Business Central Projects with unassigned resource

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Posted on by AleAlonso

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Hello,

I need to create a project with an unassigned resource as we need to create the budget, but we don't know who will doing the job. Once parts of the job have been done by a specific resource, we need to record it in the project without having the project budget recalculated and keeping the original number of hours so we do not go overbudget. Is there a way to do it this in Business Central?

Thanks

Alejandra

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Dynamics 365 Business Central

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Ramesh Kumar 7,527 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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This is not part of the standard functionality. However, one thing you could try is this: If your resource is linked to the Employee table, try creating a new resource and see if you can change the employee name in the resource before and after assigning it to the project.

That said, I would recommend changing the project details when you're about change from budget to billable, rather than modifying the resource card directly.

Thanks

Ramesh

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Ben Baxter 6,620 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Yes, you can absolutely do this. You can use a generic Resource (i.e. "Shop Labor") for your Budget Planning Lines. When you record your actual time, the specific Resource (i.e. Scott or Mary) will post their time via the Project Journal.

The "Line Type" in the Project Journal should be blank, or "Billable" if you are in a Time and Material billing environment. Using either blank or Billable as the Line Type will ensure there are no additions to your Budget based on the actual time postings.

If anyone has told you to do something else, they don't understand Projects.

Best Regards,

Ben Baxter

Accent Software Inc

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Andrés Arias 4,190 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hello,

Yes, it is possible. To do so, you would have to define a generic resource to prepare the budget. When the resource to be used is known, you can update that resource without modifying the assigned budget and generating the movement in the job.

I hope I can help.

Regards,

Andres

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Sahib Dino 196 on at

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Hi @AleAlonso,

That’s a smart approach—planning ahead with flexibility while keeping tight control over your budget. ✅

Yes, this method works in Business Central, and it's a reliable way to manage budgets when resources aren't assigned yet. Here's how you can do it:

Steps

1. Create a Placeholder Resource

Set up a generic resource (e.g., “TBD Consultant”).

Use this in Job Planning Lines with Line Type = Budget.
This sets your planned hours and cost without tying it to a specific person.

2. Record Actual Work Without Changing the Budget

When someone (like John) does the work, record it using the Job Journal.

Use Line Type = Blank or Billable.

Link the entry to the same Job Task, but don’t modify the original Budget line.

3. Avoid “Both Budget and Billable”

This line type updates the budget automatically—not what you want here.
Stick to Budget for planning and Billable/Blank for actuals.

4. Track Budget vs. Actual

Use the Job Budget vs. Actual report to monitor how your project is doing.
You'll see the original budget from the placeholder and the actuals from real resources.

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Mansi Soni 8,909 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hello,

Yes, in Business Central, you can handle this by using a generic resource or resource group as a placeholder when setting up your project budget. This allows you to define estimated hours and costs without assigning a specific resource. Later, when actual work is done, you can post usage through Job Journal entries using the specific resource who performed the work. This does not alter the original budget, since job ledger entries record actuals separately from planning lines, allowing you to track actual vs budgeted hours without impacting the original plan or risking overbudget.

Hope this answer will help you!

Regards,
Mansi Soni

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