Techniques to manage cost resources

• US 20080195449A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Iyer, Raju, Snapkauskas, Darius, Vries, Bram De, Ducolon, David, Olford, William John
• Application Number:
  US11/704,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195449A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations

Abstract

Techniques to manage cost resources are described. An apparatus comprises a project management program arranged to schedule resources for a project. The project management program includes multiple resource types with one of the resource types comprising a cost resource type. The cost resource type may have multiple defined cost resources each representing a cost value independent of a volume of work for a task or a duration for the task. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

defining a task for a project;

defining multiple cost resources each representing a cost value independent of a volume of work for said task or a duration for said task; and

assigning said multiple cost resources to said task.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising assigning said cost resource to said task over multiple time intervals.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising assigning a first portion of a cost resource to a first time interval and a second portion of said cost resource to a second time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising assigning a first portion of a cost resource to a first time interval and a second portion of said cost resource to a second time interval, said first portion and said second portion having equal values.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising assigning a first portion of a cost resource to a first time interval and a second portion of said cost resource to a second time interval, said first portion and said second portion having unequal values.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying a view of said task and assigned cost resources.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

defining said multiple cost resources each representing an estimated cost value independent of a volume of work for said task or a duration for said task;

receiving an actual cost value for one or more estimated cost values; and

comparing said actual cost value with said estimated cost value.

8. An article comprising a storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

define a task for a project;

define multiple cost resources each representing a cost value independent of a volume of activity or a duration of activity; and

assign said multiple cost resources to said task.

9. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to assign said cost resource to said task over multiple time intervals.

10. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to assign a first portion of a cost resource to a first time interval and a second portion of said cost resource to a second time interval.

11. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to assign a first portion of a cost resource to a first time interval and a second portion of said cost resource to a second time interval, said first portion and said second portion having equal values.

12. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to assign a first portion of a cost resource to a first time interval and a second portion of said cost resource to a second time interval, said first portion and said second portion having unequal values.

13. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to generating a report with said task and assigned cost resources.

14. An apparatus comprising a project management program arranged to schedule resources for a project, said project management program including multiple resource types with one of said resource types comprising a cost resource type, said cost resource type having multiple defined cost resources each representing a cost value independent of a volume of work for a task or a duration for said task.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a task definition component to define a task for said project.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a resource definition component to define said cost resources for said project.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a resource assignment component to assign multiple cost resources to a task.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a resource assignment component to assign said cost resource to said task over multiple time intervals.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a resource assignment component to assign a first portion of a cost resource to a task for a first time period, and a second portion of a cost resource to said task for a second time period, said first portion and said second portion having identical values.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a resource assignment component to assign a first portion of a cost resource to a task for a first time period, and a second portion of a cost resource to said task for a second time period, said first portion and said second portion having different values.