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Chapter 3: Resource Scheduling

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CHAPTER 3: RESOURCE SCHEDULING

Objectives

The objectives are:

Configure resource competencies.

Define project requirements.

Assign resources to a project based on resource availability.

Assign resources to a project based on project demand.

Create a project integrated with Microsoft Office Project Server2010.

Run inquiries and reports on resource assignment and utilization.

Introduction

This chapter describes how to use the resource scheduling functionality in

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

Resource scheduling is an efficient and effective method of using an

organizations resources when they are needed. It is a way of scheduling

appropriate resources to the dates on which activities should be performed. It

helps in leveling the demand for resources and avoids the underuse and overuse

of the resource capacity.

The goal of resource scheduling is to:

Use the workers attributes to match the worker with therequirements of a project.

Use information about the workers calendar and availability tomatch the workers schedule with the project calendar.

Assign workers to a project or activity.

Review the capacity of each worker and determine how the workerscapacity is being used.

Review the workers availability to avoid calendar conflicts with theworkers assignments.

Modify resource assignments for different units of time, such as day,week, or month, to optimize the usage of worker capabilities.

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Service Industries in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

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Configuring Resource Competencies

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, you can set up many different attributes for the

scheduling of a worker. In addition to entering information about a workers

education, skills, certifications, and project experience, you can also enter

information about any additional skills that a worker has, such as a public

speaking ability or media knowledge.

Procedure: Define Competencies for Workers

Perform the following steps to enter the education details of a worker:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickHuman resources, Common,Workers and then clickEmployees to open the Employees list

page.

2. Select an employee for which to define the competencies.

3. Click the Competencies tab on the Action Pane and then click

Education to open the Education form.4. ClickNew to create a new record.

FIGURE 3.1 EDUCATION FORM

5. In the Education field, select the type of education. The values forthis field are maintained in the Education disciplines form (go to

Human resources, Setup, Competencies, Education,and then

clickEducation disciplines).

6. In the Description field, enter a short description for the type ofeducation.

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7. In the Level of education field, select the level achieved in thecurrent education. The values for this field are maintained in the

Degrees form (go to Human resources, Setup, Competencies,Education,and then clickDegrees).

8. In the Institution field, select the institution where the education iscompleted or will be completed. The values for this field are

maintained in the Institutions form(go to Human resources,

Setup, Competencies, Education,and then clickInstitutions).

9. Under the Institution information field group, view additionalinformation about the institution.

10.Under the Dates field group, in the Start date and End date fields,enter the starting date and ending date of the study period.

11. In the Duration field, enter the number of days, months, or yearsthat it took the person to complete the education.

12. In the Day/Mth field, select a unit (days, months, or years) for theduration of education.

13. In the Average field, enter the average education grade point of theperson.

14. In the Scale field, enter the scale that the grade point average isbased on.

15.Click the Close button to close the Education form.

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Perform the following steps to enter the skills of an employee:

1. Click the Competencies tab on the Action Pane and then clickSkillsto open the Skills form.

2. Click the New button to create a new record.

FIGURE 3.2 SKILLS FORM

3. Click the Level type arrow to select one of the following options:

o Actual A current, proven skill.

o Target A skill to be acquired.

4. Select the Show only current check box to show only the skill withthe most recent level date, if the same skill is listed multiple times in

the grid.

5. In the Skill field, select the skill that is associated to the employee.The values for this field are maintained in the Skills form (go to

Human resources, Setup, Competencies, Skills,and then click

Skills).

6. In the Level field, select the skill level that the person currently hasor the skill level that the person plans to achieve. The values for this

field are maintained in the Rating models form (go to Humanresources, Setup, Competencies, Skills, and then Rating models).

7. In the Level date field, enter the date for which the present level isreached or the date the targeted level will be reached.

8. In the Experience field, enter the number of years of experience thatthe person has with the skill.

9. In the Examiner field, select the person who verified the employeeskills.

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10.Select the Approved check box if the skill is verified and approved.

11. In the Approved by field, select the person who approved the skill.

Perform the following steps to record the certificates achieved by an employee:

1. Click the Competencies tab on the Action Pane and then click

Certificates to open the Certificates form.


FIGURE 3.3 CERTIFICATES FORM

3. In the Certificate type field, select a certificate type. The values forthis field is maintained in the Certificate types form(go to Human

resources, Setup, Competencies,and then clickCertificate types).

4. In the Description field, enter a brief description of the certificate.

5. In the Start date field, enter the starting date of the certificatevalidity.

6. In the End date field, enter the ending date of the certificatevalidity.

7. The Require renewal check box indicates if the certificate requiresrenewal after it expires. Update the renewal requirement for the

certificate in the Certificate types form.

8. In the Notes field, enter additional information about the certificate.

9. Click the Closebutton to close the Certificates form.

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Perform the following steps to enter information about projects that an employee

is involved in:

1. Click the Competencies tab on the Action Pane and then clickProject experience to open the Project experience form.


FIGURE 3.4 PROJECT EXPERIENCE FORM

3. In the Project ID field, select the project that the employee hasworked on.

4. In the Project name field, view the name of the project.

5. In the Role field, enter a description of the employees role orfunction in the project.

6. In the Start date field, enter the date the worker became involved inthe project.

7. In the End date field, enter the last date the worker is involved in theproject.

8. Click the Close button to close the Project experience form.

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Perform the following steps to assign attributes to an employee profile:

1. Click the Competencies tab on the Action Pane and then clickOther worker attributes to open the Other worker attributesform.


