How to Create and Apply Resources and Costs to Your Project, MS Project for Beginners Tutorial 4

In This MS Project for Beginners video I go over how to create a resource table, and how to apply resources and costs to your schedule. How to view costs in both the cost table and resource cost table.
For more advanced videos you can subscribe to my channel and check the MS Project Playlists that I have on my channel. As this series develops there a separate playlist for beginners with new weekly videos added, make sure you click the notifications icon to see the new videos as they are uploaded.
If you have a question or requests for a future video topics please place it in the comment section.
MS Project Beginners Series
Lesson 1 Activities • MS Project for Beginne...
Lesson 2 WBS CPM Linking • MS Project For Beginne...
Lesson 3 Calendars • How to setup a calenda...
Some sample videos from MS Project Made Easy playlist (more are on my playlists, click my channel to review):
Tutorial 1 Introduction • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 2 Calendars • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 3 5 things to improve • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 4 Resources • 8 Things & More on How...
Tutorial 5 Filter • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 6 Updating • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 7 Revisions • How to Update & Revise...
Tutorial 8 Change Orders • Update and Insert Chan...
Tutorial 9 Timeline scale • Make professional pres...
Tutorial 10 Work, Duration, Units, Effort • Learn Work, Units, Dur...
Tom Stephenson is a national award-winning professor (George Brown College, University of Toronto) and best-selling author whose background in education spans nearly three decades. His diverse teaching disciplines include construction project management, business management, human resource management, architecture, carpentry, and brick and stone masonry. As a dual-professional, Tom is called upon by industry leaders to translate knowledge, reinvigorate corporate culture, and inspire innovation in emerging and established companies across Canada. Before breaking into the academic realm, Tom acquired more than a decade of practical project-management experience, operating a mid-sized Toronto-based general contracting firm. He is also the author of the newly released Planning, Scheduling, and Control of Construction Projects with American Technical Publishers and the four best-selling editions of Understanding Construction Drawings for Housing and Small Buildings with Nelson Publishing Canada. Tom most recently received the Toronto Construction Association’s 2020 Chancellor’s Award for “helping his peers become more ethical, knowledgeable and professional.” A champion of change management, Tom takes pride in helping students and businesses navigate uncharted territories, take calculated risks and rise above the status quo. Some of the companies he’s worked with include Mattamy Homes, EllisDon, BIRD Construction, MCA, Maple Reinders, and Tucker HiRise, University of Toronto Project Managers.

[@Fsp01]

I can’t thank you enough for making these amazing videos

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Sebastian, I’m glad they help you!

[@ravindrankrishnan2964]

Good and nice explanation. Pls put video for cost loading. Where BOQ is available with Qty and Rates are also available. Rates are on per sqm, sft, cum, cft basis. Example concert rate per cum, plastering rate sqm basis.... ( post item rate contract for Civil works )...

[@sanazn4470]

Thank you for your videos, they are really helpful 🙂

[@shivanagarajan880]

Appreciate the Video Tom, really informative for beginners like me trying to get our hands on this powerful tool

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Shiva, I’m glad they help.

[@sonahtv1831]

Hey tom great video's as i'm a site super, headed into project management! Keep up the good work, these are helpful!

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Tyronne glad they help.

[@adedu8284]

Thank you Tom. I really like your videos.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Great I’m happy they help you

[@isaacchk]

Very informative, thank you Tom.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Isaac glad it helped

[@jaimedavid3334]

Great! Thank you so Much!

[@TomStephensontraining]

You are welcome Jaime, I’m happy that it helped you.

[@karsano3813]

Dear Tom, Thanks a lot for your videos they are very helpful to us. I would like to politely request you if possible to please generate an electrical project schedule for the Construction of MV and LV lines (electrification) starting from making a schedule, then assigning/linking resources, and identifying how much it will cost you? vs the planned budget.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Wish I could help but not my specific expertise

[@user-ct4jj3rf3w]

Thank you!

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Vasu

[@asamanyjohnkwaku76]

Woooow this is great 👍

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Asamany for the kind words!

[@videosAJP]

Thank you for the video Tom. I see how you have type "Cost" for subcontractors. If I want to create a cashflow report, is it possible to apply a resource name to a schedule task so its not just applying the total at the end or the start? Given the project type a given task could last more than a month and subs typically have progress monthly billing. i.e. if drywall last 2 months for one level at $100,000 but they bill 50k for each month I'd like to show that progression in the cashflow report.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Tony, in that case you could have it prorated instead which would indicate 20 days into a 50 day task 40% cash for that task

[@chrislegereit1994]

Good morning Tom, I have a question regarding Work roll up, and ultimately cost. In my resource pool I have all my resources including (People, Equipment, WorkCenters, and Vendor) This is a need for me. My issue is this. Lets say Task 1 requires 1 person, 1 machine, and the workcenter the machine is located in. The task is set as a Fixed Work and 8 hours. The total "Work" for that task/operation is 24hours, which technically... is correct for MS project. But I only want to capture the "Work" for the person. Would a custom field be the best option for this or would there be some way to define that in the resource sheet or "work" field. Thank you.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Chris, have you tried adjusting the hours in work usage table?

[@ravindrankrishnan2964]

Also, can we load cost for item Rate contracts in MS project / in Primavera or it is difficult to do. Pls reply...

[@hanningtonopondo8907]

Nice Tutorial. I wish Mr Tom would consider to naming his Tutorials on each subject like, say.. Tutorial 4 of 10 or 1 of 6...etc so that it is easier to follow one after the other. Otherwise many thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Yes I run out of allowable characters in the naming. Check my playlists i think they should be in order but i will check as well. Thanks for the advice

[@markpalm672]

Thanks Tom. How do we apply general, direct or indirect costs? rents, utility bills, insurances, bonds etc? Should we define separate tasks for them? Many thanks for your time.

[@TomStephensontraining]

You could apply them as tasks or perhaps if they are recurring fees create a monthly recurring task called admin fees and under the cost table apply them as a fixed cost on the individual months, keep fixed tasks prorated and the cash flow should be evenly distributed.

[@markpalm672]

@@TomStephensontraining many thanks!

[@excelbatais]

well done

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks so much

[@soundofnature2068]

Thank you for the tutorial, it is very helpful I have a question What would be the case if the supplier/subcontractor get their payments in payments plan?, meaning: Downpayment, Progress payment and final payment. how could I load the cost

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Samar, Add the costs directly to the activities that you intend to pay them. Eg assign resource to start milestone and add resource with cost added. You can also add

[@tadiosnyamuziwa5679]

Great video Tom as always. Is it possible to calculate manpower utilization in Ms Project?

[@TomStephensontraining]

Yes check out work usage screen by sliding to the left of the screen, left click your mouse and select resource usage. Its more complicated but if you wanted to see the screen

[@tadiosnyamuziwa5679]

Alright. What I meant is does MS Project automatically calculate the % utlization of labourers, for instance?

[@adamhuyck6974]

Your mouse icon is hard to follow sometimes, should try and highlight so I people are working on project professional following along they can track icon faster

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Adam check my most recent video is. That better?