As a PM, I can assign work packages

Project managers (PM), and other managers (PMA, PMO, PfM, PgM), can assign work packages to a team member in two ways:

  • Assign resources to one or more work packages: Select one or more resources (Team Members or Material Resources) from a resource pool to assign them to Work Package #0 or another work package. You can then change the work package if required.
  • Assign a work package to one or more resources: Select a work package and then find one or more resources (Team Members or Material Resources) from a resource pool to assign to it. Use this option when resources need to be assigned to detailed work packages rather than Work Package #0.

Assign a resource (Team Members or Material Resources) to one or more work packages at PLAN > Plan Resources > Assign Resources:

Assign Resources provides separate tabs for assigning Team Members and Material Resources to the selected work package.

Before assigning a team member, Project Managers (PM) can view their assignments for the particular work package timeline by clicking the icon [🕒].

The reverse operation, that is, releasing a resource from a project, can be done by clicking the “delete” icon [🗑️].

Any Team Member can belong to only one resource pool at a time. Team Members can change the resource pool field or set it blank. RMs and PMOs can also change TM’s resource pool. PMs need to find TMs inside pools when assigning them to projects. For a TM to be assigned to a project, they need to:

  • Use the Team Member role.
  • Belong to a resource pool which is serving the project’s business unit.

Select the resources and open section ASSIGN WORK PACKAGES to assign this person to other work packages by clicking the “plus” [+] button.

Open work package section to release the resource by clicking the “Delete” button or edit the assignation details:

Team Member Assignment details:

  • Assignment: A narrative description of results to be produced by the team member within the scope of this work package.
  • Baseline Start: Committed date for this team member to start working on this work package.
  • Baseline Finish: Committed date for this team member to finish working on this work package.
  • Baseline Work (h): Committed effort hours for this team member on this work package.
  • Hourly Cost Rate: Internal fix cost per hour for this team member. This cost does not depend on the project which team member is assigned to. This cost is normally fix during the year, although it can be changed by the Resource Manager (RM) or the PMO, if a team member is promoted, for instance.
  • Hourly Sell Rate: Selling rate for the team member assignment. This should be higher than the cost rate. The same team member could have different selling rates in different projects, or even for different work packages at the same project.
  • Resource Pool Name
  • Description

Material Resource Assignment Details:

  • Baseline Start: Committed date for this material resource to start being used in this work package.
  • Baseline Finish: Committed date for this material resource to finish being used in this work package.
  • Baseline Units: Committed quantity of this material resource required for this work package.
  • Cost Rate: Internal cost per unit for this material resource. This cost does not depend on the project to which the material resource is assigned. The Resource Manager (RM) or PMO can update this cost when the material cost changes.
  • Sell Rate: Selling rate per unit for the material resource assignment. This should typically be higher than the cost rate. The same material resource can have different selling rates across projects or even across work packages within the same project.
  • Resource ID: Displays the unique identifier assigned to this material resource.
  • Resource Pool Name
  • Description

Assign a work package to one or more team members at PLAN > Plan Resources > Assign Work Packages:

Open team member section to release the team member by clicking the “Delete” button or edit the assignation details, as explained above:

Project Managers (PM) can also read assignment details with the mobile application. Once they have entered any organization (for instance, DEMO PMPeople), they need to select the role Project Manager, then the concrete project and finally, hit the menu option Plan Resources:

Select a work package to read assignment details for every team member:

In case one team member is released or quit the project and other team members have to take over all assignments. This operation can be as explained above: release the first team member and assign all work packages, one by one, to other team members, taking care to copy all assignment details.

You can automate this process PLAN > Plan Resources > Reassign Team Members:

Just select the team member to be released, the team member to hand over and click the button [Reassign].

Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two ways to assign work packages in PMPeople?

You can assign a resource to one or more work packages, or assign a work package to one or more resources, depending on your workflow.

Can a team member belong to multiple resource pools?

No. A team member can only belong to one resource pool at a time, though this can be changed or cleared by certain roles.

How can I reassign all work packages from one team member to another?

Use the Reassign Team Members feature under PLAN > Plan Resources to transfer all assignments from one person to another in one step.