FIGURE 3.5 OTHER WORKER ATTRIBUTES FORM

3. In the Attribute group field, select a group that contains attributesthat you want to add to the workers competencies. The values for

this field are maintained in the Attribute groups form(go to Project

management and accounting, Setup, Assign resources,and then

clickAttribute groups).

4. In the Attribute field, select the attribute that you want to add to theworkers competencies. The values for this field are maintained in

the Attributes form(go to Project management and accounting,

Setup, and then clickAssign resources, Attributes).

5. Click the Close button to close the Other worker attributes form.

NOTE: The Other worker attributes form is available only if the Project

management and accounting add-in is installed.

Procedure: Set Up Resource Scheduling RelatedInformation

Perform the following steps to assign a working time calendar for a worker:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickHuman resources, Common,Workers, and then clickEmployees to open the Employees list

page.

2. Select an employee for which to assign the working calendar.

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3. On the Action Pane, click the Edit button to open the Worker form.

FIGURE 3.6 WORKER FORM EMPLOYMENT DETAILS FASTTAB

4. On the Navigation Pane, click the Employment tab to expand theEmployment details FastTab.

5. In the Calendar field, select the working time calendar for theemployee.

6. Click the Close button to close the Worker form.

Procedure: Set Up Resource Scheduling Related

Information for Projects

Perform the following steps to set up resource scheduling related information for

projects:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Setup and then click the Project management andaccounting parameters form.

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2. Click the Scheduling tab to set up resource scheduling relatedinformation for projects.

FIGURE 3.7 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTINGPARAMETERS FORM SCHEDULING TAB

3. In the Full match percent field, enter the percentage that representsa full match between the workers skills and the requirements for the

selected project. A higher percentage means that the workers

capabilities and skills match the project requirements more closely.

4. In the Default working calendar field, select the default type ofcalendar to use for the project or activity schedule. The schedule is

the timeframe during which the workers are working on the project.

5. In the Skill set match field, enter the minimum percentage match ofcapabilities between the worker and a project or an activity, for the

worker to appear as a potential resource for the project.

For example, if you want to view only those workers who have at least

40 percent of the required attributes, then specify 40 in the Skill set

match field. The workers who do not fulfill 40 percent of the matching

criteria will not be displayed.

6. In the Availability match field, enter the minimum percentagematch of availability between the worker and a project or an activity,

for the worker to appear as a potential resource for the project.

For example, if you want to view only those workers whose availability

status is more than 80 percent, then specify 80 in the Availability match

field. Workers who are already assigned to projects and do not have the

availability status of 80 percent or more will not be displayed.

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7. Under the Colors field group, click the arrow next to each field in toopen the Color form, in which you can select the colors to display in

the scheduling calendar. Select a color for each field.

8. In the Changed color field select a color to indicate that a record hasbeen changed.

9. In the Hard commit color field select a color to indicate a hard orfirm commitment for the worker.

10. In the Soft commit color field select a color to indicate a soft ortentative commitment for the worker.

11. In the Closed color field select a color to indicate days when nowork is being done on the project.

12. In the Available color field select a color to indicate days on whichthe worker is available.

13. In the Conflict color field select a color to indicate days on whichthe worker has a conflict.

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Lab 3.1 - Configure Resource Competencies for Workers

Scenario

Luke, a HR Generalist at Contoso, Ltd. is assigned the task of configuring

resource competencies for workers in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. He must

define the following competencies for the workers:

Competency Values

Worker Alan Brewer

Education Civil Engineer

Skills Speaks Dutch (level 2)

Certification Production-cec (date of obtaining certification

1/15/2011)

Project ID and

experience

10002; (Role Chief Engineer, Start date

4/1/2011)

Other attributes Stage Public speaking

Luke should also define the working calendars for workers in order to schedule

them for activities with similar timelines.

Challenge Yourself!

1. Select the worker for which to configure the resource competencies.

2. Define each of the competencies for the worker.

3. Set up the working time calendar for the worker.

Need a Little Help?

1. Click the Competencies tab on the Worker form to define theresource competencies.

2. Set up the working time calendar for the worker under theEmployment tab in the Worker form.

Step by Step

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickHuman resources, Common,Workers and then clickWorkers.

2. Select the worker, Alan Brewer, to configure the resourcecompetencies for.

3. Click the Competencies tab, and then clickEducation to open theEducation form.

4. Click the New button to create a new record. In the Education field,select Engcivil-cec.

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5. Click the Close button to close the form.

6. Click the Skills button to open the Skills form.

7. Click the New button to create a new record. In the Skill field, selectDu-speak-cec.

8. In the Level field, select 2 as the level of the skill for the worker.

9. In the Level date field, click the calendar and select January 1, 2008.10.Click the Close button to close the form.

11.Click the Certificates button to open the Certificates form.

12.Click the Newbutton to create a new record.

13. In the Certificate type field, select Production-cec.

14. In the Start date field, enter 01/15/2011.

15.Click the Close button to close the form.

16.Click the Project experience button to open the Project experienceform.

17.Click the New button to create a new record. In the Project ID field,

select 10002.18. In the Role field, enter Chief Engineer.

19. In the Start date field, enter 4/1/2011.


21.ClickOther worker attributes to open the Other workerattributes form.

22.Click the New button to create a new record. In the Attribute groupfield, select Stage.

23. In the Attribute field, select Public Speak.


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Defining Project Requirements

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, you can specify the various competencies a

resource should have to complete an activity. You can define the scheduling

requirements and the skills/attributes that are needed to perform an activity in the

project work breakdown structure.

