It is an old post, but I require help in this regard.
As as per your Post 5 that states as below
Input the Actual Start date/time. Input the Actual Duration, usually the number of days from the actual start to the status date. Do not enter % Complete. The software calculates that for you from Actual Duration/Total Duration.
I agree.But my client is insisting to enter the
actual start date - OK
% complete - if the activity is in progress and does not have an actual finish date,which is not correct, as it is calculated by the software.
Eg
if Concreting(1000cum) is a 10 day activity from 01.11.11 - 10.11.11
Actual start is 01.12.11 and as on 05.12.11 have poured say 500cum, they want me to enter manually in %complete as 50%.
How do I make them understand this?
Also as read in Step by Step Microsoft Office Project 2007 by Carl Chatfield and T Johnson ,Part 1, Chapter 6 - Tracking Progress following is the data would like to share
Entering a Task’s Completion Percentage
After work has begun on a task, you can quickly record its progress as a percentage. When you enter a completion percentage other than 0, Project changes the task’s actual start date to match its scheduled start date. It then calculates actual duration, remaining duration, actual costs, and other values based on the percentage you enter. For example, if you specify that a four-day task is 50% complete, Project calculates that it has had two days of actual duration and has two days of remaining duration.
Here are some ways of entering completion percentages:
Use the Tracking toolbar (on the View menu, point to Toolbars, and then click Tracking). This toolbar contains buttons for quickly recording that a task is 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100% complete.
Enter any percentage value you want in the Update Tasks dialog box (on the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Update Tasks).
In this exercise, you record completion percentages of tasks via the Tracking toolbar.
On the Viewmenu, point to Toolbars, and then click Tracking. The Tracking toolbar appears.
Click the name of task 4, Pick Locations.
On the Tracking toolbar, click the 100% Completebutton
Project records the actual work for the task as scheduled and extends a progress bar through the length of the Gantt bar. Next, you’ll get a better look at the task’s Gantt bar. You will enter a completion
Click the name of task 5, Hold auditions.
On the Tracking toolbar, click the 50% Completebutton. Project records the actual work for the task as scheduled and then draws a progress bar through part of the Gantt bar. Note that although 50% of task 5 is completed, the progress bar does not span 50% of the width of the Gantt bar. This is because Project measures duration in working time, but draws the Gantt bars to extend over nonworking time, such as weekends.
The Progress ScreenTip informs you of the task’s completion percentage and other tracking values.
So far, you have recorded actual work that started and fi nished on schedule. While this
might prove true for some tasks, you often need to record actuals for tasks that lasted
longer or shorter than planned, or occurred sooner or later than scheduled. This is the
subject of the next topic.
So require your help.
Rohit
Member for
19 years 11 months
Member for19 years11 months
Submitted by Trevor Rabey on Sun, 2010-05-02 02:48
Rodel has provided an example there which illustrates the issues about status date, planned duration in the past and progress in the future. Rodel says he hasnt specified a status date and mentions that "in-progress" tasks need to be moved to the Status Date.
Lets say that one of those dates between 15/5 and 30/5 must be the Status Date (the date up to which progress is being measured). Whichever one it is, there is one or both of the two problems. The safest Status Date is 30/5. All progress, ie actual durations, is in the past relative to the Status Date, which is good. However, 2.5 days of planned duration in Task 4 (ID5) has to be moved into the future relative to the Status Date. This is what the 3rd button on the Tracking Toolbar does.
If any other date is the Status Date, then some bars show progress in the future and some show planned duration in the past.
They are both wrong but of the two, progress in the future is worst. Planned duration in the past just indicates an update step not yet done, perhaps just a mistake, and can be easily corrected with one click.
Progress in the future on the other hand, indicates a possible mis-understanding. A 10 day task cannot be 80% complete if it only started 6 days ago.
Hope this helps.
Member for
19 years 11 months
Member for19 years11 months
Submitted by Trevor Rabey on Sat, 2010-05-01 08:46
Thanks. If I could add something, it is that the "physical" progress of the task, ie what has been done, how many bricks have been laid or whatever, is not so important as what remains, because that is what will mainly determine the estimate of the remaining duration. The past is only of interest to the extent that it provides a clue about the actual performance compared to the original estimate of performance, and has a bearing on the estimate of the remaining duration.
Member for
15 years 7 months
Member for15 years7 months
Submitted by Rashid Iqbal on Fri, 2010-04-30 12:56
Suggestion, if you are doing something a certain way and it produces results which dont make sense then consider that the method might be basically flawed (ie not the software).
Get set up for tracking and updating so that you can see what you are doing, 6 steps:
Save a baseline
Set a status date
Show the Tracking Gantt View
Show the Tracking Table
Show the Tracking Toolbar
Format the gridlines to show the status date as a vertical red line on the chart
Input the Actual Start date/time.
