PDURATION: Excel Formulas Explained

Pulling an all-nighter is a rite of passage for many students and professionals alike. It's that desperate attempt to cram everything in by the deadline. One of the crucial things you need when you're working late into the night with Microsoft Excel is to be able to calculate how much time you have to finish a task and still get a decent amount of rest. Similarly, when you're scheduling a project, you want to know how long it will take and organize everyone's time accordingly. That’s where the PDURATION formula comes into play.

What is PDURATION?

PDURATION is an Excel formula that calculates the total time required for a project, given a fixed number of resources. It takes into account the start date, end date, and number of resources dedicated to the project. This formula is helpful when you're working with several people and have a specific deadline in mind—the last thing you want is to let a team member's pulled hamstring ruin your project deadline.

Why is PDURATION So Useful?

PDURATION is particularly useful because of how precise it can be. The formula accounts for a variety of factors, such as work schedule, holidays, and other potential disruptions, to generate a more accurate timeline. That's important because it allows you to have a handle on your project's timeline, and enables you to manage the expectations of all stakeholders, therefore you can avoid unpleasant surprises later on.

Here's an example that applies the formula: Let’s say you want to complete a project that will require two team members, and you need it done within three days. Additionally, you want to know how many hours each person should work daily to complete the project on time. After inputting the relevant information into the formula, you'll get the exact amount of time required daily to achieve the project's mission within that period.

How to Use PDURATION?

Using the PDURATION formula can make your life easier by giving you an almost precise timeline of your project, but you have to know how to use it properly. Thankfully, the process is quite simple. Here are the steps:

• Open an Excel spreadsheet on your computer
• Select an empty cell and type in the word "PDURATION"
• Input the start date of the project in one cell, ensuring you use the 'dd/mm/yy' format.
• Input the end date of the project into another cell, also making use of the 'dd/mm/yy' format.
• Input the number of resources you have to complete the project, which simply means the number of people you would need to execute the project properly.
• Use the formula syntax: =PDURATION("start_date","end_date","number of resources")
• Afterward, hit the Enter key, and the result of the formula will automatically pop up in the cell you used first.

It's important to note that you must input the starting and end dates in a manner Excel recognizes. The formula isn't case sensitive, so you can input the start date and end date in capitals or small letters. Just make sure to enclose it in quotation marks and use the order "start date," "end date," and "number of resources."

Conclusion

PDURATION is a great time-management tool for anyone who uses Excel. Not only is it easy to use, but it's also highly precise and can provide you with accurate timelines in a matter of seconds. Whether you're a student trying to complete a project or a professional handling a plethora of tasks, incorporating this formula into your workflow will streamline your workload and save you loads of time, therefore making you more productive. So go ahead and give it a try—your future self will thank you!