Data Entry - 4 variables how to handle neatly

I wish to create an XL sheet that will be used weekly to update new data .. and output will be graphs imported into ppt.

The requirement is for each week of the year for each individual record number of Hrs effort on a particular task.

So there are
# Individual name (currently ~30)
# wk number (1-52)
# Hrs value (from 0.5 to 40)
# Task name (currently ~40)


Any one individual may be assigned to any task .... each task could have one or more individuals assigned.
Although they would be unlikely to be assigned to more than ~5


My initial thoughts were Individual names in a column on left ... running left to right a column for each week number ... I could use drop down list to set list data entries of the task names ... all that is within my current Excel knowledge.
What I can't figure out is the way to add the last part .. the Hrs value.

i.e each entry needs individual name + task name + wk number + Hrs

There will be lots of names or tasks that have no entries for particular weeks .. so flexibility required.

Welcome advice of best way to structure this, as once set up needs to be handed over to admin function for monthly update.

The individuals will not be doing this .. it will be pre-populated with time estimates and known tasks for the Financial year.
Then a central admin resource will complete monthly, with actuals for the month and updated estimates for future months. (if any)

The output will be used to create a bar graph showing total numbers of Hrs per week for the year, initially all will be estimate, being replaced by actuals as year progresses.
Might want to show both forecast & actual on a second graph.

Several other manipulations using some headcount numbers, resource costs ... but that is all additional once I get this base table correct.

Need it to be easy to update monthly and 'recreate' graphs amongst other data & outputs

This is the point ... I have the data (on paper) ... I am looking for the best way to put it into Excel

It consists for each user:
User name
Hrs per week
task name

For some users there are several tasks for others just a single task.

This sounds great ... I attach what I use for standard dates.

dates.xlsx

Actually it would be a work area ... all projects are assigned staff ... and all of these staff roll up into one of 3 functional areas.
They may report 'direct' to functional area Director, or to one of the managers.
So All I need is ability to add a field to the 'persons' tab that includes 'Department (or area)' and that is enough ... ... would just allow flexibility in reports to show effort per area.

Project 'a'could have resource name1, name2 etc
And they could all be from 1 area or from sepeate areas .. (there are 3)

Hi ... been trying this out - and its pretty clever stuff.

First off let me check sequence ...
Open File ... run 'create month'macro eg 3 (Mar)
then on the new file enter individual names, and select department from drop down (Column C) .... if I want to add any more departments add them to column D ?
run 'create missing staff' macro, and it will create a tab for each
Go to 'projects tab' and add in any project names.
Go to each 'individuals tab' and add in Hrs against project from drop down menu - Column A

Once done ... run 'summarise' macro ... data is then in the summary tab

Save file .... (i.e. saved as March)

Q1 # For the next month would I then open March and the create new month from that so it 'inherits' individual names & projects already in the Feb file ?

Q2 # on the data tab there are entries in K4 through to P4 ? .... what are these for ?

Q3 # as I want to put data in for 12 months ... this would mean 12 sets of files .. (i.e 10 summaries), this would seem to be awkward to then importing the data into charting tool by working across 12 separate files.
Is there a way to neatly end up with one summary file ? ...

On this last point I am expecting to produce 3 or 4 ppt slides of graphical data views ... and an XL file for back up ... the idea being if someone wants to know for example "why is the total time for week 23 so high?" .. you could open the XL file and see at a glance all entries for wk 23 .. having multiple file makes it a bit clunky ....... I guess as its done on monthly basis you just need to open the file for that month ... but is is still 12 separate files.
Suggestions welcome

I'll look at that new version in morning ... only have my phone now.
Thinking this over ... the macro forms idea would be good for monthly going fwd
However for initial data if would mean going through a lot of forms to get the initial dsta entered.
I have on paper the weekly figures for all individuals for the year.
It would be a lot easier to enter all of this of one sheet - or perhaps one workbook .
.maybe a master Tab for all names & projects then a tab per person for all of the data for the year ??
Thoughts?

I need to find a simple way to gather the data ... the other discussion may be great for future admin updates ... but initially I have estimates for 52 weeks of effort for the various names against each project they are assigned to.

I need to record
# Individual name
# group they belong to ( 3 options)
# Task name
# Hrs per week against each project

So taking your table above ...

Joe could have 3 Hrs against Task 5 and 6 Hrs against task 9
So it needs flexibility to select more than one Task and record more than one time .......

As you say ... I need it as simple as possible, for the bulk move from paper to XL

Any help appreciated

If you followed my description above ... to allow quick entry for all yrs worth of Hrs for the names ...
thought about how best to do it ..

I have come up with the attached book.
Tab 1 "data" has the names and I defined these in Tab "Names" so that names have to be chosen form drop down list.
I did same approach for tasks


As most 'names' will have more than one task on any given week I can see there being a lot of entries in Column A.

(welcome any neater way to do this)

The Hrs would be a manual number entry.

Couple of questions ...

# If I need to add a name .. then I can easily add to 'Names tab' but I am only aware of then having to go to Formulas /name manager and having to update names 'cell range' is there an autmated way to do this ?

# I would like to also auto populate Column B on data Tab ... so that when the name is chosen the correct Team is also populated
.. what is easiest way to do that.

# Need to show cumulative Hrs count for each week .. (red ?)
and cumulative Hrs count for each Qtr
and Cumulative Hrs for the yr for each team


Welcome advice how to do this .... not sure if I should use Table function, and any ways to automate or make it simpler.