Procedure: Define Resource Requirements in the WBS

Perform the following steps to set up scheduling related information for activities

in the project WBS:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Common, Projects, and then clickAll projects to open

the All projects form.

2. Select the project to set up scheduling related information in theproject work breakdown structure.

3. Under the Plan tab on the Action Pane, clickWork breakdownstructure to open the Work breakdown structure form.

4. Create a new work breakdown structure for the project or use theCopy from button to copy the WBS based on an existing work

breakdown structure template.

5. Select the activity to set up the scheduling related information.

6. Click to expand the Schedule FastTab.

FIGURE 3.8 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE FORM SCHEDULEFASTTAB

7. In the Start date field, enter the date that the project activity isscheduled to start.

8. In the End date field, enter the date that the project activity isscheduled to end.

9. In the Duration in days field, enter the length of time in days that isrequired to complete the project activity.

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10. In the Effort in hours field, enter the estimated number of workerhours that are required to complete the project activity.

11.Select the Scheduling ignores the calendar of the resource checkbox to consider the worker for assignment to the project activity

whether the worker is already scheduled.

12. In the Scheduled field, view the status of the schedule of theactivity. Based on the percentage of scheduling done for the activity,view one of the following statuses:

o Not Scheduled

o Partially Scheduled

o Fully Scheduled

For example, if a particular task requires an effort of 10 hours, the

status in the Scheduled field is displayed based on the number of

hours scheduled, if:

No scheduling is done (that is, 0 percent), the status is displayed as

Not Scheduled.

Only eight hours are scheduled out of the total 10 hours, the status is

displayed as PartiallyScheduled.

All the 10 hours are scheduled, the status is displayed as Fully

Scheduled.

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Perform the following steps to set up the resource competencies needed to

perform a specific activity in the project WBS:

1. Click to expand the Activity requirements FastTab.

FIGURE 3.9 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE FORM ACTIVITYREQUIREMENTS FASTTAB

2. Click the Education tab and then click the Add line button to createa new line.

3. In the Education field, enter the level of education required for the

worker to be assigned to the activity.4. In the Description field, view the description of the education

requirement.

5. Select the Required check box to display only those resources thathave the required capabilities while matching resources to theactivities.

6. In the Importance field, select a value from None to 6-Most torepresent the level of importance of the education requirement to the

project activity.

The order in which the attributes are searched for during the skill match

depends on the importance of the level assigned to the requirements.

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For example, in the Education field, if a MBA (Master of Business

Administration) degree is given the importance level of a degree five and a B.E

(Bachelor of Engineering) degree is given the importance level of a degree six,

during the skill match, workers with a B.E. degree will be considered before prior

to those with an MBA degree.

7. Click the Skills tab and then click the Add line button to create anew line.

8. In the Skills field, select the type of skill that is required for a workeron this project activity.

9. Select the Required check box if the specified skill is required forthe project activity.

10.Click the Certification tab and then click the Add line button tocreate a new line.

11. In the Certificate type field, select the type of certificate that isrequired for the project activity.

12.Click the Project experience tab and then click the Add line button

to create a new line.

13. In the Project ID field, select a project with the type of experiencethat is required for the current project.

14. In the Role field, select the role that the worker will perform for theproject activity. The values for this field are maintained in the

Project roles form (go to Project management and accounting,

Setup, Assign resources,and then clickProject roles).

15.Click the Other worker attributes tab and then click the Add linebutton to create a new line.

16. In the Attribute group field, select the attribute group that includesthe additional skills that are required for the worker who is assigned

to the project activity.17. In the Attribute field, select the attribute in the attribute group that is

required for the worker who is assigned to the project activity.

Assigning Resources to a Project Based on ResourceAvailability

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the Schedule resources form shows

information about the workers attributes and availability. It also shows the

requirements and schedule of the project activity.

A human resources manager can use the Schedule resources form to scheduleworkers to optimize the available workforce. The manager can review the

capacity of each worker and determine whether the worker is being adequately

scheduled. Then the manager can assign the worker to a project or activity based

on the project requirements and the workers attributes, experience and

availability.

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Procedure: Resource Scheduling for a Project Based onResource Availability

Perform the following steps to schedule resources for a project that is based on

the resource availability:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Common, Scheduling, and then clickSchedule

resources to open the Schedule resources form.

FIGURE 3.10 SCHEDULE RESOURCES FORM

2. In the Start date field, enter the starting date of the period that youwant to schedule for the worker.

3. In the End date field, enter the ending date of the period that youwant to schedule for the worker.

4. In the Worker field, select the name of the worker if you want toschedule a specific worker.

5. Click the Search button to search for the available resources in thespecified period.

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6. Click to expand the Resources FastTab to view the list of workersand the information about their attributes and availability.

FIGURE 3.11 SCHEDULE RESOURCES FORM RESOURCESFASTTAB

7. Under the Overview tab, view the basic information about theworker. This includes the workers availability and the percentage of

his or her availability that is already committed to a project.

8. In the Worker field, view the identification number for the selectedworker.

9. In the Worker name field, view the name of the worker.

10. In the Worker type field, view the type of worker, such as employee

or contractor.11.View the type of calendar associated to the employee in the

Working calendar field.

12. In the Soft utilization (%) field, view the percentage of the workersassignments to all projects to which the he or she is tentatively

committed.

