How to Use Project Phases in Project Insight

Project Insight allows you to assign multiple resources to the same task and control how the task’s work hours are distributed among them. You can increase the total work as people are added, divide the existing work evenly or proportionally, or enter each resource’s work manually.

Best for: Project managers and administrators who need several people to contribute to the same task while accurately controlling each person’s assigned work.

How do I display multiple resources on the task list?

The default task list may show the Task Owner column instead of the Resources column. To assign more than one person from the task list, first add the Resources column to the view.

1. Open the project task list.
2. Select Display Options.
3. Find the Resources column.
4. Move the Resources column into the displayed columns.
5. Remove the Task Owner column if you want to use the multiple-resource view instead.

Project Insight does this by replacing the single-owner task list field with a field that can display and manage several assigned resources.

How do I assign more than one resource to a task?

1. Create or open a task.
2. Enter the task duration and work hours.
3. Open the Resources field.
4. Select the first resource.
5. Add the second resource.
6. Choose how the task work should be adjusted.
7. Add any additional resources and review their work hours.
8. Select Save.

For example, a five-day task with 40 hours of work can be assigned to two or more people. The total work and each person’s allocation depend on the work adjustment option you select.

What happens to work hours when I add another resource?

By default, Project Insight increases the total task work when another person is added. It assumes each new resource should receive the same amount of work as the existing resource.

For example, if a task has 40 hours and you add a second resource, the task increases to 80 hours. Adding a third resource would increase it to 120 hours when the default increase-work option is used.

In short, adding people does not automatically mean the existing work is split among them. Review the work adjustment option each time you add a resource.

How can I divide the existing work evenly?

After adding another resource, select the work adjustment option that divides the existing work evenly.

Project Insight recalculates the assignments so each selected resource receives an equal share of the task’s current work.

For example, if a 40-hour task has two resources, dividing the existing work evenly assigns 20 hours to each person while keeping the task at 40 total hours.

How can I divide work proportionally?

Choose the proportional work option when you want Project Insight to redistribute the existing work based on the current assignment proportions rather than giving everyone an equal amount.

Project Insight does this by recalculating each resource’s work while preserving the relative distribution among the assigned people.

How do I enter work manually for each resource?

Choose the manual work option when you want to determine the added resource’s hours yourself.

With this option, an additional resource is added without automatically receiving work. You can then enter the number of hours that person should contribute.

For example, you could keep the current work assigned to two resources, add a third person, and manually give the third person 10 hours. If the original task contained 40 hours, the resulting task would contain 50 total hours.

What work adjustment options are available?

Project Insight provides four ways to handle work when an additional resource is added to a task:

• Increase the work: Give the added resource the same work amount and increase the task’s total work.
• Divide the existing work evenly: Split the current task work equally among the assigned resources.
• Divide the work proportionally: Redistribute the current work according to the existing assignment proportions.
• Add work manually: Add the resource without automatically assigning work, then enter that person’s hours manually.

These rules apply when the second, third, fourth, or any later resource is added to the task.

How do I change the default work adjustment rule?

1. Open Add-ons.
2. Select Projects and Tasks.
3. Find Work Adjustment Rules for Multiple Resources on a Task.
4. Select the default rule you want to use.

The available defaults are to increase the work, divide the existing work evenly, divide it proportionally, or add work manually.

Can I apply the work adjustment rule to all projects?

Yes. Select Apply to All Projects when you want the chosen rule to become the default throughout the system.

This helps administrators create a consistent approach to multiple-resource assignments across projects.

What should I check before saving the task?

Review the task duration, total work, assigned resources, and each person’s work hours before saving.

Adding resources can change the task’s total work significantly, especially when the default rule increases work for every new person.

What are common mistakes when assigning multiple resources?

• Leaving the Task Owner column in place when the Resources column is needed
• Adding another person without checking whether total work increased
• Assuming work will automatically be divided evenly
• Choosing manual work but not entering hours for the added resource
• Applying a system-wide default without reviewing how it affects other projects

Related questions

Can one task have more than one resource?

Yes. Use the Resources column or task resource field to assign several people to the same task.

Does adding a resource always increase the total work?

No. Increasing work is the default shown in the tutorial, but you can instead divide the existing work evenly, divide it proportionally, or enter work manually.

Can I give different work hours to each resource?

Yes. Use the manual work option and enter the amount of work each added resource should receive.

Can an administrator control the default behavior?

Yes. The default work adjustment rule can be configured in the Projects and Tasks add-on settings and applied across all projects.

Where can I get help with multiple-resource assignments?

Visit Project Insight Support for help configuring resources, work hours, or work adjustment rules.