How/should I lock dates down?

[David Thielen]

Hi;

What's the recomended procedure for the following. I am tracking a
software project. We have it all scheduled out and are now working. It
seems to me we want 2 schedules though:

1) The original one where we measure predicition vs actual. This one
should not change - or maybe have along with predicted, actual start
date, end date, & time required.

2) An adjusted one so we see what the most likely completion date is
taking in to account when each task was actually completed.

What is the best way to do this? Turn it in to two project files?

thanks - dave

david@[email protected]
Windward Reports -- http://www.WindwardReports.com
me -- http://dave.thielen.com

Cubicle Wars - http://www.windwardreports.com/film.htm

 

[David Thielen]

David, tracking is obviously more or less the whole point of doing the
planning in the first place.
This question, in one or another of its many forms, has come up many times
in the group in the last 10 - 12 years.
So before everyone jumps in and starts to explain it all again (although of
course we will), it may be better if you search for the topic and check out
the previous questions and responses.
Try to nail down a reliable and consistent approach to tracking by first
practicing with a very simple example, such as two x 10 day tasks linked
FS0.
Try searching the group for keywords such as "tracking", "bricklaying" etc.
There will be lots of explanation about Status Date, Baselines, Actuals,
Variances etc etc.
Most definitely do NOT try to run two versions of the same plan.

Hi;

I've tried to find this a bunch of different ways including searching
here
(http://groups.google.com/groups/sea...ic.project&as_usubject=&as_uauthors=&safe=off)
but no luck.

I've tried some different things based on items I've read in different
posts and I think I'm now more confused with when I started.

Does anyone know of a good intro to this somewhere on the web? I think
(hope) what we want is very simple - just to track both when we are
completing each task compared to estimates, and our new estimates
based on work completed.

thanks - dave

david@[email protected]
Windward Reports -- http://www.WindwardReports.com
me -- http://dave.thielen.com

Cubicle Wars - http://www.windwardreports.com/film.htm

 

[JulieS]

Hello David,

My comments are inline below.

"David Thielen" wrote in message

Hi;

What's the recomended procedure for the following. I am tracking a
software project. We have it all scheduled out and are now
working. It
seems to me we want 2 schedules though:

1) The original one where we measure predicition vs actual. This
one
should not change - or maybe have along with predicted, actual
start
date, end date, & time required.

[Julie] You are describing a baseline. Once you've planned the
project as well as you can, save a baseline through Tools > Tracking

Save (or Set) Baseline. Saving a baseline will copy:

Start --> Baseline Start
Finish --> Baseline Finish
Duration --> Baseline Duration
Cost --> Baseline Cost
Work --> Baseline work

Baseline date is also saved for resources and assignments. The
baseline data is not changed unless you re-save the baseline and
over write it.

2) An adjusted one so we see what the most likely completion date
is
taking in to account when each task was actually completed.

[Julie] Once you've save the baseline you start to track progress.
Take a look at the Tracking table. You can provide actual start,
actual finish, actual and remaining duration. Project will
calculate the variance between baseline data and actual data. You
may view the variance in the Tracking Gantt view, or through a
number of tables including the Variance table.

What is the best way to do this? Turn it in to two project files?

thanks - dave

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
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