Actual Work, %Complete, % Work Complete, Actual Completion Date

[Rod C]

I guess I misunderstand how to record actuals in a plan. We are using MS
Project 2003.
I have a task of duration 10 days with 40 hours scheduled effort.
The task completes in 5 days and takes 35 hours actual work.
I want to be able to record the task as 100% complete after 5 days. I do not
seem to be able to get the result I need in the %complete nor the %work
complete.
As an adjunct, I have another task (same project) of 20 days duration and
100 hours estimated effort (work). After 10 days the resource has spent 40
hours and the task is 75% complete (not 40% as 40/100 would indicate, and not
50% as the duration estimate would indicate). How would one record this
actuality?

 

[Rod Gill]

Recording % complete is the least accurate way of updating a Task (as you
have found out!)

More accurate is to enter the Actual start date and then Actual duration and
Remaining duration or Actual Work and remaining work.

More accurate again is in either the Task or Resource Usage View, right
click the yellow timescale area and select Actual Work. Then enter actual
hours worked for each day and edit the work row for remaining work. This
last method is how integrated timesheets (such as Project Server's) update
schedules and is required for accurate earned value calculations.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

Project VBA Book, for details visit:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

NEW!! Web based VBA training course delivered by me. For details visit:
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/index.aspx

 

[Rod C]

Thank you my name sake.
Is it possible to do this on a weekly (not daily) as that is how we report.
Also, do you know if there is an api for a time keeping product called
Kronos? Or any suggestions on how to construct one?

 

[Rod Gill]

I don't know Kronos, you will have to ask them. However, if you can export
Task, and Resource Unique IDs you can update Project using VBA with that
information. Updating by week is less accurate but can be done. How do you
update a 2d task? Assume it started and finished on time? Risky!

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

Project VBA Book, for details visit:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

NEW!! Web based VBA training course delivered by me. For details visit:
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/index.aspx

 

[Steve House]

What you are describing in your second task is MSP's % Physical Complete.
Project makes a distinction between "% Complete" which measures time, "%
Work Complete" which looks at man-hours of effort, and "% Physical Complete"
which measures the amount of the deliverable that has been created. These
definitions are engraved in granite and you cannot use one field when you
actually mean one of the others. Personally I'm very uncomfortable with
using physical complete for most tasks simply because it is so difficult to
really quantify. Yes, if the task is to move 1000 cubic yards of earth and
you've moved 500, 50% physical complete is obvious. But supposing the task
is to design a new engine - what tangible things are you going to measure
that unambiguously defines you are XX% physical complete on that task - the
number of systems done, the number of drawings done, the weight of the
components completed compared to the anticipated weight of the final engine
<grin>, or what? That makes it a subjective measure and makes it dependent
on the psychology of perception of the resource and/or his managment, the
least reliable thing of all to use for managing the project.

In your first example, one way to enter the completion with regard to
duration when the task is complete is to enter the Actual duration tht was
required and set the Remaining Duration to zero. This revises the duration
to what it actually took to do the work and sets the completion to 100%.

HTH

 

[Rod C]

Thanks to both you and Rod Gill and you Steve.
I agree with your assessment of the use of % Physical Completion. My
experience to date has been that many still like to have their resources
'guess' how much has been accomplished by using % complete. A better 'best
practice' is to use ETC for the task is it not?

--
PMP; User of MSP and need advice

What you are describing in your second task is MSP's % Physical Complete.
Project makes a distinction between "% Complete" which measures time, "%
Work Complete" which looks at man-hours of effort, and "% Physical Complete"
which measures the amount of the deliverable that has been created. These
definitions are engraved in granite and you cannot use one field when you
actually mean one of the others. Personally I'm very uncomfortable with
using physical complete for most tasks simply because it is so difficult to
really quantify. Yes, if the task is to move 1000 cubic yards of earth and
you've moved 500, 50% physical complete is obvious. But supposing the task
is to design a new engine - what tangible things are you going to measure
that unambiguously defines you are XX% physical complete on that task - the
number of systems done, the number of drawings done, the weight of the
components completed compared to the anticipated weight of the final engine
<grin>, or what? That makes it a subjective measure and makes it dependent
on the psychology of perception of the resource and/or his managment, the
least reliable thing of all to use for managing the project.

In your first example, one way to enter the completion with regard to
duration when the task is complete is to enter the Actual duration tht was
required and set the Remaining Duration to zero. This revises the duration
to what it actually took to do the work and sets the completion to 100%.

HTH
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

I guess I misunderstand how to record actuals in a plan. We are using MS
Project 2003.
I have a task of duration 10 days with 40 hours scheduled effort.
The task completes in 5 days and takes 35 hours actual work.
I want to be able to record the task as 100% complete after 5 days. I do
not
seem to be able to get the result I need in the %complete nor the %work
complete.
As an adjunct, I have another task (same project) of 20 days duration and
100 hours estimated effort (work). After 10 days the resource has spent 40
hours and the task is 75% complete (not 40% as 40/100 would indicate, and
not
50% as the duration estimate would indicate). How would one record this
actuality?