Input the Actual Duration, usually the number of days from the actual start to the status date.
Do not enter % Complete. The software calculates that for you from Actual Duration/Total Duration.
If necessary, ie you have laid more or less bricks than estimated, revise the remaining duration
Experiment with the 2nd and 3rd buttons on the Tracking Toolbar.
Just another quick question concerning MSP. I am new to MSP, when updating progress and the actual % is more than planned. When I insert the %, the progress jumps beyond the status line. Now I know this is not realistic, so what must be done here. Is there an option to make the duration decrease, in this way it will show that the activity is actually going to finish early.
Member for
17 years 7 months
Member for17 years7 months
Submitted by Mark Bandong on Thu, 2010-04-29 10:56
I agree with Trevor, The planning cycle starts from creating a baseline. When the baseline was finalized and project execution has begun, the actual progess is monitored, recorded and compared to the baseline.
FYI, the plan may be changed by adding or deleting activities and adjusting remaining durations, LOGIC or resources.A REVISED PLAN (with corrections on the programme) is published as progress continues. Its normal to change the plan every update schedule(weekly/monthly etc). This shows the actual scenario on the project execution.
A REVISED BASELINE on the other hand is only needed when the original baseline becomes irrelevant due to the impact of project changes (a change in methodology or excessive delays). But before you revise the baseline, you have to ask approval from the client and provide substantiation reports as what rashid has said.
HTH.
denmark
Member for
19 years 11 months
Member for19 years11 months
Submitted by Trevor Rabey on Wed, 2010-04-28 23:22
I would say that it is absolutely false "to say that no futher changes should be made to the schedule... and it should then only be updated with progress".
Planning, tracking, updating and re-planning constantly and frequently is essential for project management.
Everything that is not yet done is subject to amendment and improvement as better information becomes available.
Why would you not fix a predecessor link if it was found to be wrong, or re-estimate a duration if you found out more about the task?
Obviously, if the plan was incomplete or otherwise defective when it was baselined, then the baseline becomes obsolete and irrelevant very quickly.
Member for
15 years 7 months
Member for15 years7 months
Submitted by Rashid Iqbal on Wed, 2010-04-28 11:11
Baseline is just the start...the actual games starts after that.
Links can be changed rather it is better to say that the links have to be amended to adjust the forecast etc. Among the few thing that cant be changed is the link to employers obligations.
When the contractor makes big changes such as delaying the finish date or decreasing resoruce requirements ask him to substantiate
Member for
17 years 6 monthsTrevor, It is an old post,
Trevor,
It is an old post, but I require help in this regard.
As as per your Post 5 that states as below
Input the Actual Start date/time.
Input the Actual Duration, usually the number of days from the actual start to the status date.
Do not enter % Complete. The software calculates that for you from Actual Duration/Total Duration.
I agree.But my client is insisting to enter the
actual start date - OK
% complete - if the activity is in progress and does not have an actual finish date,which is not correct, as it is calculated by the software.
Eg
if Concreting(1000cum) is a 10 day activity from 01.11.11 - 10.11.11
Actual start is 01.12.11 and as on 05.12.11 have poured say 500cum, they want me to enter manually in %complete as 50%.
How do I make them understand this?
Also as read in Step by Step Microsoft Office Project 2007 by Carl Chatfield and T Johnson ,Part 1, Chapter 6 - Tracking Progress following is the data would like to share
Entering a Task’s Completion Percentage
After work has begun on a task, you can quickly record its progress as a percentage. When you enter a completion percentage other than 0, Project changes the task’s actual start date to match its scheduled start date. It then calculates actual duration, remaining duration, actual costs, and other values based on the percentage you enter. For example, if you specify that a four-day task is 50% complete, Project calculates that it has had two days of actual duration and has two days of remaining duration.
Here are some ways of entering completion percentages:
Use the Tracking toolbar (on the View menu, point to Toolbars, and then click Tracking). This toolbar contains buttons for quickly recording that a task is 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100% complete.
Enter any percentage value you want in the Update Tasks dialog box (on the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Update Tasks).
In this exercise, you record completion percentages of tasks via the Tracking toolbar.
On the Viewmenu, point to Toolbars, and then click Tracking. The Tracking toolbar appears.
On the Tracking toolbar, click the 100% Completebutton
Project records the actual work for the task as scheduled and extends a progress bar through the length of the Gantt bar. Next, you’ll get a better look at the task’s Gantt bar. You will enter a completion
Click the name of task 5, Hold auditions.
On the Tracking toolbar, click the 50% Completebutton. Project records the actual work for the task as scheduled and then draws a progress bar through part of the Gantt bar. Note that although 50% of task 5 is completed, the progress bar does not span 50% of the width of the Gantt bar. This is because Project measures duration in working time, but draws the Gantt bars to extend over nonworking time, such as weekends.
