Microsoft Project provides custom outline codes to support organizing project data. Microsoft Project outline codes has up to ten fields set aside them. You may apply these custom outline codes to activities or resources. These outline codes are very helpful for grouping and sorting project related data.
This article demonstrates how to create and assign custom outline codes in Microsoft Project to support grouping of project related resource data.
We have in Figure 1 our demonstration project.
Figure 1
This is a resource loaded project. The resources are displayed in Figure 2.
Figure 2
We want to use outline codes to track internal and external labor resources and whether these resources are billable to our project. Let’s proceed and create our outline codes. Select the projects tab and properties ribbon group and custom fields, Figure 3.
Figure 3
In the custom field dialog, Figure 4, we toggle resource and choose the outline code type.
Figure 4
In Figure 5 we name our outline code Expense Code.
Figure 5
We continue in Figure 6 and select lookup custom attributes for our outline code.
Figure 6
In the lookup dialog, Figure 7, we click code mask optional.
Figure 7
We continue and click edit mask, Figure 8.
Figure 8
Our outline code begins with 3 characters, Figure 9.
Figure 9
The second level of our outline code is, again, 3 characters, Figure 10.
Figure 10
In Figure 11 we enter the code values, and indent the second level codes.
Figure 11
In Figure 12 we have our completed lookup table.
Figure 12
Go with the default display settings, as shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13
In Figure 14 we begin to assign our outline codes to our labor resources.
Figure 14
In Figure 15 we have all our expense codes assigned to resources.
Figure 15
In Figure 16 we display the resource usage spreadsheet.
Figure 16
In Figure 17 we select the view tab, data ribbon group, group by menu, and new group by option.
Figure 17
In Figure 18 we save our new group by expense code.
Figure 18
Finally, in Figure 19 we filter by resources – work and group by expense code.
Figure 19
Summary
Outline codes are a robust feature in Microsoft Project. You can create and assign outline codes to tasks or resources. You may place codes on different levels, which supports organizing them in a hierarchy.
In the above demonstration, we created outline codes for resources that helped us group our resources and provide a suitable resource usage cost report. We were also able to focus our cost report on labor resources by choosing a labor resource filter in addition to our resource expense group.