Capturing actual finish dates

[JJKEN]

Is there a way to capture actual finish dates that are different than the
planned finish dates when entering a task as 100% complete?

In other words, is their a way around Project automatically assuming that
the task was completed on the planned finish date when entering 100% complete?

Or do you always need to adjust the Start/Finish dates to reflect the latest
thinking?

 

[Dean C]

If you want to update your schedule the right way, you should never mark
tasks 100% complete or move from 0% to anything else. If you don't get the
actual finish date when a task is done, when will you get it? When you enter
the Actual Finish date, the task is automatically 100%.

To help you update correctly, create a filter for Actuals Required and
another for update required. Actuals Required would be limited to tasks with
start less than the Project Status Date (you need to create a custom field
for this since the Status Date Field isn't accessible to filters) and Actual
Start does not equal Start, or Finish is less than the Project Status Date
and Actual Finish does not equal Finish. Update required would be limited to
tasks where Actual Start equals Start and Finish is greater than Project
Status Date. You could use the same table for both if you include Actual
Start, Actual Finish and Remaining Duration.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

JJKEN --

Here's one nice way to handle task progress tracking in Microsoft Project:

1. Apply the Gantt Chart view.
2. Click View - Table - Tracking.
3. Drag the % Complete field between the Actual Start and Actual Finish
fields.

In this Tracking table, you can now enter the date on which work began in
the Actual Start field, enter the estimated percentage of completion in the
% Complete field, and enter the date on which work completed in the Actual
Finish field. If you use this Tracking table for entering progress, never
enter 100% complete in the % Complete field unless the task started and
finished as currently scheduled. Instead, use the Actual Start and Actual
Finish fields to show when things really started and finished.

If you like this customized Tracking table, do the following to make it
available to every current and new project:

1. Click Tools - Organizer.
2. Click the Tables tab.
3. Select the Tracking table from the list on the right and click the Copy
button.
4. When prompted, click the Yes button to overwrite the default Tracking
table.
5. Click the Close button.

Hope this helps.

 

[DavidC]

Hi,
just for completness to the other answers. There is a dialog boz available
on the tracking toolbar. It is designated with the "%" and when activated it
provides the opportunity to add actuals for a number of attributes for the
particular task. This same tracking toolbar provides a quick means to
reschedule any tasks not progressed as far as planned.

Hope this helps

DavidC