Chapter 4

Resource Loading & Cost Management

Chapter Video: Resources, Costs & Leveling

⏳ COMING SOON

A schedule without resources is just a "wish list." To prove your plan is executable, you must assign labor, equipment, and materials to every activity.

1. Resource Types & Roles

Navigate to Enterprise → Resources to build your resource pool:

Resource Type	Unit	Construction Examples
Labor	Hours/Days	Carpenters, ironworkers, engineers
Nonlabor	Hours/Days	Excavators, cranes, concrete pumps
Material	Quantity (m³, Ton, LM)	Concrete, rebar, cables

Role vs Resource: A Role = generic skill (Formwork Carpenter). A Resource = actual entity (Carpenter Ahmed).

💡 Units Trick: For "Material" resources, you must first define units at Admin → Admin Categories → Units of Measure.

2. Costs & Expenses

Each resource has a "Price / Unit." Once entered, P6 auto-calculates the Budgeted Cost.

For subcontractors (Lump Sum), use Expenses instead of Resources:

Select the activity → Activity Details → Expenses tab.
Add an expense item (e.g., "HVAC Subcontractor").
Set Accrual Type: Start / End / Uniform.
Enter the Budgeted Cost.

Total Cost = Resource Costs + Expenses

3. Resource Leveling

One tower crane + slab pour and rebar lifting on the same day = Over-allocation!

Use the Resource Usage Profile from the bottom layout. If bars exceed the black Max line = your schedule is impossible to execute.

Solution: Tools → Level Resources — P6 delays activities with high float first.

⚠️ Danger! Leveling may extend your project finish date. Always save a Baseline before leveling!

4. Resource Distribution Curves

By default, P6 distributes resources linearly. Real life isn't linear! Assign a Resource Curve:

Back-Loaded: Effort increases toward the end.
Front-Loaded: Effort concentrated at the start.
Bell-Shaped: Gaussian distribution.

These curves are essential for generating the Cash Flow Curve and EVM S-Curves.