Interim Plans

[DMM]

Hi,

I don't really understand how interim plans are used for tracking in
project. I see how to save one but how do I actually use the saved interim
plan to do the comparison and when would I use the interim plan. I have read
Microsoft's resources on this but it is still not sinking in.

TIA,
DMM

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi DMM,

All Interim plans do is copy start and finish to the Startn and Finishn
fields.
It is up to you to create a comparison, for instance:

- Cretae a Traking Gantt- like view where baselinestart and baselinefinish
(in the Bar definitions) are replaced by Startn and Finishn
- Customize a custom duration field with a formula showing the differences
between those fields that are of interest to you

But nothing of this is builtin, sorry.
HTH

 

[Haris Rashid]

hi,

When you save an interim plan it copies information in the Start1, Finish1
fields for the first interim plan and Start2, Finish2 for the second and so
on.

To view the interim plan click INSERT on the menu and SELECT column, now
select Start1 and then following the same process select Finish1. This will
show the columns for the fist interim plan. If you have multiple interim
plans then you can similarly activate columns like Start2, Finish2 and so on.

You will need to save interim plans in situations where you would like to
compare your progress at various intervals. For example say you save an
interim plan at the end of each month for a 6 month duration project. When
comparing with the baseline during the 5th month you find that there is
variance from the baseline plan. You now need to know when this variance
started. You will view your first interim plan where you see that there is no
variance. As you move on comparing the interim plans you find that it was
during the 3rd month that variance started. Something went wrong in the third
month. You will focus on the tasks for that month and activities during that
period.

It is in this sense and similar scenarios that interim plans are used.

Kind regards,

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

I think of the interim plans as giving you the ability to save an audit
trail as your project evolves if you need to.