My preferred way to use MS Project is to create all activities as fixed work type and then update the schedule by entering an actual start date and entering the completed work using the % work complete field. The work to go and the finish date can then be forecast by editing the Remaining Duration and Remaining Work fields. Doing this I have found that MS Project gives the most stable and predictable results.
I know that % complete is for the duration and not for the progress of work. But I am unsuccessful in trying to make my clients understand the logic and hence forced to follow the above system of reporting. Earlier in my other projects I was using the % physical complete, along with the actaul start / finish / remaining durations and then updating the schedule on the status date.
You cannot just enter %complete, you need to track the actual events, "Actual Start Time, Actual finish Time" then you will get correct information, You baseline is normally different from your ctual information and hence you can forecast you finish date correctly, otherwise if you want your actual information to be the same as the baseline it then becomes useless, it means you are not planning but you are only data capturing.
Member for
19 years 11 months
Member for19 years11 months
Submitted by Trevor Rabey on Fri, 2012-01-20 00:05
"For me to report % complete is the percentage of quantity of that task being completed as on the status date."
This is incorrect. % Complete is actual duration/total duration. That's all it is. If you set out to lay 10000 bricks in 10 days and at the end of the 6th day you have only laid 3000 bricks, the % Complete is 60%, but the % Bricks is only 30%.
If you observe that the task is % Vricks is 30% and you type that into the % Complete field the it is wrong because first of all the number is about bricks but you have put it in the field that is about duration, and it is wrong because you have told MSP that there has been 3 days of actual duration when there has actually been 6. It starts wrong an gets worse wrong!
Also, you must also record the facts, which are the actual start and the actual duration. Then you must record the actual duration, which is some number up to but no more than 6. Then you must re-estimate the remaining duration (is 4 days enough?)
Hope this helps.
Member for
19 years 11 months
Member for19 years11 months
Submitted by Trevor Rabey on Fri, 2012-01-20 00:05
"For me to report % complete is the percentage of quantity of that task being completed as on the status date."
This is incorrect. % Complete is actual duration/total duration. That's all it is. If you set out to lay 10000 bricks in 10 days and at the end of the 6th day you have only laid 3000 bricks, the % Complete is 60%, but the % Bricks is only 30%.
If you observe that the task is % Vricks is 30% and you type that into the % Complete field the it is wrong because first of all the number is about bricks but you have put it in the field that is about duration, and it is wrong because you have told MSP that there has been 3 days of actual duration when there has actually been 6. It starts wrong an gets worse wrong!
Also, you must also record the facts, which are the actual start and the actual duration. Then you must record the actual duration, which is some number up to but no more than 6. Then you must re-estimate the remaining duration (is 4 days enough?)
Member for
14 years 7 monthsRohit, My preferred way to
Rohit,
My preferred way to use MS Project is to create all activities as fixed work type and then update the schedule by entering an actual start date and entering the completed work using the % work complete field. The work to go and the finish date can then be forecast by editing the Remaining Duration and Remaining Work fields. Doing this I have found that MS Project gives the most stable and predictable results.
D
Member for
13 years 9 monthsTo resolve your issue on the
To resolve your issue on the 1389 days, try this check:
1) Filter all 100% complete activities
2) Check if your 100% complete activities have actual finish dates.
3) Update the finish dates for the 100% complete activities which has no actual finish dates.
4) rerun F9
5) variance should be correct now
DONE
Member for
17 years 6 monthsTrevor, Thanks for your
Trevor,
Thanks for your explanation.
I know that % complete is for the duration and not for the progress of work. But I am unsuccessful in trying to make my clients understand the logic and hence forced to follow the above system of reporting. Earlier in my other projects I was using the % physical complete, along with the actaul start / finish / remaining durations and then updating the schedule on the status date.
Rohit
Member for
13 years 9 monthsYou cannot just enter
You cannot just enter %complete, you need to track the actual events, "Actual Start Time, Actual finish Time" then you will get correct information, You baseline is normally different from your ctual information and hence you can forecast you finish date correctly, otherwise if you want your actual information to be the same as the baseline it then becomes useless, it means you are not planning but you are only data capturing.
Member for
19 years 11 months"For me to report % complete
"For me to report % complete is the percentage of quantity of that task being completed as on the status date."
This is incorrect. % Complete is actual duration/total duration. That's all it is. If you set out to lay 10000 bricks in 10 days and at the end of the 6th day you have only laid 3000 bricks, the % Complete is 60%, but the % Bricks is only 30%.
If you observe that the task is % Vricks is 30% and you type that into the % Complete field the it is wrong because first of all the number is about bricks but you have put it in the field that is about duration, and it is wrong because you have told MSP that there has been 3 days of actual duration when there has actually been 6. It starts wrong an gets worse wrong!
Also, you must also record the facts, which are the actual start and the actual duration. Then you must record the actual duration, which is some number up to but no more than 6. Then you must re-estimate the remaining duration (is 4 days enough?)
Hope this helps.
Member for
19 years 11 months"For me to report % complete
"For me to report % complete is the percentage of quantity of that task being completed as on the status date."
This is incorrect. % Complete is actual duration/total duration. That's all it is. If you set out to lay 10000 bricks in 10 days and at the end of the 6th day you have only laid 3000 bricks, the % Complete is 60%, but the % Bricks is only 30%.
If you observe that the task is % Vricks is 30% and you type that into the % Complete field the it is wrong because first of all the number is about bricks but you have put it in the field that is about duration, and it is wrong because you have told MSP that there has been 3 days of actual duration when there has actually been 6. It starts wrong an gets worse wrong!
Also, you must also record the facts, which are the actual start and the actual duration. Then you must record the actual duration, which is some number up to but no more than 6. Then you must re-estimate the remaining duration (is 4 days enough?)
Hope this helps.