How to Use Resource Formats and Resource Classes to Create Planning Resources

The resources you can create for planning and billing resource breakdown structures are determined by a combination of predefined resource classes and the resource format hierarchies you select for use.

Resource Formats and Resource Format Hierarchies

Before creating planning or billing resources, you must select the resource formats and resource format hierarchies you want to use on your resource breakdown structure. For example, if you want to plan for project-related expenses such as air fare, then you must select resource format hierarchies created using the resource type Expenditure Type.

Also, as resource format hierarchies support up to three levels, selecting from the available hierarchies enables you to determine the granularity with which resources are created.

For example, for planning resource breakdown structures used for high-level or preliminary planning, you may decide to enable only the Resource Class resource format. You can then create and use planning resources representing the four resource classes: Labor, Equipment, Material Items, and Financial Resources.

To plan in greater detail, you may decide to use a two-level resource format hierarchy, such as Resource Class: Job or a three-level hierarchy such as Resource Class: Job: Named Person. You can then create a resource such as Labor: Electrical Engineer or Labor: Electrical Engineer: Chris Black.

Selecting more granular resource formats automatically selects resource formats higher up within the same hierarchy. For example, if you select the resource format Expenditure Type: Named Person: Job, then the resource formats Expenditure Type: Named Person and Expenditure Type are automatically selected for use.

Resource Classes

Resource classes influence the creation of planning and billing resources in the following ways:

• Resource class as a resource format: As mentioned earlier, Resource Class is a resource type that is available for use within resource format hierarchies on planning and billing resource breakdown structures.

• Predefined association with resource formats: For each resource format, you can create planning or billing resources based on certain resource classes. For example, if the resource format contains Job, then the only available resource class is Labor. However, if the resource format is Expenditure Category, then you can select any of the resource classes (Labor, Material, Equipment, and Financial Resources) when you create a resource.