Task Usage View in Microsoft Project

Most project managers are familiar with Gantt Chart view. It’s a type of bar chart that provides a time-phased view of your project’s tasks, milestones, and resources. It’s the default view in Microsoft Project – but there are things you can’t do in Gantt Chart view.

Let’s look at an example. In the project shown below, using Gantt Chart view, we can see that task 13, Add Graphics is 1 week in duration and has two resources assigned: Artist and Staff Assistant. The Staff Assistant is assigned at 25% utilization. But what does that mean? Does the Staff Assistant work 2 hours per day for the entire duration of the task? Does the Staff Assistant work 10 hours at the beginning of the task then do nothing while the Artist toils on? In Gantt Chart view, you can’t tell.

Task Usage View is all About the Details

Now, let’s take a look at Task Usage view. Examining task 13, Add Graphics in Task Usage view reveals that, even though the Artist will begin work on the task on October 13, the Staff Assistant won’t join in until one day later.

Not only does Task Usage view provide a detailed breakdown of the work each resource is scheduled to contribute, it’s the only view that lets you schedule different start and finish dates for assigned resources.

Try It Yourself

If you’d like to explore Task Usage view, you’ll find it on the Ribbon’s view tab, in the Task Views group.