13. In the Hard utilization (%) field, view the percentage of theworkers assignments to all projects to which he or she is firmly

committed.

14. In the Total utilization (%) field, view the total percentage of theworkers assignments to all projects.

15.Click the Education tab to view the type of education that theworker has completed.

16.Click the Skills tab to view the workers skills, such as languagesspoken or knowledge of software programs.

17.Click the Certification tab to view the type of certificate that theworker has earned.

18.Click the Project experience tab to view the project on which theworker has experience.

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19.Click the Other worker attributes tab to view the attributes that ischaracteristic of the worker.

20.Click to expand the Projects FastTab.

FIGURE 3.12 SCHEDULE RESOURCES FORM PROJECTSFASTTAB

o The Projects FastTab displays projects that a selected workercould be assigned to. The projects are displayed in the following

sequence:

o Projects with requirements that are an exact match with the skillsof the worker.

o Projects with requirements that have a partial match with theskills of the worker.

o Projects with requirements that do not match the skills of theworker.

21.Under the Overview tab, view the basic information about theprojects and activities to which workers can be assigned.

The Type field indicates whether the value is a project or an activity.

22. In the Project field, view the identification number of the project.23. In the Activity field, view the number that identifies the activity.

24. In the Activity name field, view the descriptive name of the activity.

25. In the Duration (days) field, view the length of time in days that isrequired to complete the project or the activity.

26. In the Start date, view the date that the project or activity starts.

27. In the End date field, view the date that the project or activity ends.

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28. In the Scheduled field, view the status on whether the worker is notscheduled, partly scheduled, or fully scheduled.

29. In the Skill fit in percentage field, view the percentage of theworkers skills that match the project requirements.

30. In the Availability in percentage field, view the percentage of the

workers availability that matches the project requirements.

Calculation of Skill Fit Percentage

According to the effort and attributes required for completing a project/activity, a

skill match is performed between the requirements for the project and the

competencies of the workers.

The projects/activities with requirements that are an exact match to the skills of

the worker are shown with a skill fit of 100 percent.

A skill fit is calculated based on the following formula:

(Number of matching requirements / Total number of specified

requirements)*100

For example, an activity demands that the educational background of the worker

should be MBA (Education), he or she must be a Microsoft Certified

Professional (Certification), and he or she must have working knowledge on

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 (Project experience).

The total number of specified requirements is three.

If Worker A meets all the three specified requirements, then the skill fitpercentage will be (3/3)*100 = 100 percent.

If Worker B meets only two of the specified requirements, then the skill fit

percentage will be (2/3)*100 = 66.67 percent.

Similarly, a worker meeting only one of the specified requirements will have a

skill fit percentage of 33.33 percent.

Calculation of Availability Percentage

Availability is calculated based on the following formula:

(Total number of hours for which a worker is available / Total number of

hours demanded by a project/activity)*100

For example, an activity is scheduled for three days, from 8/15/2011 to 8/17/2011

and needs an effort of 24 hours.

Resource A is already scheduled for four hours on another activity/project on

8/17/2011 and the total number of hours a worker is required to work in a day is

eight hours.

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The following table summarizes the example.

Date Number of hours

needed to complete

the activity

Number of hours for which the

resource is available

8/15/2011 8 88/16/2011 8 8

8/17/2011 8 4

(Scheduled for four hours on a

different project)

Total 24 20

Availability of Resource A for the activity = (20/24)*100 = 83.33 percent.

Assigning Resources to a Project Based on Project Demand

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the Assign resources form shows information

about the project or activity schedule and requirements. It also shows the

availability of resources whose competencies match with the activity

requirements.

A project manager can use the Assign resources form to review the assignments

of workers for each project or activity to make sure that the project or activity is

correctly staffed. Project based scheduling provides a process to assign workers

to a specific project or activity based on the workers skill and availability.

Procedure: Resource Scheduling for a Project Based on

Project Demand

Perform the following steps to schedule resources for a project based on project

demand:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Common, Projects, and then clickAll projects to open

the All projects list page.

2. Select the project for which resources need to be scheduled.

3. Click the Plan tab on the Action Pane and clickAssign resources toopen the Assign resources form.

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4. Select the activity for which to schedule resources.

FIGURE 3.13 ASSIGN RESOURCES FORM

5. In the Project/Activity ID field, view the unique identifier for theproject or activity.

6. In the Name field, view the name of the project or activity for which

you want to schedule workers.7. In the Start date field, view the date that the project or activity is

scheduled to start.

8. In the End date field, view the date that the project or activity isscheduled to end.

9. In the Duration in days field, view the number of days that arerequired to complete the project or activity.

10. In the Effort in hours field, view the total number of hours that arerequired for the workers to complete the project or activity.

11. In the Scheduled effort field, view the total number of hours forwhich workers are scheduled.

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12. In the Schedule status field, view the status that indicates whetherthe workers have been scheduled.

13.Click to expand the Activity requirements FastTab to viewinformation about worker attributes that are required for the selected

project or activity.

FIGURE 3.14 ASSIGN RESOURCES FORM ACTIVITYREQUIREMENTS FASTTAB

14.Click the Education tab to enter the level of education that isrequired for a worker to be assigned to the project or activity.

15. In the Education field, select the type of education that is requiredfor a worker to be assigned to the project or activity.

16.Select the Required check box if the worker must meet theeducation requirements to be assigned to the project or activity.

17. In the Importance field, select a value from None to 6-Most to

represent the level of importance for meeting the educationrequirement for the project or activity.

