Entering completion reschedules task before project start!

[Project*Manager]

I have a project - multiple resources, holiday calendars, and scheduling
determined by resource levelling. When I enter a completion percentage, the
task automatically shifts a considerable time before the project start date.
(This looks like a bug.) Is this a known behaviour? Is there a workaround, or
technique to avoid the problem?

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Hello,

Never met this problem.
Could you tell us in which view you entered this % Complete, and how ?

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Project*Manager]

This happens with any number >0% entered into the table (LHS of the Gantt
view) in the "% complete" column. It also happens with % Work Complete. It
happens immediately I his return after typing in the number.

It should be nothing to do with levelling since levelling calculations are
set to manual.

One of my colleagues has verified it happens with this plan on his laptop too.

Most tasks are "Fixed Work".

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Check in Tools / Options / Calculation

Have you checked some of the options :
- Move end of completed parts after status date..
- Move start of remaining part before status date...
....and what is your status date ? (Project / Project information)

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Project*Manager]

Thanks for your suggestion. I played with those settings and didn't have any
luck, but when I turned off the option "Updating task status updates resource
status†(just above in the menu), the problem appeared to be fixed.

I assume that with this option selected and a task is completed ahead of
schedule, MS Project tries pulling the task back ahead of the Status date,
but finds that actual resource useage on other tasks creates a conflict if it
tries to place the task immediately before the status date, if it can't place
the task logically, it seems to pick some arbitrary date before the start of
the project.

A warning appears in a popup, but it wasn't entirely clear where the various
options were leading regarding the integrity of the schedule.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Hello,

The calculation options :
- Move end of completed parts after status date..
- Move start of remaining part before status date...
....are trying to reposition the task on which you are entering some actual,
according to the Status Date. If you left the Status date before the Project
Start, you will encounter all the issues you describe. So that's why I asked
you what is your Status date in Project / Project Information.

 

[Project*Manager]

You were absolutely right. I thought the status date was shown by the red
line. I checked the project information and found that the status date was
something else. I've fixed that and verified that I can now select the option
"Updating task status updates resource status" and everything works fine.

Thanks very much again.

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

You are welcome!
Thanks for the feed back

Gérard Ducouret