What are Material Resources?

Material resources are supplies, stock, or other consumable items used to complete tasks
in the project. Examples of material resources include concrete, steel, pipe, wood, and
glass. Material resources are different from work resources such as people and
equipment, which use time rather than material to complete tasks.
When you set up a material resource, you establish that it is a material rather than work
resource. You also define the material label, or unit of measurement, for the material.
Label examples include cubic yards, tons, and boxes.
When you assign a material resource to a task, you specify the material consumption for
the assignment, for example, 10 tons of steel for a specific assignment. You can also
establish whether the material usage is based on time (variable material consumption) or
not (fixed material consumption). Learn how to adjust material consumption rates on an
assignment.
Material resources are different from work resources in a number of ways:

The overtime rate and workgroup fields are disabled.

Unit availability cannot be specified.
Material resources are not leveled.
Material resources don't use resource calendars.
The cost per use works differently than for work resources.

Variable material consumption

The time-based quantity of material resource to be used in the completion of an
assignment. A variable consumption indicates that the amount of material used changes if
the task duration or assignment length changes. A variable consumption rate is specified
in the Assignment Units field, for example, 10 tons/week.
Fixed material consumption
Fixed material consumption
The absolute quantity of a material resource to be used to complete an assignment. A
fixed consumption rate indicates that the amount of material used will be constant,
regardless of changes to task duration or assignment length. A fixed consumption is
specified in the assignments Work field, for example, 10 tons.

Adjust the material consumption rate on an assignment

You can adjust the usage and consumption rate of a material resource on an assignment.
How do you want to adjust the consumption of a material resource?
1

Adjust the fixed material usage by adjusting work

Fine-tune the fixed material usage across a time period by contouring work
Adjust the variable material consumption rate by adjusting units
Control the material resource assignment dates

Control the material resource assignment dates

1.
2.
3.
4.

On the View menu, click Task Usage.

In the Task Name field, click the assignment you want to change.
Click Assignment Information, and then click the General tab.
In the Start box or the Finish box, type the date you want to start or finish
using the material resource. The start and finish dates define the length of the
assignment, or assignment span. If the resource has variable material
consumption, and if it's a fixed-units or fixed-work task, changing the
assignment changes the total work, or material usage.

How to Specify Resource Availability (Variable Maximum Units) throughout a project.

1 On the View menu, click Resource Sheet.
2 In the Resource Name field, click the resource whose resource units you want to
adjust for different time periods throughout the project.
3 Click Resource Information, and then click the General tab.
4 In the Avail. From field, click the date for the resource's start date on the project.
5 In the Avail. To field, click the resource's finish date at the first level of unit
availability.
6 In the Units field, type the number of maximum units available for this resource
during the specified period of time.
You can enter maximum units as a percentage (50%, 100%, 300%), or as a decimal
(0.5, 1, 3). Learn more about entering maximum units for work resources.
7 In the second Avail. From field, click the resource's start date at the second level of
unit availability.
8 In the second Avail. To field, click the resource's finish date at the second level of unit
availability.
9 In the second Units field, type the number of maximum units available for this
second period of time.
10 Repeat steps 79 for all the differing resource availability throughout the duration of
the project.
Notes
While the Resource Availability table in the Resource Information dialog box changes a
resource's maximum units over the life of the project, it does not change resource rates

over time. To set varying resource rates, set the resource cost table. Learn how to enter
multiple sets of rates per resource.
The Resource Availability table adjusts maximum unit availability throughout a project,
while work contours adjust varying levels of work throughout a specific assignment.
Learn how to apply work contours.
You can just enter dates in the Avail. To fields. In the first row, Microsoft Project retains
the "N/A" as the Avail. From date. This essentially represents the project start date. In the
succeeding rows, Microsoft Project enters the date after the last Avail. To date.

Resource Leveling dialog box

To open this dialog box, on the Tools menu, click Resource Leveling.
Use this dialog box to set preferences for the way you want resources to be leveled. Also use this
dialog box to start the leveling process. Microsoft Project levels overallocated resources by delaying
and splitting tasks, based on criteria you set in this dialog box. You can:

Specify whether you want Microsoft Project to level automatically (as soon as it detects
an overallocation) or manually (only when you click Level Now).

Indicate how much a resource needs to be overallocated (for example, by an hour, day,
or week) before they should be leveled.
3

Set the criteria for the order that tasks should be reviewed for overallocations and
leveling.