The order in which attributes are searched for during the skill match

depends on the level of importance assigned to the requirements.

For example, in the Education field, if MBA is given an importance

level of a degree 5 and B.E is given an importance level of a degree 6,

during the skill match, workers with a B.E. degree will be considered

before those with an MBA degree.

18.Modify the activity requirements in the Assign resources form.

Click the Save project requirements button on the Activityrequirements grid to save the changes to the Activity requirements

field in the project work breakdown structure.

NOTE:If the changes made to the Activity requirements are not saved, the next

time when the work breakdown structure for the same project is opened, the

original values will default.

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TheSave project requirements button is activated only if there are some changes

to the project activity requirements.

19.Click the Skills tab to enter the skills requirement for the project oractivity.

20. In the Skills field, select the type of skill, such as languages spokenor knowledge of software programs, that is required for the worker

who is assigned to the project or activity.

21.Select the Required check box if the worker must meet the skillsrequirements to be assigned to the project or activity.

22. In the Importance field, select a value from None to 6-Most torepresent the level of importance for meeting the skills requirement

for the project or activity.

23.Click the Certification tab to enter the certification requirements forthe project or activity.

24. In the Certificate type field, select the type of certification, such as

Microsoft certification or other professional certification, which isrequired for the worker who is assigned to the project or activity.

25.Select the Required check box if the worker must meet thecertification requirements to be assigned to the project or activity.

26. In the Importance field, select a value from None to 6-Most torepresent the level of importance for meeting the certification

requirement for the project or activity.

27.Click the Project experience tab to enter the project experiencerequirements for the project or activity.

28. In the Project ID field, select the project on which the worker shouldhave experience to be assigned to the project or activity.

29. In the Role field, select the role that the worker must have performedon the selected project.

30.Select the Required check box if the worker must meet the projectexperience requirements to be assigned to the project or activity.

31. In the Importance field, select a value from None to 6-Most torepresent the level of importance for meeting the project experience


32.Click the Other worker attributes tab to enter the requirements foradditional worker attributes for the project or activity, such as public

speaking.

33. In the Attribute group field, select the attribute group that includes

the additional skills that are required for the worker who is assignedto the project or activity.

34. In the Attribute field, select the attribute in the attribute group that isrequired for the worker who is assigned to the project or activity.

35.Select the Required checkbox if the worker must meet theadditional attributes requirement to be assigned to the project or

activity.

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36. In the Importance field, select a value from None to 6-Most torepresent the level of importance for meeting the additional attributes


37.Click to expand the Resources FastTab to view the list of workerswho match the availability and attributes that are required for

completing the selected project or activity.

FIGURE 3.15 ASSIGN RESOURCES FORM RESOURCESFASTTAB

The workers are displayed in the following order:

38.Workers whose qualifications match all of the requirements that arespecified for the project and who are not assigned to any other

projects.

39.Workers with qualifications that match some of the requirementsspecified for the project.

40.Workers with skill sets that do not match any of the requirementsspecified for the project.

NOTE: If two workers have the same skill set, they are displayed in the order of

availability.

41. In the Worker field, view the identification number for the worker.

42. In the Name field, view the name of the worker.

43. In the Worker type field, view the type of worker, such as employeeor contractor.

44. In the Working Calendar field, view the type of calendar associatedto the worker.

45. In the Skill fit in percentage field, view the match, shown as apercentage, between the skills that are required for a project and the

attributes of the worker.

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46. In the Availability in percentage field, view the availability statusof the worker, shown as a percentage.

47.Click to expand the Resource competencies FastTab.

FIGURE 3.16 ASSIGN RESOURCES FORM RESOURCECOMPETENCIES FASTTAB

48.Click the Education tab to view the workers education level.

49. In the End date field, view the date on which the worker hascompleted the course.

50. In the Duration field, view the length of the course, in hours.51.Click the Skills tab to view the workers skills.

52. In the Level date field, view the date on which the worker haslearned the skill.

53. In the Experience field, view the experience that the worker hasusing the skill.

54.Click the Certification tab to view the workers certificates.

55. In the Start date field, view the date on which the worker started thecertification process.

56. In the End date field, view the date on which the worker completedthe certification process.

57.Click the Project experience tab to view the workers projectexperience.

58. In the Project ID field, view the project that the worker hasexperience on.

59. In the Project name field, view the name of the project the workerhas experience on.

60. In the Role field, view the role of the worker for the project.

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61. In the Start date field, view the date on which the worker has startedwork in this role for the project.

62. In the End date field, view the date on which the worker hascompleted work in this role for the project.

63.Click the Other worker attributes tab to view the workers

additional attributes.64. In the Attribute group field, view the attribute group that includes

the additional skills of the worker.

65. In the Attribute field, view the attributes in the attribute group thatincludes the additional skills of the worker.

66.Click to expand the Assignments FastTab to view the availabilitystatus of the worker who is selected on the Resources FastTab.

FIGURE 3.17 ASSIGN RESOURCES FORM ASSIGNMENTSFASTTAB

You can assign the worker to a project, release the worker from a project,

or transfer the workers commitment.

Review the workers availability to work on a project by checking the

colors that are assigned to the individual activity lines. Set up the colorsfor worker availability and commitments in the Project management

and accounting parameters form on the Scheduling tab. Each color is

related to the workers availability and commitments.

67.Click the Assign button to assign the worker to a project and selectfrom the following options:

o Soft: If the assignment is tentative.

o Hard :If the assignment is firm.

