Microsoft Project 2013: The Missing Manual

Reviewing Cost Information

Suppose the project’s customer makes it very clear that the maximum price tag for the fundraising event project is $150,000, and she hints more than once that less than $120,000 would be even better. Now that you’ve entered tasks, resources, and any associated costs in Project, it’s time to see what the event is likely to cost.

In this section, you’ll learn how to review total planned costs for all project tasks. By extension, you get a handy forecast of your overall project costs. You’ll also learn how to review planned costs for tasks, resources, and assignments, so you can analyze costs at whatever level of granularity you need.

Seeing Overall Project Costs

When you first compare your project plan’s performance against the budget, start with a quick bottom-line snapshot. A single number for your project’s planned cost tells you whether you need to delve into cost containment or whether you can sit back and relax. This section shows a few ways to come up with that top-level number.

Remember the old garbage in/garbage out maxim? Your total project cost forecast is only as reliable as the information you provide. At this stage of the game, many costs and durations are merely estimates. Still, because these estimates affect your budget, it pays to be as accurate as possible. To forecast the project’s total cost reliably, make sure you have the following information in your project plan:

• Costs, including hourly rates and per-use costs, for all work resources ...