does this variance make any (useful) sense: [Finish]-[Baseline Sta

[Carl Paul]

I have just inherited a project server which uses this text indicator field
for task overrun. I need some guidance as to whether I should request that it
be changed. The actual indicator thresholds are not important. the formula in
the text field is
( [Finish]-[Baseline Start] )/([Baseline Finish]-[Baseline Start])

wouldn't it be a lot more sensible to use [Duration] / [Baseline Duration]

???

Any opinions?

 

[Ray McCoppin]

This formula ( [Finish]-[Baseline Start] )/([Baseline Finish]-[Baseline
Start]) will give you the elasped duration variance. Does not take into
account the calendar (weekends and hoildays).

The second one is using projects duration which is in working days or hours.

Just depends how you want the indicators to work.


Hope this helps

 

[John]

I have just inherited a project server which uses this text indicator field
for task overrun. I need some guidance as to whether I should request that it
be changed. The actual indicator thresholds are not important. the formula in
the text field is
( [Finish]-[Baseline Start] )/([Baseline Finish]-[Baseline Start])

wouldn't it be a lot more sensible to use [Duration] / [Baseline Duration]

???

Any opinions?

Carl,
Well, the two formulas are not the same but maybe that is not your
intent. It all depends on what is meant by "task overrun". It can mean
different things to different people and maybe the existing formula
defines the term in your work environment.

Nonetheless the existing formula seems to be bastardized. It may or may
not be calculating Actual Duration/Baseline Duration depending on
whether the task started on the Baseline Start date. The formula you
suggest at least is more consistent, but again, it depends on the
definition of "task overrun".

John
Project MVP

 

[John]

This formula ( [Finish]-[Baseline Start] )/([Baseline Finish]-[Baseline
Start]) will give you the elasped duration variance. Does not take into
account the calendar (weekends and hoildays).

The second one is using projects duration which is in working days or hours.

Just depends how you want the indicators to work.


Hope this helps

Ray,
That's true only if Start is equal to Baseline Start (often it is not).
If the intent was for an elapsed duration variance the formula should be:
([Finish]-[Start])/([BaselineFinish]-[BaselineStart])

John
Project MVP

 

[JackD]

At the very least I'd modify it to use DateDifference so that it takes
weekend/holidays into consideration.

--
-Jack ... For Microsoft Project information and macro examples visit
http://masamiki.com/project
or http://zo-d.com/blog/index.html
..

I have just inherited a project server which uses this text indicator field
for task overrun. I need some guidance as to whether I should request that it
be changed. The actual indicator thresholds are not important. the formula in
the text field is
( [Finish]-[Baseline Start] )/([Baseline Finish]-[Baseline Start])

wouldn't it be a lot more sensible to use [Duration] / [Baseline Duration]

???

Any opinions?

Carl,
Well, the two formulas are not the same but maybe that is not your
intent. It all depends on what is meant by "task overrun". It can mean
different things to different people and maybe the existing formula
defines the term in your work environment.

Nonetheless the existing formula seems to be bastardized. It may or may
not be calculating Actual Duration/Baseline Duration depending on
whether the task started on the Baseline Start date. The formula you
suggest at least is more consistent, but again, it depends on the
definition of "task overrun".

John
Project MVP