Details
Automatic Automatic leveling levels resources instantaneously when you change a task or
resource. If your project is large, automatic leveling might slow down your work in the schedule. If
you choose this option, clear the Clear leveling values before leveling check box. This check box is
selected by default, but when leveling automatically, clearing values can significantly affect schedule
performance.
Manual Manual leveling allows you to control when Microsoft Project levels resources. It levels
only when you open the Resource Leveling dialog box and click Level Now. This is the default
option.
Look for overallocations on a basis Click a time period for the sensitivity with which leveling will
recognize overallocations. This setting establishes the point at which you want leveling to intervene.
Minute by Minute Level resources when there is an overallocation of at least one minute.
Hour by Hour Level resources when there is an overallocation of at least one hour.
Day by Day Level resources when there is an overallocation of at least one day.
Week by Week Level resources when there is an overallocation of at least one week.
Month by Month Level resources when there is an overallocation of at least one month.
Clear leveling values before leveling Selecting this check box indicates that any delays previously
entered as a result of leveling, or as a result of manually entering leveling delay, are to be cleared
before the next leveling operation is done. This is selected by default.
Leveling range Specify whether you want the entire project leveled or only those tasks falling
within a specific time range.
Leveling order Specify the order in which you want Microsoft Project to delay or split tasks that
have overallocations. After Microsoft Project determines which tasks are causing the overallocation
and which tasks it can delay, it uses the order you specify.
You specify priorities for tasks in the Task Information dialog box. Click the General tab, and then
enter a value in the Priority box. Choices are 01000, with 0 being the lowest priority, and 1000
being the highest priority, having the effect of "Do Not Level." The default priority is 500.
If you are working with resources in multiple projects, you can also set priorities for projects in the
Project Information dialog box. On the Project menu, click Project Information, and then enter a
value in the Priority box.

ID Only Microsoft Project delays tasks as needed with the higher ID numbers before considering
other criteria.
Standard Microsoft Project looks at predecessor relationships, slack (a task with more total slack
time is delayed first), dates (a task with a later start date is delayed first), priorities, and constraints to
determine whether and how tasks should be leveled. This is the default.
Priority, Standard Microsoft Project looks first at priorities and then at predecessor relationships,
slack, dates, and constraints to determine whether and how tasks should be leveled.
Level only within available slack Select this check box if you want to prevent the finish date of
your project from being delayed. In many projects, however, unless there is a lot of built-in slack,
with this setting you might not see a significant change after leveling. By default, this check box is
cleared.
Leveling can adjust individual assignments on a task Select this check box to allow leveling to
adjust when a resource works on a task independent of the other resources working on the same task.
This is a global setting for all tasks and is selected by default. If you want to selectively allow
leveling on individual assignments for specific tasks, you can add the Level Assignments field to a
task sheet, and then set the field to Yes or No.
Leveling can create splits in remaining work Select this check box if you want leveling to interrupt
tasks by creating splits in the remaining work on tasks or assignments. This is a global setting for all
tasks, and is selected by default. If you want to selectively allow leveling to split remaining work for
specific tasks, you can add the Leveling Can Split field to a task sheet, and then set the field to Yes
or No.
To learn more about a specific option
1. Click

in the upper-right corner of the dialog box.

The mouse pointer changes to a question mark

2. Click the option for which you want information.

A brief description of that option appears on your screen.
Remarks
When you use leveling, Microsoft Project checks each of the resources in turn. If a resource is
overallocated, Microsoft Project searches for the tasks that are causing the overallocation and
identifies which of those tasks can be delayed. Microsoft Project does not delay tasks that:

Have a constraint of Must Start On or Must Finish On.

Have a constraint of As Late As Possible, if this project is being scheduled from the
start date.
Have a constraint of As Soon As Possible, if this project is being scheduled from the
finish date.
Have a priority of 1000, meaning Do Not Level.
Have an actual start date. However, as long as the Leveling can create splits in
remaining work check box is selected, any remaining work can be split for leveling.

After determining which tasks can be delayed, Microsoft Project picks the task to delay based on its
task dependencies, start date, priority, and constraints.
To review the changes leveling made to tasks, on the View menu, click More Views. Click Leveling
Gantt, and then click Apply. Review your tasks in the Leveling Gantt view to see the results of
leveling and to see how much delay leveling has added to tasks.
Typically, when you delay a task, either by using resource leveling or by adding delay manually, if
you click Clear Leveling in the Resource Leveling dialog box, this delay is removed. However,
suppose a task is split or delayed as a result of leveling, and then that task is subsequently set with a
priority 1000 (Do Not Level). If you click Clear Leveling in the Resource Leveling dialog box, the
leveling delay or split is not removed.