The Progress ScreenTip informs you of the task’s completion percentage and other tracking values.
So far, you have recorded actual work that started and fi nished on schedule. While this
might prove true for some tasks, you often need to record actuals for tasks that lasted
longer or shorter than planned, or occurred sooner or later than scheduled. This is the
subject of the next topic.
So require your help.
Rohit
Member for
19 years 11 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Tom,
There is a related thread in the Microsoft Project topic at:
http://www.planningplanet.com/forum/forum_post.asp?fid=1&Cat=4&Top=73254
Rodel has provided an example there which illustrates the issues about status date, planned duration in the past and progress in the future. Rodel says he hasnt specified a status date and mentions that "in-progress" tasks need to be moved to the Status Date.
Lets say that one of those dates between 15/5 and 30/5 must be the Status Date (the date up to which progress is being measured). Whichever one it is, there is one or both of the two problems. The safest Status Date is 30/5. All progress, ie actual durations, is in the past relative to the Status Date, which is good. However, 2.5 days of planned duration in Task 4 (ID5) has to be moved into the future relative to the Status Date. This is what the 3rd button on the Tracking Toolbar does.
If any other date is the Status Date, then some bars show progress in the future and some show planned duration in the past.
They are both wrong but of the two, progress in the future is worst. Planned duration in the past just indicates an update step not yet done, perhaps just a mistake, and can be easily corrected with one click.
Progress in the future on the other hand, indicates a possible mis-understanding. A 10 day task cannot be 80% complete if it only started 6 days ago.
Hope this helps.
Member for
19 years 11 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Thanks. If I could add something, it is that the "physical" progress of the task, ie what has been done, how many bricks have been laid or whatever, is not so important as what remains, because that is what will mainly determine the estimate of the remaining duration. The past is only of interest to the extent that it provides a clue about the actual performance compared to the original estimate of performance, and has a bearing on the estimate of the remaining duration.
Member for
15 years 7 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Well Said
"Never show planned duration in the past.
Never show progress in the future"
Member for
19 years 11 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Tom, I could see this question coming.
Suggestion, if you are doing something a certain way and it produces results which dont make sense then consider that the method might be basically flawed (ie not the software).
Get set up for tracking and updating so that you can see what you are doing, 6 steps:
Save a baseline
Set a status date
Show the Tracking Gantt View
Show the Tracking Table
Show the Tracking Toolbar
Format the gridlines to show the status date as a vertical red line on the chart
Input the Actual Start date/time.
Input the Actual Duration, usually the number of days from the actual start to the status date.
Do not enter % Complete. The software calculates that for you from Actual Duration/Total Duration.
If necessary, ie you have laid more or less bricks than estimated, revise the remaining duration
Experiment with the 2nd and 3rd buttons on the Tracking Toolbar.
Never show planned duration in the past.
Never show progress in the future.
Member for
17 years 7 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Thanks guys, it all makes sense now.
Just another quick question concerning MSP. I am new to MSP, when updating progress and the actual % is more than planned. When I insert the %, the progress jumps beyond the status line. Now I know this is not realistic, so what must be done here. Is there an option to make the duration decrease, in this way it will show that the activity is actually going to finish early.
Member for
17 years 7 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Tom,
I agree with Trevor, The planning cycle starts from creating a baseline. When the baseline was finalized and project execution has begun, the actual progess is monitored, recorded and compared to the baseline.
FYI, the plan may be changed by adding or deleting activities and adjusting remaining durations, LOGIC or resources.A REVISED PLAN (with corrections on the programme) is published as progress continues. Its normal to change the plan every update schedule(weekly/monthly etc). This shows the actual scenario on the project execution.
A REVISED BASELINE on the other hand is only needed when the original baseline becomes irrelevant due to the impact of project changes (a change in methodology or excessive delays). But before you revise the baseline, you have to ask approval from the client and provide substantiation reports as what rashid has said.
HTH.
denmark
Member for
19 years 11 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Tom,
I would say that it is absolutely false "to say that no futher changes should be made to the schedule... and it should then only be updated with progress".
Planning, tracking, updating and re-planning constantly and frequently is essential for project management.
Everything that is not yet done is subject to amendment and improvement as better information becomes available.
Why would you not fix a predecessor link if it was found to be wrong, or re-estimate a duration if you found out more about the task?
Obviously, if the plan was incomplete or otherwise defective when it was baselined, then the baseline becomes obsolete and irrelevant very quickly.
Member for
15 years 7 monthsRE: Tracking Progress
Baseline is just the start...the actual games starts after that.
Links can be changed rather it is better to say that the links have to be amended to adjust the forecast etc. Among the few thing that cant be changed is the link to employers obligations.
When the contractor makes big changes such as delaying the finish date or decreasing resoruce requirements ask him to substantiate
Regards
R