Cost factor applications

Not all cost factors apply to all entities at all times. For example, a package workflow has nothing to do with time logged against a task or request; it is relevant only when time is logged against a package.

The following table lists some important entities and the cost factors that apply to them.

Entity

Relevant Cost Factors

Forecast labor costs for unmet demand on the synchronized staffing profile

  • Region. As defined in the FM_SP_POSITION_REGION_PRECEDENCE parameter.

    For details, see Server parameters.

  • Project. If the staffing profile is for a project.

  • Resource Type. As defined on the staffing profile position.

  • Role. Role specified on the staffing profile position.

  • Cost Category. Cost category specified on the staffing profile position.

Forecast labor costs for allocated resources on the synchronized staffing profile

  • Region. Region of the assigned resource if defined; otherwise, PPM uses the region of the resource pool where the resource belongs.

  • Project. If the staffing profile is for a project.

  • Resource. Resource allocated to the position.

  • Resource Type. Resource type assigned to the task.

  • Role. Resource role when it is defined, otherwise, PPM uses the position role.

    However, when the parameter SP_RESOURCE_ROLE_RATE_ENABLE is set to false, PPM uses the position role. For details, see Server parameters.

  • Department. Department of the resource.

  • Org Unit. Primary organization unit to which the resource belongs.

  • Cost Category. Cost category of the resource.

Task planned cost

  • Region. Region of the resource for the assigned portion of the task, and the region of the project for the unassigned portion.

  • Project. Project being worked on.

  • Resource Type. For the assigned portion of the task, the resource type of the resource is used.

  • Role. For the assigned portion of the task, the resource role is used. For the unassigned portion, the task role is used.

    Note: If, for the assigned portion of the task, the assigned resource does not have a role, PPM uses the task role by default.

    However, when the value of the parameter USE_ROLE_OF_TASK_FOR_WP_COSTS is true, PPM uses the task role when it is defined; otherwise, PPM uses the resource role. See the USE_ROLE_OF_TASK_FOR_WP_COSTS parameter in Server parameters.

  • Department. For the assigned portion of the task, the resource department is used.

  • Resource. For the assigned portion of the task.

  • Org Unit. Primary organization unit to which the resource belongs.

  • Cost Category. For the assigned portion of the task, the cost category of the assigned resource is used.

Actual cost for tasks in work plans

  • Region. Region of the resource.

  • Project. Project being worked on.

  • Resource Type. Type of resource assigned to the task.

  • Resource. Resource assigned to the task.

  • Role. Resource role.

    However, when the value of the USE_ROLE_OF_TASK_FOR_WP_COSTS parameter is true, PPM uses the task role when it is defined, otherwise, PPM uses the resource role.

  • Department. Department of the resource.

  • Org Unit. Primary organization unit to which the resource belongs.

  • Cost Category. When the resource has cost category set, PPM uses the cost category of the resource; otherwise, PPM uses the cost category of the corresponding position.

Projects, tasks, and summary tasks updated with time sheets

  • Region. Region of the resource.

  • Project. Project being worked on.

  • Resource Type. Type of resource assigned to the task.

  • Resource. Resource logging time.

  • Role. Role of the resource.

  • Department. Department of the resource logging time.

  • Org Unit. Primary organization unit to which the resource belongs.

  • Cost Category. Cost category of the resource.

Packages updated with time sheets

  • Region. Region of the resource.

  • Resource Type. Type of resource assigned to the task.

  • Resource. Resource logging time.

  • Role. Role of the resource.

  • Department. Department of the resource logging time.

  • Package Workflow. Package workflow for the package being worked on.

  • Org Unit. Primary organization unit to which the resource belongs.

Miscellaneous items updated with time sheets

  • Region. Region of the resource.

  • Resource Type. Type of resource assigned to the task.

  • Resource. Resource who logs time.

  • Role. Role of the resource.

  • Department. Department of the resource who logs time.

  • Misc Work Item Type. Type of miscellaneous work item being worked on.

  • Org Unit. Primary organization unit to which the resource belongs.

Requests updated with time sheets, including proposals and assets

  • Region. Region of the resource.

  • Request Type. Type of request being worked on.

  • Resource Type. Type of resource assigned to the task.

  • Resource. Resource logging time.

  • Role. Role of the resource.

  • Department. Department of the resource logging time.

  • Org Unit. Primary organization unit to which the resource belongs.

Certain combinations of factors are meaningless or redundant in PPM. These include but are not limited to the following:

  • Resource and Department

  • Resource and Team

  • Resource and Role

  • Resource and Org Unit

  • Resource and Resource Type

  • Resource and Region

In cases where these combinations of cost factors are used, the system indicates which cost factors are producing errors, and the rule in question is not saved until the situation is corrected by changing the value for one or both cost factors to blank.