Actual Start Date Tracking

[Tim]

We are in the process of implementing Project Server 2003. We will be making
use of Project's Timesheet View to allow a team of approximately 75 people to
post actual hours against the plan. When time is posted against any task for
the first time, the "Start Date" is put into the "Actual Start Date" field
regardless of when the time was being posted. Ideally we would like the
"Actual Start Date" to reflect the date the first hours were posted against
the task in the project. Does anyone have any ideas on how to change this
default or possibly provide access to the "Actual Start Date" field within
the Timesheet view without major customization.
Thanks for any insight you can provide.

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

Actual start should = start and be the date of the first day with actual
hours against it. Save a baseline to see original start date.

Experiment with a new task in a new schedule to see what happens.

 

[Tim]

The problem is the "start" date is a "scheduled" start date according to the
current plan. In many cases I have resources that may get started on a task
prior to the scheduled "start" date. In this case it still puts the "start"
date in "actual start" rather than the first date actuals were posted.

Thanks for trying to help.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Sorry, no, it does not.
When you enter actual work values (in a Usage view) on a date prior to
scheduled start it resets both actual start and start to that prior date.
HTH

 

[Tim]

I am not using the Usage View I am allowing my resources to enter time into
the Timesheet View within the Project 2003 Web Access Interface and posting
that time back against the project.

I agree with you that when it is done directly into the Usage View it does
update to the correct date, unfortunately that is not a reasonable way to
update actuals for this size of project.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Sorry, I don't know server; should ahev refrained from posting.
I made this sort of programs through VBA and they react like the manual
method.
HTH

 

[Ed Morrison]

Start Date is planned until the task starts. Then it is equal to the actual
date. Finish Date is the planned finish date until the task is 100%
complete. It then becomes the actual finish date.

If the resources are entering actual hours per day then the task's start
date, after the PM accepts the updates, will reflect the earliest day in
which a resource entered hours.

If you are using another tracking method, the actual start will reflect the
start date as soon as the task begins. The workaround is to also publish
the Actual Start and the Actual Finish dates to the timesheets.

If you are using % complet, tell your users not to enter 100% complete, but
just enter the Actual Finish date.