Calculation of % Complete

[Dave Hunsburger]

Sometimes % Complete is automatically calculated for a
task. Other times, you have to manually update it. I am
referring to Detailed Tasks, not Summary Tasks.
Under what conditions is it automatically calculated?

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Dave,

It is calculated when you enter data such as Actual Work or Remaining Work,
in other words, when you change the completed part of a task, it is updated.

And BTW, when I teach Project my advice is to never enter %complete (except
0 or 100), i.e. to let Project calculate it.

HTH
--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620

 

[Dave Hunsburger]

Thanks Jan,

Just to clarify, under what conditions does Project adjust
the % Complete? When I change Start or Finish dates? I
never enter Actual Work/Remaining Work, but sometimes
there is a % Complete = 36%, or whatever.

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Hello Dave,
The % Complete changes when you change the ratio between Actual Duration and
Remaining Duration
or...
between Actual Work and Remaining Work.
.... whatever the way you change them.

Hope this helps,

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi again,

I did a few tests (as said, for my personal use I fully ignore % complete)
Project does not change actual work or actual duration.
So when tehre is some actual duration recorded (say a 10 day task is 30%
completed so actual duration = 3 days) and you change the finish date to one
day earlier then:
Actual start won't change
Actual duration won't change
Finish changes so duration goes down to say 9 days
And since %complete= actual duration/duration it changes

So the reply to your question is it changes whenever actual duration or
duration change (and there emay be several reasons to that)

HTH

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
Project Management Consultancy
Prom+ade BVBA
32-495-300 620

 

[Steve House]

You really should enter the ActualStart and ActualFinish dates and not just
change the Start and Finish manually. Even though entering actuals triggers
the scheduled dates to update to the same, it isn't really the same thing.
Entering actual finish will update the percent complete to 100%. Entering
actual start, actual duration and remaining duration will calculate a %
complete as well.

Steve House
MSroject MVP