2.1Creating Resources (Work, Material, Cost)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Project distinguishes three resource types: work (human, consumed in time), material (consumable, in quantity) and cost (one-off expense, an amount).
- Each resource is entered with a rate, a maximum capacity and a calendar: these are what drive workloads and budget.
- Maximum capacity (100%, 50%, several units) is used to detect overloads; without it, no workload check is possible.
Running mini-case — Meriem draws up the resource table
Meriem, project manager at an engineering & construction (BTP) company in Algiers, is starting to plan a client project: the extension of an administrative building. The schedule structure is ready; she now needs the 'who' and the 'with what'. She opens the Resource Sheet view and lists: 'Structural engineer' (work resource, rate €400/day, capacity 100%), 'Site team' (work, 300% for three people), 'Concrete' (material, consumed in m³) and 'Crane rental' (cost resource, a one-off amount). She checks that every rate and every maximum capacity is filled in: without them, neither costs nor overloads will be calculated later. This foundation will be used to assign tasks, cost the budget and spot overloads on her teams.
Standalone case for this section: it comes back in the lesson, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge of section 2.1.
1. Three types of resources
So far we have planned the 'what' and the 'when'; now for the 'who' and the 'with what'. Project distinguishes three resource types: work resources (human — consumed in time), material resources (consumables: concrete, paper, litres — consumed in quantity) and cost resources (one-off expenses: travel, subcontracting — an amount). Meriem lists them in the Resource Sheet view.
2. Rate, capacity, calendar
For each resource, you enter the rate (standard cost, e.g. €400/day), the maximum capacity (100% for full time, 50% for part time, several units for a team) and the availability calendar. These three settings are what will make the calculations correct.
3. The foundation of the schedule
This table is the foundation: it will make it possible to assign resources (2.2), calculate costs (2.4) and detect overloads. A resource with the wrong type or left without a rate costs you later in a false budget and inconsistent workloads.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — Material or cost?
Two ways to spend, two types: Meriem classifies her site resources.
'How many units?' (concrete, paper) -> MATERIAL resource.
'How much money?' for a one-off expense -> COST resource.
-> a team = 300% capacity for 3 people.
Reading : each resource belongs to one precise type
Reflex : choose a level (person vs team) and stick to itReading: material is counted (m³ of concrete), a cost resource is entered as an amount (a one-off rental).
Lesson: a well-typed and well-filled foundation (rate, capacity) is ready for assignment and budget.
Section vocabulary
- Work resource
- Human resource (person, team) consumed in time; it carries an hourly or daily rate.
Simple example: Meriem creates 'Structural engineer' at €400/day.
What it is not: a batch of concrete, which is consumed in quantity.
Reflex: consumed in time → work resource.
- Material resource
- Consumable measured in quantity (concrete, paper) with a unit cost, without working time.
Simple example: Meriem adds 'Concrete' per m³ for the building slab.
What it is not: a meeting billed as a lump sum, without quantity.
Reflex: counting units → material resource.
- Cost resource
- One-off expense assigned to a task (travel, subcontracting): an amount, not a duration.
Simple example: Meriem creates 'Crane rental' as a one-off expense.
What it is not: an engineer whose worked hours are tracked.
Reflex: entering a single amount → cost resource.
- Resource Sheet
- View listing all project resources with their rates, capacities and calendars.
Simple example: Meriem lists her BTP resources there before planning.
What it is not: the Gantt chart, which shows tasks over time.
Reflex: listing resources → Resource Sheet.
- Maximum capacity
- Availability of a resource (100% = full time, 200% = two units); the basis for overloads.
Simple example: Meriem sets 300% for the team of three engineers.
What it is not: the duration of a task expressed in days.
Reflex: detecting overloads → maximum capacity.
In practice — In practice — Building the resource list
- Open the Resource Sheet view (View > Resource Sheet), like Meriem.
- Enter your BTP resources by choosing their type: Work (engineers), Material (concrete), Cost (rental).
- Fill in the rates (standard cost) and the maximum capacity (100%, 50%, or several units for a team).
- Check the calendar of each work resource (full time, part time) — the basis of availability covered in 2.5.
Step-by-step script — drawing up the resource table like Meriem (5 min)
1) Open the Resource Sheet (View > Resource Sheet). 2) Create 'Structural engineer' of type Work, rate €400/day, capacity 100%. 3) Create 'Site team' of type Work, capacity 300% for three people. 4) Create 'Concrete' of type Material, per m³. 5) Create 'Crane rental' of type Cost (a one-off amount). 6) Check rates and capacities: without them, no costs and no overloads.
Keep this table: sections 2.2 (assignment), 2.4 (costs) and 2.5 (availability) build on it.
Copy-paste template — my BTP resource table
Resource Sheet (Meriem)
Work : Structural engineer 400 EUR/day 100%
Work : Site team 300% (3 people)
Material : Concrete unit cost / m3
Cost : Crane rental one-off amount
Rule : type + rate + max capacity + calendar from creationResource per person
Meriem creates 'Karim, engineer' as a named work resource, for individual overload tracking.
Resource per trade
In early planning, Meriem uses 'Site team' at 300% for three people, without naming each one.
Site consumable
Meriem tracks concrete in m³ as a material resource: she counts units, not hours.
One-off expense
Meriem models the crane rental as a cost resource, independent of working time.
✓ Best practices
- Choose the right type: work, material or cost.
- Enter rate and maximum capacity from the moment of creation.
- Keep a consistent granularity (one person OR a team, not both in a muddle).
✗ Common pitfalls
- Forgetting the rates → costs at zero afterwards.
- Confusing a material resource with a cost resource.
- Mixing people and teams without any logic.
Key takeaways
- Three types: work (time), material (quantity), cost (one-off amount).
- You list them in the Resource Sheet with rate, capacity and calendar.
- Maximum capacity (100%, 50%, several units) is used to detect overloads.
- A well-filled table drives workloads and budget.
48h challenge — apply it tomorrow
Like Meriem, open the Resource Sheet and list three resources from your project: one work resource (with rate and maximum capacity), one material resource (per m³ or per unit) and one cost resource (a one-off amount). Write in one sentence why each belongs to its type, then check that rates and maximum capacities are properly filled in.
- I distinguish the three resource types and create them correctly.
- I enter rate, maximum capacity and calendar.
- I know where to list resources: the Resource Sheet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a material resource and a cost resource?
A material resource is a quantifiable consumable (concrete in m³, paper in reams): you consume a quantity at a unit cost. A cost resource is a one-off expense with no quantity or time (a ticket, a subcontract): you enter an amount on the task.
A resource per person or per trade/team?
Depends on the granularity you want: per person for close tracking of overloads, per trade/team (e.g. 'Site team' at 300%) for an overall schedule. The important thing is to choose a level and stick to it.
What are the three resource types in Microsoft Project?