Progress Reporting in PowerProject.

its just doubled up on http://www.planningplanet.com...

seems to be a dead link David...

...and I also UNTICK "split progressed sections" as the result from this is often misrepresentative of actual events, and in Tools, Options, Edit, Tasks, "When editing start or end in a spreadsheet", I select move task, as PowerProject has a uncomfortable fetish for changing the duration of tasks. (This is also the reason Actual Starts have to be entered in the Start column - PP will elongate the task from the actual start date to the current end date).

I seem to have sorted it now - Although I am yet to fully put it to the test "in the field", where yet another glitch will probably be discovered.



Basically I have set up the following columns in my "Progress" view. (from L to R)



Activity Title, Duration, Percent Complete, Planned Percent Complete, Start, End, Actual Start, Actual End



I’ve baselined the sample project and made the baseline visible.



I’ve checked the following are set to the CURRENT progress date:



In the Planned Percent complete column, Attributes, the Progress Period is set to CURRENT period.



Tools, Options, Progress tab, Progress Entry tab is set to CURRENT period.



I changed the reschedule option "Straighten line to progress period" to the appropriate date, and also ensured the progress line is visible in "Format Bar Chart, Progress". I also ensured the “relink around completed tasks” option is ticked. Otherwise, you face a situation where ALL forward facing logic must be entered for EVERY activity, for a reschedule to make any sense.







Then for progress entry, I enter the ACTUAL START DATE in the START date column (NOT the Actual Start column as any right thinking individual would naturally assume!!&^%$%&^^)



If complete, I enter 100% in the Percent Complete column (NOT a date in the Actual End column, again as any normal, "doesnt have 2 pencils up his nose whilst banging his head on the padded cell walls" Planner may believe)



Once the 100% has been applied to the task, then and only then, do I change the automatic date in the Actual End column to represent the REAL situation on site. ie either earlier or later than the date unhelpfully "assumed" by PowerProject.



If NOT complete, I simply enter the appropriate %age value in the Percent Complete column.



This may all be common sense to some people who are reading this thinking I sound like I’ve just re-invented the wheel, however it’s taken me several painstaking weeks and many (useless) phone calls to Asta to sort it out. The finished result is that (I think) I have a progress reporting tool that functions the same as my beloved P3, and reports as built data, current %ages, and future predicted outcomes.



Thanks for the tips