Set size to match effort

I explained in another entry that size and effort are distinct metrics for tasks. However it's useful to keep the overhead of estimating two closely related items to an absolute minimum. This is why the patterns in the "Simple Process" uses the user's input of a size metric (in "ideal days") to automatically complete the effort estimates (usually displayed in person-hours or person-days). They can be changed subsequently though and if you want to re-synchronize them at some point - say when you a re baselining a plan - a utility for doing so is useful.

Here's a simple Action that you can define in your process (make it a "UI Action" by setting this field to True).

Action Name: Set size to match effort
Expression: setSize(getEffortIncludingChildren()/480.0)
Applicable to: Task
UI Action: True
Parameters: (none)

Having done this you can expand your task hierarchy in the explorer, select the tasks you wish to set size on, and then right-click and select UI Action -> Set size to match effort .

Note: From version 2.9 of xProcess this action is included in the Simple Process.