Configure Activity Defaults for a Project

You can configure default system behavior for new activities and resource assignments for your project.

Note: Although you can configure default values for activity type, duration type, and percent complete type, you can also manually adjust these values for individual activities.

To configure default settings for new activities and resource assignments:

1. Navigate to the project settings page
   1. In the object selector, select ﱆ Project, select View Projects List, and then select a project name.
   2. From the  Main Menu, select  Summary & Settings.
   3. On the Summary & Settings page, select Settings.
2. Select the Activity Defaults tab.
3. In the New Activities section, configure default behavior for new activities:
   • Duration Type: Determines how remaining duration, units, and units/time are calculated when you update an activity that has resources assigned.
     • Fixed Units/Time: The resource units per time are constant when the activity duration or units are changed. Use this duration type when an activity has fixed resources with fixed productivity output per time period.
     • Fixed Units: The activity units are constant when the duration or resource units per time are changed. Use this duration type when the total amount of work is fixed, and increasing the resources can decrease the activity duration.
     • Fixed Duration & Units: The duration and units remain constant as the units/time is changed. Use this duration type when the activity must be completed within a fixed time period and the total amount of work is fixed.
     • Fixed Duration & Units/Time: The activity duration is constant as the units or resource units per time are changed. Use this duration type when the activity must be completed within a fixed time period regardless of the resources assigned.
   • Percent Complete Type: Determines the way in which the application calculates the percent complete for the activity. The type can be Physical, Duration, Units, or Scope.
     • Physical: The user will enter the percent complete for the activity.
     • Duration: The percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining duration.
     • Units: The percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining units.
     • Scope: The percent complete for the activity is derived from the scope percent complete of the linked scope assignment.
   • Activity Type: Determines how duration and schedule dates are calculated for the activity.
     • Activity Dependent: This type of activity indicates that assigned resources should be scheduled based on the activity's calendar, rather than the calendars of the resources.
     • Resource Dependent: This type of activity indicates that resources should be scheduled based on their assigned calendars. Use this type when the activity duration may be affected by resource availability.
     • Level of Effort: This type of activity indicates that it is ongoing with a duration determined by its dependent activities. The duration is calculated based on the schedule dates of its predecessors and successors. Administrative activities are typically designated as Level of Effort.
     • Start Milestone: This type of activity indicates the beginning of an important project phase. Activities of this type have a duration of zero (0) with no resource assignments.
     • WBS Summary: This type of activity comprises a group of activities that share a common WBS level. The duration is calculated based on its assigned calendar (the earliest and latest dates summarized from its activities).
   • Default duration for new activities: Enter the default time duration, in hours, for new activities.
   • Increment Activity ID based on selected activity: When disabled, new activity IDs follow the activity auto numbering rules set in the project settings. When enabled, new activity IDs are numbered based on the ID of the activities selected when the new activities are added. See Add an Activity for more information.
4. In the New Assignments section, configure default behavior for new activity assignments:
   • Drive activity dates by default: Determines whether new resource or role assignments drive activity dates by default.
   • Resource can be assigned to same activity more than once: Determines whether activities can be assigned to the same resource multiple times.
   • When adding or removing multiple resource assignments on activities: Select an option to determine application behavior when activity resource assignments are adjusted:
     • Preserve the Units, Duration and Units/Time for existing assignments: Select this option for units, durations, and units/time to remain constant when additional resources are assigned to any activity.
     • Recalculate the Units, Duration and Units/Time for existing assignments based on the activity Duration Type: Select this option to calculate a resource assignment's remaining values based on the activity's duration type.
5. Select Save.

This setting is used in the following apps: