft Project adjusts the work field. OpenAir does not change the plan if worked hours exceed planned hours. Planned hours in OpenAir act as budget hours for the task. The number of hours logged against the task has no affect on the number of planned hours. While OpenAir gap hours are related to planned hours, the planned hour field is not comprised of other fields as it is in Microsoft Project.
OpenAir can behave like Microsoft Project in one respect if the following internal setting is enabled: Input planned hours for each user assigned to the task. This setting determines how OpenAir distributes planned hours:
-
If the setting is enabled, you can distribute planned hours among assigned resources, a level of control similar to that available in the Microsoft Project resource usage view.
-
If the setting is not enabled, planned hours are automatically distributed among the assigned resources based upon the percentage of time for which the resources are assigned.
OpenAir Worked Hours VS. Microsoft Project Actual Hours
In Microsoft Project, you can enter hours in the actual work field or let them be calculated automatically when percent complete or percent work complete is entered. Microsoft Project then distributes the actual work automatically to the resources assigned to the task.
In OpenAir, worked hours are hours that users have logged against the task on a timesheet. This is a more precise figure since users have logged the hours they actually worked against the task.
Although worked hours can drive percent complete in OpenAir, and they generally do, percent complete never determines the number of hours worked since these hours come directly from user timesheets.
Worked hours drive percent complete unless the following internal setting is enabled: Update percent complete as approved hours divided by planned hours.
OpenAir Gap Hours VS. Microsoft Project Remaining Work
Gap hours and remaining work hours are nearly identical in Microsoft Project and OpenAir. In Microsoft Project, remaining work equals work minus actual work. In OpenAir, gap hours are planned hours minus worked hours.
However, there is one significant difference. You cannot edit gap hours in OpenAir, but you can edit remaining work in Microsoft Project. Remember, the work field in Microsoft Project is comprised of three fields, including remaining work, and they can all be edited.
Microsoft Project Overtime Work
OpenAir does not have a field for overtime work, and Microsoft Project does. It is one of the three fields that contribute to the work field value.
In OpenAir, you can easily create a calculated field for overtime work and generate the data using OpenAir Report functionality.
OpenAir Estimated Hours
OpenAir has a field for estimated hours, and Microsoft Project does not. Estimated hours are approved hours from timesheets plus hours remaining that are entered by the user in the Timsheets module. This information is not transferred using Projects Connector.
In OpenAir, you can easily generate data for estimated hours using OpenAir Report functionality.
OpenAir Remaining Hours
OpenAir has a field for remaining hours, and Microsoft Project does not. Remaining hours are generally estimated hours minus worked hours. Although, if a user who has worked hours is removed from a task, the remaining hours might not equal estimated hours minus worked hours. This information is not transferred using Projects Connector.
In OpenAir, you can easily generate data for remaining hours using OpenAir Report functionality.
OpenAir Billed Hours
OpenAir has a field for billed hours, and Microsoft Project does not. Billed hours are hours from timebills or charges in the Invoices module and include hours from all timebills, whether they are open or invoiced. This information is not transferred using Projects Connector.
In OpenAir, you can easily generate data for billed hours using OpenAir Report functionality.