Cost objects/resources

The following illustration provides an overview of the transfer of cost types from LN to Microsoft Project.

LN distinguishes all the five cost types of cost objects, employees and trade groups, but Microsoft Project can identify only those objects that are utilized in time units, as resources and/or tasks.

To use this feature, you must transfer all the cost types, with the exception of Labor, as internal resources to Microsoft Project. The cost objects and employees for which the Used in Schedule check box is selected are transferred. All the cost objects are available for reference when you create a budget line task or a resource assignment in Microsoft Project. You can create a corresponding budget in LN Project from each of these budget line tasks or resource assignments.

The labor budget lines are represented with the resource assignment of either an employee or a trade group, depending on who actually performs the work and how specifically you must define that. To choose not to transfer, for example, administration employees or senior management, do not select the Used in Schedule check box for these employees.

In Microsoft Project, each resource is classified as either of type Work or Material. LN cost objects of type Material, subcontracting with cost determination type Quantity, and sundry are transferred as Material, while subcontracting of type Amount of Time, Employees, and Trade Groups are transferred as Work.