Managing Tasks › Estimates (ETC) at the Task Level › How to Modify ETC at the Task Level › Set Up Tasks for Top-Down Estimating

Set Up Tasks for Top-Down Estimating

Important! Before you can set up and apply top-down estimating at the task level, you must zero-out existing estimates. To set up top-down estimating for subordinate tasks, you must zero-out the ETC amount of its parent task.

You can also apply top-down distributions at the project level.

To set up tasks for top down estimating

1. Open the project.

   The Project: Properties: Main - General page appears.

2. Zero out existing estimates:
   1. Select the Tasks tab.

      The Project: Tasks: Task List page appears.

   2. Open the parent or top level task of the tasks for which you want to set percentages.

      The Task Properties page appears.

   3. Click the Estimating tab.

      The Task Estimating Properties page appears.

   4. Verify that the ETC field is set to zero (0.00). If it is not, delete the amount and enter 0, and then click Apply.

      The estimates are zeroed out.

   5. Click Cancel.

      The Project: Tasks: Task List page appears.

3. For each task you want to share a portion of the top-down distribution, do the following:
   1. Open a task for which you want to enter a distribution percentage.

      The Task Properties page appears.

   2. Click the Estimating tab.

      The Task Estimating Properties page appears.

   3. In the Top-down % field, enter the percentage of the top-down estimate that you want distributed to this task, and click Save.
4. Open the top level task for which you will enter the ETC to be distributed.

   The Task Properties page appears.

5. Click the Estimating tab.

   The Task Estimating Properties page appears.

6. Enter the ETC number you want to distribute throughout the parent task's subordinates in the ETC field, and click Preview.

   The Preview ETC Change page appears, where you can view a summary of how the percentages were distributed.

7. Click Apply.

   The distribution is saved and distributed for each task. The phase or top-level task page appears, where the ETC you entered displays.

More information:

Apply Top-Down Estimating at the Project Level