Gantt Chart (Project Center) View in PWA

[Darrell]

I think my previous post on this issue was deleted along with some of the
spam so I will ask again in hopes of gaining a better understanding of this
views properties. I now understand that the view bases the display of
progress on the % Work Complete field in the Project Summary task (Thx Dale).
So to be sure I understand what I should be seeing this means that a schedule
that is heavily backend loaded with work will always display the progress
line in the past and nowhere near the current date line? Doesn’t this make it
appear that the schedule is behind when in fact it may be ahead? In addition,
projects that were frontend loaded with work will show progress into the
future?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Darrell --

I think you are making several incorrect assumptions about the Project
Center. First of all, there are a number of default Project Center views
that ship with the software. Two views that would be helpful are the Work
view and the Earned Value view. Using these Views, one can determine the
relative state of progress in the project.

Second, you need to know that the progress line you see in Project Center
views shows % Complete rather than % Work Complete. If you use the Hours of
Work Done Per Period method of tracking, the progress bar will reveal
whether actuals are current through the last reporting period. On a back
loaded project, % Complete and % Work Complete might be two very different
numbers. If you are using the % Work Complete or Actual Work Done and Work
Remaining methods of tracking, then % Complete will usually approximate %
Work Complete.

Ultimately, the PM is the one who knows the most about the project, based on
his/her experience managing the project. The numbers alone, as presented in
the Project Center, cannot and will not tell the whole story. Hope this
helps.

 

[Darrell]

Dale,

Thx for the additional information about the Project Center views. The
problem I am having is when stakeholders, other than the project managers,
look at the Project Center views and question why the progress bar is so far
in the past on some projects, and whether or not this data is a correct
reflection of the project’s status, as well as attempting to determine which
project managers are, or are not, properly managing their schedules. When
they ask the project managers about their schedule status and are told the
schedule is up-to-date, they then begin to question the accuracy, and value,
of the Project Server and PWA.

We are using Actual Work and Remaining Work to update progress. So, if I now
understand what you have said the progress is displayed based on % Complete
so if I have a task in the schedule that is way in the future, regardless of
the amount of work completed, the progress bar will only show based on Actual
Duration/Duration. Now I have to determine which scheduling elements the
project managers are using that is causing the progress bar to remain in the
past.

Darrell

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Darrell --

Your situation is why I recommend that you teach your executives the meaning
of the Work and Earn Value views in the Project Center. I think you (and
they) are expecting way too much from the progress line, which just doesn't
work very well for back loaded projects. Hope this helps.

 

[Darrell]

Hmmm... well I definitely, as always, appreciate and value your input.
However, I would probably have an easier time pushing a 10 foot rope through
the dessert than weaning these Execs of their digital dashboards and getting
them to learn something new!! <grin>

Again thx for the input,
Darrell

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Darrell --

You are way too funny, my friend!

 

[Crook]

Hi Dale and Darrell,

I'm confused. I thought that the progress line (black bar that overlays
blue task bar in project center gantt chart view) corresponded to the
summary progress bar in the Tracking Gantt view in the thick client. We use
actual hours per week to update our projects, so I have noticed that if
*any* work scheduled in the past was not completed, this bar would not come
up to the current date (or status date, but I don't use the status date).
So, if I ever see a progress bar that only goes to far in the past, I know
that the PM has not a) updated his/her project with new actuals, or b) not
rescheduled past due uncompleted work. Also, if I see a progress bar
located in the future, I know that project has a break in work, no work is
ongoing and nothing will happen until the future date.

Because of the progress bar seeming to be tied to scheduled work and actual
work, I expect all progress bars for all projects to be close to today's
date or pushed out to some date in the future

Am I missing something?
Crook

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Crook --

It depends on your method of tracking, as I stated in an earlier post to
Darrell. If you use the Hours of Work Done Per Period method of tracking,
and team members are current through the last reporting period, then the
progress bar shows progress through the end of the last reporting period
EVEN IF work is behind schedule. If you use either of the other two methods
of tracking, then the progress bar approximates the % Work Complete. It's
all about tracking methods. Hope this helps.

 

[Crook]

Hi Dale!

Thank you for the reply!

Crook

Crook --

It depends on your method of tracking, as I stated in an earlier post to
Darrell. If you use the Hours of Work Done Per Period method of tracking,
and team members are current through the last reporting period, then the
progress bar shows progress through the end of the last reporting period
EVEN IF work is behind schedule. If you use either of the other two
methods of tracking, then the progress bar approximates the % Work
Complete. It's all about tracking methods. Hope this helps.