Actual Duration VS % Work complete

[tshad]

I want to be able to track the progress of my project by using the % Work
Complete instead of inputting actual hours in the Actual Duration column.

The problem is that I am not really looking at how many hours have been done
on a task but how much is complete. If I put hours in the Actual Duration
then I can see the progress on the timeline (black bar inside the blue one).
But the % Work Complete shows %0 until I acutally finish the task. The it
show 100%.

If I set the % Work Complete to 50% nothing happens on either the Work Done
or the Graph. Same if I put 100%?

How can I set it so I can use percentage complete - or can I?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[JulieS]

Hello Tom,

If you are updating progress by either entering actual work hours or %
work complete, you should see a calculation in the % complete field as
well as actual and remaining duration.

Double check the option "updating task status updates resource status"
on the Calculation tab of the Tools > Options dialog box. It should
be checked.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

 

[tshad]

Hello Tom,

If you are updating progress by either entering actual work hours or %
work complete, you should see a calculation in the % complete field as
well as actual and remaining duration.

That isn't what is happening.

As a matter of fact, when I put 50% in the % Work Complete column it doesn't
update Remaining Duration either.

Double check the option "updating task status updates resource status" on
the Calculation tab of the Tools > Options dialog box. It should be
checked.

It is checked.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[JulieS]

Hello Tom,

That isn't what is happening.

As a matter of fact, when I put 50% in the % Work Complete column it
doesn't update Remaining Duration either.

[Julie] I assume you have resource assigned to the tasks to generate
work? Does actual and remaining work get calculated when you enter in
% work complete?

It is checked.

[Julie] What version of Project including service pack are you using?

 

[tshad]

Hello Tom,

That isn't what is happening.

As a matter of fact, when I put 50% in the % Work Complete column it
doesn't update Remaining Duration either.

[Julie] I assume you have resource assigned to the tasks to generate work?
Does actual and remaining work get calculated when you enter in % work
complete?

You know what they say about ASSUME?

I actually didn't have any resources assigned to the task. So I just
created a generic "Developers" to the resource sheet and added it to the
Resource Names column of the Gnatt chart and Voila - it adjusted everything.
Now I can put the values in either the Actual Work or %Work and everything
calculates, including the graph.

Thanks,

Tom

It is checked.

[Julie] What version of Project including service pack are you using?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[JulieS]

Hello Tom,

"JulieS" <passport6847 at maine dot rr dot com> wrote in message
Hello Tom,

If you are updating progress by either entering actual work hours
or % work complete, you should see a calculation in the %
complete field as well as actual and remaining duration.

That isn't what is happening.

As a matter of fact, when I put 50% in the % Work Complete column
it doesn't update Remaining Duration either.

[Julie] I assume you have resource assigned to the tasks to
generate work? Does actual and remaining work get calculated when
you enter in % work complete?

You know what they say about ASSUME?

I actually didn't have any resources assigned to the task. So I
just created a generic "Developers" to the resource sheet and added
it to the Resource Names column of the Gnatt chart and Voila - it
adjusted everything. Now I can put the values in either the Actual
Work or %Work and everything calculates, including the graph.

Thanks,

Tom

You're most welcome Tom and thanks for the feedback. I'm glad all is
working as expected now.

Julie
Project MVP
<snip>

 

[tshad]

Hello Tom,


"JulieS" <passport6847 at maine dot rr dot com> wrote in message
Hello Tom,

If you are updating progress by either entering actual work hours or %
work complete, you should see a calculation in the % complete field as
well as actual and remaining duration.

That isn't what is happening.

As a matter of fact, when I put 50% in the % Work Complete column it
doesn't update Remaining Duration either.

[Julie] I assume you have resource assigned to the tasks to generate
work? Does actual and remaining work get calculated when you enter in %
work complete?

You know what they say about ASSUME?

I actually didn't have any resources assigned to the task. So I just
created a generic "Developers" to the resource sheet and added it to the
Resource Names column of the Gnatt chart and Voila - it adjusted
everything. Now I can put the values in either the Actual Work or %Work
and everything calculates, including the graph.

Thanks,

Tom

You're most welcome Tom and thanks for the feedback. I'm glad all is
working as expected now.

I did find out one problem, however.

If I change the Resource assigned to the task, it 0's out the %Complete
column. Is there a way to tell it not to do this and just move the hours to
the new person/resource?

Thanks,

Tom.

 

[JulieS]

I did find out one problem, however.

If I change the Resource assigned to the task, it 0's out the
%Complete column. Is there a way to tell it not to do this and just
move the hours to the new person/resource?

Thanks,

Tom.

Hello Tom,

I assume you want to replace a resource (R1) who has done some actual
work with another resource (R2) and keep the actual work done by R1 in
place. Select the task and click the Assign Resource button on the
standard toolbar. Select the currently assigned resource (R1) then
click the Replace button. In the Replace dialog box, select R2.
Click OK to close the Replace Resource dialog box then click the Close
button to close the Assign Resources dialog. The actual work done by
R1 will remain in place and the remaining work will be assigned to R2.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
MVP - Project