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68.Click the Release button to release the worker from an assignment toa project. Select the Soft option if the release is tentative and the

Hard option if the release is firm.

69.Click the Transfer button and select from the following options:

o Soft commitments to hard commitments: Transfer a workers

project assignment from a soft assignment to a hard assignment.o Hard commitments to soft commitments: Transfer a workers

project assignment from a hard assignment to a soft assignment.

70.Select the Auto complete effort check box to automatically fill inthe dates and hours so that the worker can be assigned to a particular

project.

71. In the Assignment date field, view the date on which the project oractivity starts.

72. In the Day field, view the day of the week on which the projectstarts.

73. In the Activity effort requirement field, enter the number of hoursthat the selected worker must work to complete the specific projecton the selected day.

74. In the Worker capacity (hours) field, view the number of hours onthe selected day that the worker can be assigned to work on theproject.

75. In the Soft commitment (hours) field, view the number of hours onthe selected day that are tentatively assigned to the worker for the

project.

76. In the Hard commitment (hours) field, view the number of hourson the selected day that are firmly assigned to the worker for the

project.

77. In the Worker available capacity (hours) field, view the remainingnumber of hours on the selected day that the worker is available to

work on the project.

78.Close the forms.

Integration with Microsoft Project Integration Server 2010

You can combine the Project management and accounting capabilities of

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 with those of Microsoft Project Server 2010.

Doing this will give you more in-depth visibility into projects and project

resources. This will also help to manage them more effectively.

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The following Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 entities can be integrated to Project

Server 2010:

Workers: Integrated workers are available in the Project Server 2010enterprise resource pool.

Projects.

Activity work breakdown structure (WBS): The WBS consists ofactivities of type task.

You can use the flexible task hierarchy in Project Server to create a hierarchicalstructure that resembles the hierarchical structure of a project in Microsoft

Dynamics AX. Corresponding hierarchies make it possible for information about

projects, subprojects, and activities to flow between the two programs.

After you integrate the two programs and set up synchronization between them,

data changes in one program are updated in the other. As a result, your project

records are current in both programs.

You can also use the complex resource scheduling capabilities of Project Server

for a project that is being managed in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Actual

costs for worker hours and expenses that are posted in both the Microsoft

Dynamics AX 2012 client and Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics

AX2012 can then be shared with Project Server.

Procedure: Setting Integration Parameters in theMicrosoft Dynamics AX 2012 Client

Verify that all prerequisite programs and software are installed, and the proper

security settings are in place. Using the Microsoft Dynamics AX installation

wizard, install Synchronization proxy and Synchronization service for MicrosoftProject Server. Set the required integration parameters in Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012.

Perform the following steps to set the project ID number sequence to automatic:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Setup,and the Project management and accounting

parameters form.

2. Click the Number sequences tab.

3. In the Reference field, locate the Project ID row.

4. Right-click in the Number sequence code field, and then selectView detailsto open the Number sequence form.

5. On the Action Pane, clickEdit.

6. Click to expand the General FastTab, then clear the Manual checkbox.

7. Close the form.

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Perform the following steps to set the Project Server integration settings.

1. ClickSystem administration, Setup, Microsoft Project Serverintegration, and then clickIntegration settings.

2. ClickNew.

3. Enter the values in the fields in the upper grid of the form as follows.o Integration ID: Uniquely identifies integration parameters set

for selected companies.

o Microsoft Project Server URL: http://machine_name/pwa

o Reporting database server: machine_name\sharepoint

o Reporting database name: pwa_Reporting_xxx

Perform the following steps to find the reporting database name:

1. Open Programs, Microsoft SharePoint 2010 products,SharePoint 2010 Central Administration.

2. In the Application Management area, select Manage ServiceApplications.

3. In the Manage Service Application form, select Project ServerService Application (with type Project Server PSI Service

Application).

4. Hover over http://machinename/pwa and select View from the list.

5. Copy the Reporting database name.

6. In the Synchronization settings form, paste the reporting databasename in the Reporting database field.

7. Select the companies for which to enable integration.

8. ClickEnable integration.

The integration status will change to In progress.

9. ClickRefresh status.

10. If successful, the integration status will change to Completed.

NOTE: If the integration status remains In process for some time, most likely an

error has occurred. Refer to the event log in your computer to investigate the

problem.

Procedure: Integrate Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Workers with Project Server Resources

Perform the following steps to integrate the Microsoft Dynamics AX workers

with the Project Server resources:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickHuman resources, Common,Workers and then clickWorkers to open the Workerslist page.

2. Select a worker who is employed by the company for whichintegration is enabled.

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3. On the Action Pane, on the Project management tab, in the Set upgroup, clickProject setup.

4. Select the check box under Project Server.

Use of Integration Log

An integration log can help you investigate integration problems when projectsor resources are not integrated between Microsoft Dynamics AX and Project

Server. An integration log is available to help with the following tasks.

Investigating the integration problem and the entities affected, suchas the project or a resource.

Canceling or trying the integration again.

Investigating the details of the problem.

To access the integration log in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, click System

administration, Inquiries, Microsoft Project Server integration, and then click

Integration log.

After steps 1 through 4 are completed, the worker should appear as a resource in

the Project Server resource pool.

NOTE: The integration process can take a long time to complete, depending on

how frequently synchronization is occurring. To view the status of the integration

process, clickSystem administration, Inquiries, Microsoft Project Server

integration, and then clickIntegration log.

Procedure: Integrate Projects from Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012 with Microsoft Project Server

You can enable integration for each project. Make sure the integration is

activated for the company for which the project is created.

