Cannot assign a resource request exempt resource in MSP without a project team entry

Symptoms:
Created a project in Changepoint and assigned some generic resources that are resource request exempt, using Project Worksheet. Linked the project into MSP and added a task and assigned a generic resource to the task within MSP. When closing MSP and saving the project back to Changepoint it threw errors indicating that no project team entry existed for the generic resources, despite the fact that they are resource request exempt. Is it not possible to assign such resources in MSP?
  
 
Reason:
Only in Project Worksheet it is possible to assign resource request exempt resources directly without a project team entry. A project team entry is still required when assiging resources in MSP, or in task profile page.

Resolution:
Create a project team entry for such resources, before assigning them in MSP.

It is possible to create the project team entry without creating a resource request. Which means there is no need to go through the workflow, and the generic resource in project team will be soft booked. It will then be possible to assign them to any task, in both task profile page and in MSP. Later, when a real resource is to be assigned, change the project team entry and submit the request for the real resource. This will go through the workflow and at the end the resource name will be in the same project team entry instead of the generic resource. At this point it will be possible to change the assignments in MSP to the real resource name.


Additional notes:
As of 2012 SP2, MSP link does support resource request exempt flag.