EPM, Microsoft Project and You

By Tanya Foster and Collin Quiring

How can you classify your Resources so that they can be grouped in some way for security, sorting and comparing to each other?   How do you classify some type of reporting structure or chain of command for your Resources?  One built in method for this in Project Server 2010 is the Resource Breakdown Structure, or RBS.

According to the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) guide the Resource Breakdown Structure is defined as “is a hierarchical list of resources related by function and resource type that is used to facilitate planning and controlling of project work.” (Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Fourth Edition, page 145. Project Management Institute, 2008.)

According to Microsoft in the world of Project Server 2010, “the Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) is a hierarchical security structure typically based on the management reporting structure of your organization, although it can also be structured in other ways. The RBS can be an important element in your Project Server security model when it is used to define the reporting relationships among users and projects in your organization. When you specify an RBS value for each Project Server user, you can take advantage of the dynamic security options that can be defined for each security category.”  (Guide for IT Pros for Project Server 2010, page 46, Microsoft, June 2010)

Before you can use the RBS as an effective tool for your organization, you need to know how to set it up.  Therefore, we have created a new document and posted it in the White Papers section of our website – http://www.pmpspecialists.com/WhitePapers.html .  The document is under the heading of “Sample RBS File – Setting up the RBS Custom Field”.  The purpose of this document is to help explain how to set up a Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) for your organization with Microsoft Project Server 2010.