Perform the following steps to integrate projects from the Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012 with the Microsoft Project Server:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Common, Projects,and then clickAll projects.

2. Select the project that you want to work with.

3. On the Action Pane, clickEdit. Click to expand the IntegrationFastTab, and then select the Integrate to Project Server check box.

This project will now be included in the integration process, and a corresponding

project will be created in Microsoft Project Server 2010.

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Resource Assignment and Utilization Inquiries and Reports

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, you can review and analyze the assignment

and usage of resources based on parameters such as specific project, department,

resource manager, and so on.

Procedure: Inquire on the Assignment of Resources

You can inquire on the assignment of resources by filtering the data based on the

project ID, worker, commitment type, or a combination of any of the filter

options.

The Resource assignments form shows the list of resources that are assigned to

some activity or project along with the nature of their commitment.

Perform the following steps to query the assignment of resources:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Inquiries, Assign resources and then clickResource

assignments.

FIGURE 3.18 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENTS FORM

2. In the Start date field, select the beginning date from which youwant to view the worker assignments.

3. In the End date field, select the ending date to which you want toview the worker assignments.

4. In the Project ID field, select the project for which you want to viewthe worker assignments.

5. In the Worker field, select the worker whose assignments you wantto view.

6. In the Commitment type field, select the type of commitments to aproject that you want to view.

7. Select the Conflict only check box to view only the conflicts for aworker.

8. Click the Searchbutton to view the results.

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9. Click the Resource Manager scheduling button to open theSchedule resources form and view details of the selected resource in

the Resource assignments form.

10.Click the Project Manager scheduling button to open the Assignresources form and view the project in the selected line of the

Resource assignments form with its staffing plan.

Procedure: Inquire on the Assignment of ResourcesBased on the Resource Manager

You can inquire on worker assignments for a project by filtering the data based

on the Resource manager.

The Resource assignment analysis Worker form displays worker

assignments for a project and the Resource manager can release a worker or

assign a worker to a project.

Perform the following steps to query the assignment of resources based on the

Resource manager:


assignment analysis - Worker.

FIGURE 3.19 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT ANALYSIS WORKERFORM

2. In the Start date field, select the start date of the project.

3. In the End date field, select the end date of the project.

4. In the Resource manager field, select the resource manager for the

workers whose assignments you want to view.5. Click the Search button to view the results.

6. Click the Employee button to open the Workers form and viewdetailed information about the selected worker.

7. Click the Assignments button to open the Resource assignmentsform and view the current assignments of the selected worker.

8. Click the Resource manager scheduling button to open theSchedule resources form and assign projects to a worker.

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Procedure: Inquire on the Assignment of ResourcesBased on Department

You can use the Resource assignment analysis Department form to view and

analyze worker assignments for the workers in a department. This form displays

a detailed view of the usage of the workers within each department. It also

provides information regarding each department in terms of its capacity, worker

assignments and so on.


department:


assignment analysis - Department.

FIGURE 3.20 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT ANALYSIS DEPARTMENTFORM



4. In the Department field, select the department for which you wantto view worker assignments.

5. Click the Search button to view the results.

6. Click the Employee button to open the Workers form and viewdetailed information about the selected worker.

7. Click the Assignments button to open the Resource assignmentsform and view the current assignments of the selected worker.

8. Click the Resource manager scheduling button to open the

Schedule resources form and assign projects to a worker.

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Procedure: Inquire on the Assignment of ResourcesBased on a Project

You can use the Resource assignment analysis Project form to view and

analyze the assignment of workers to a project. This form shows a detailed view

by worker, of his or her usage for each project or subproject, project details in

terms of the effort required to complete the project, and the commitments given

to the project and so on.


project:


assignment analysis - Project.

FIGURE 3.21 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT ANALYSIS PROJECTFORM

2. In the Start date field, select the start date of the project.3. In the End date field, select the end date of the project.

4. In the Display field, select the type of information that you want todisplay for the project.

o Blank Display the information for the total project.

o Employees Display information about the project and theworkers on the project with their assignments.

o Subprojects Display information about the project and anysubprojects or tasks related to the project.

o Activities Display information about activities related to theproject.


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Procedure: Inquire on the Assignment of ResourcesBased on Financial Dimensions

You can use the Resource assignment analysis Financial dimension form to

view and analyze the worker assignments for a project and related information on

the financial dimension. This form shows a detailed view of the usage for each

financial dimension. Depending on the value selected in a dimension, all the

resources under that dimension are displayed with their usage.


financial dimensions:


assignment analysis Financial dimension.

FIGURE 3.22 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT ANALYSIS FINANCIALDIMENSION



4. Click to expand the Dimension filter FastTab. Select the financialdimensions for which you want to view the resource assignments.


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Procedure: Generate the Resource Assignments Report

You can generate and print a report on resource assignments.

Perform the following steps to generate the Resource assignments report:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Reports, Assign resources and then clickResource

assignments.

FIGURE 3.23 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENTS FORM

2. In the Resource assignments form, on the General tab, enter thedetails in the following fields:

o Under Include project types, select the project types to beincluded in the report.

o Under Include commitment types, select the commitment typesto be included in the report.

o In the From date field, enter the date from which assignmentsmust be considered for the report.

o In the To date field, enter the date until which the assignmentsmust be considered for the report.

o Select the Conflict only check box to display only the conflictsfor a worker.

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3. ClickOKto print the report.

FIGURE 3.24 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENTS REPORT

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Procedure: Generate the Resource Assignment AnalysisReport

You can generate and print a report to analyze the usage of resources. The report

displays all the workers with their capacity, availability, and usage.

Perform the following steps to generate the Resource assignment analysis report:

1. On the Navigation Pane, clickProject management andaccounting, Reports, Assign resources and then clickResourceassignment analysis.

FIGURE 3.25 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT ANALYSIS FORM

2. In the Resource assignment analysis form, on the General tab,enter the details in the following fields:

o UnderInclude project types, select the project types to beincluded in the report.

o UnderInclude commitment types, select the commitment typesto be included in the report.

o In the From date field, enter the date from which assignmentsmust be considered for the report.

o In the To date field, enter the date until which the assignmentsmust be considered for the report.

o Click the Select button to filter and sort data based on specificcriteria to be displayed in the report.

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3. ClickOKto print the report.

FIGURE 3.26 RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT ANALYSIS REPORT

Summary

The Resource Scheduling chapter provided a description of how to schedule

resources for various project activities in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

Resource Scheduling in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 provides the capabilitiesto perform scheduling by matching project activities with similar resource

requirements as the competencies of the workers. Resource managers can review

the capacity of each worker and determine how that capacity is used.

The Configure Resource Competencies section described how to define

competencies such as education, skills, certifications and other competencies for

employees. This section also described how to set up the parameters, such as the

skill set match threshold and availability match threshold.

The Define Project Requirements section described how to define the

requirements for performing activities on the work breakdown structure of the

project.

The process of scheduling resources based on the availability of resources is

explained in the Assigning resources to a project based on resource availability

section. Assigning resources to project activities based on the project demand is

described in the Assigning Resources to a Project Based on Project Demand

section. These sections also describe on how the skill match percentage and

availability percentage is calculated when matching resources to project

activities.

Additionally, the Resource Assignment and Utilization Inquiries and Reports

section explains the various inquiry forms and reports that are available to view

and analyze the usage of resources.

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Test Your Knowledge

Test your knowledge with these questions.

1. What are the competencies of a resource that are considered while matchingresources to projects or activities?

2. What are the setups needed to identify and assign resources to projectactivities?

3. Which are the two types of scheduling that can be done in MicrosoftDynamics AX 2012?

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4. You can assign a worker to a project or activity even if the worker is alreadyscheduled for a different project. (True/False)

5. While scheduling resources for an activity, the activity requirements are asfollows: Education-B.E, Skills-Speak French, Certification-Microsoft

Certified Solution Developer, Project experience-Upgrade of AX 2009 to AX

2012. The resource competencies are as follows: Education-B.E, Skills-(None), Certification-Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, Project

experience-(None). What is the skill fit percentage of this resource?

( ) 66.67%

( ) 33.33%

( ) 50.00%

( ) None of the above

6. A resource manager can assign resources to project or activities based on theproject demand using which of the following options?

( ) Schedule resources form( ) Assign resources form

( ) Both the above


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7. The assignment and usage of resources can be reviewed and analyzed basedon which of the following? (Select all that apply) (Select all that apply)

( ) Department

( ) Position

( ) Project


8. Resources cannot be released from an activity once they are hard committedto the project or activity. (True/False)

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Quick Interaction: Lessons Learned

Take a moment and write down three key points you have learned from this

chapter

1.

2.

3.

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Solutions

Test Your Knowledge

1. What are the competencies of a resource that are considered while matching

resources to projects or activities?

MODEL ANSWER:

The following resource competencies are considered while matching

resources to projects or activities: Education, Skills, Certification, Project

experience, Other worker attributes

2. What are the setups needed to identify and assign resources to projectactivities?

MODEL ANSWER:

The following setups need to be done to identify and assign resources for

quotation activities: A) Define worker capabilities and a working time

calendar for the resources in the Workers form (go to Human resources,

Common, Workers, and then click Workers.), B) Set up scheduling-related

information in the Project management and accounting parameters form,

Scheduling tab, and C) Define scheduling and capability requirements

needed for the activities in the Work breakdown structure form (go to Project

management and accounting, Common, Projects, All projects, Plan tab on the

Action Pane.)

3. Which are the two types of scheduling that can be done in MicrosoftDynamics AX 2012?

MODEL ANSWER:

The following two types of scheduling can be done in Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012: A) A resource-based scheduling where resources are assigned to

projects based on the availability of resources, B) A project-based scheduling

where resources are assigned to projects based on the project demand

4. You can assign a worker to a project or activity even if the worker is alreadyscheduled for a different project. (True/False)

MODEL ANSWER:

True

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5. While scheduling resources for an activity, the activity requirements are asfollows: Education-B.E, Skills-Speak French, Certification-Microsoft

Certified Solution Developer, Project experience-Upgrade of AX 2009 to AX

2012. The resource competencies are as follows: Education-B.E, Skills-

(None), Certification-Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, Project

experience-(None). What is the skill fit percentage of this resource?

( ) 66.67%

( ) 33.33%

() 50.00%


6. A resource manager can assign resources to project or activities based on theproject demand using which of the following options?

( ) Schedule resources form

() Assign resources form

( ) Both the above( ) None of the above

7. The assignment and usage of resources can be reviewed and analyzed basedon which of the following? (Select all that apply) (Select all that apply)

() Department

( ) Position

() Project


8. Resources cannot be released from an activity once they are hard committedto the project or activity. (True/False)

MODEL ANSWER:

True

Date post:	08-Aug-2018
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