Key tips while changing schedules

[Aravind G]

Hi,

I'm currently in the process of knowing more about Project 2007. Can anyone
give me a list of key tips or pointers that one should be keeping in mind
while updating schedules?

 

[JulieS]

Hello Aravind G,

I assume you are referring to tracking when you ask about "updating"
schedules. So, a couple of quick tips:

1) Save a baseline before providing any tracking data to tasks. You
may not wish to baseline the entire project file at once depending
upon your project, but you should baseline tasks before tracking.

2) If you feel your project may be very volatile, consider saving a
copy of the baseline into one of the spare baseline fields --
Baseline 10 for example. Then if you should need to rebaseline due
to a significant change (loss of resources for example) you can
rebaseline and still have a copy of the original baseline stored.

3) If tracking at a task level, update Actual Duration and Remaining
Duration to have Project calculate % complete or update Work and
Remaining work to have Project calculate % work complete.

4) If you have the data available, consider tracking Actual and
Remaining work in either the Task Usage or Resource Usage views.
This allows you to still track variances if the task was completed
as was originally scheduled but the amount of actual work was
different than initially planned.

I imagine others will check in with their thoughts as well.


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

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[Rod Gill]

In addition to Julie's good advice, after updating there should be no
incomplete work in the past and no completed work in the future. Progress
should always be on or around the update date.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

Hello Aravind G,

I assume you are referring to tracking when you ask about "updating"
schedules. So, a couple of quick tips:

1) Save a baseline before providing any tracking data to tasks. You may
not wish to baseline the entire project file at once depending upon your
project, but you should baseline tasks before tracking.

2) If you feel your project may be very volatile, consider saving a copy
of the baseline into one of the spare baseline fields -- Baseline 10 for
example. Then if you should need to rebaseline due to a significant
change (loss of resources for example) you can rebaseline and still have a
copy of the original baseline stored.

3) If tracking at a task level, update Actual Duration and Remaining
Duration to have Project calculate % complete or update Work and Remaining
work to have Project calculate % work complete.

4) If you have the data available, consider tracking Actual and Remaining
work in either the Task Usage or Resource Usage views. This allows you to
still track variances if the task was completed as was originally
scheduled but the amount of actual work was different than initially
planned.

I imagine others will check in with their thoughts as well.


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

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

 

[Jim Aksel]

In addition to Julie's post, my adice is similar to Rod's ...

1. If the start date is to the left of the status date, the task shall claim
a measure of complete or move the start date to after the status date.

2. If the Finish date is before the status date, the task is absolutely
complete. If it is not, it needs a new finish date no earlier than "tomorrow"

3. You did not start work in the future, it must have started on or before
the status date.

4. You did not finish in the future either, if someone claims complete, then
the latest they completed the task was the status date.

Don't confuse the status date with "today" ... I can claim on Wednesday
where I was last Friday (or maybe even where I will be on this Friday). In
either case, the status date is on a Friday.

Watch for negative total slack, it is a sign that the schedule cannot be
completed as planned.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Aravind ,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

You might like to have a look at my free series for beginners on Microsoft
Project in the TechTrax ezine, particularly #25 et seq on Tracking, at this
site: http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the article before leaving the site,
Thanks.)

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[Aravind G]

Thanks Julie..So you mean to say it is better practice to change the duration
for tracking. One more query i have is

1. If we change the % complete, will the Start date and duration change
automatically?

--

Thanks and Regards,
Aravind G

Hello Aravind G,

I assume you are referring to tracking when you ask about "updating"
schedules. So, a couple of quick tips:

1) Save a baseline before providing any tracking data to tasks. You
may not wish to baseline the entire project file at once depending
upon your project, but you should baseline tasks before tracking.

2) If you feel your project may be very volatile, consider saving a
copy of the baseline into one of the spare baseline fields --
Baseline 10 for example. Then if you should need to rebaseline due
to a significant change (loss of resources for example) you can
rebaseline and still have a copy of the original baseline stored.

3) If tracking at a task level, update Actual Duration and Remaining
Duration to have Project calculate % complete or update Work and
Remaining work to have Project calculate % work complete.

4) If you have the data available, consider tracking Actual and
Remaining work in either the Task Usage or Resource Usage views.
This allows you to still track variances if the task was completed
as was originally scheduled but the amount of actual work was
different than initially planned.

I imagine others will check in with their thoughts as well.


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

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[JulieS]

Hello Aravind,

If you change the % complete, the only thing that will be altered is the
Actual and Remaining Duration -- Project will calculate those values for you.


I personally display the Tracking table and fill in:
Actual Start - when did the resource(s) actually begin working on the task.
Actual Duration - how long has the resource worked on the task
Remaining Duration - update as necessary with the resource's estimate on how
much longer they need.

If the task is complete, I fill in the Actual Finish.

I hope this helps.
Julie

Thanks Julie..So you mean to say it is better practice to change the duration
for tracking. One more query i have is

1. If we change the % complete, will the Start date and duration change
automatically?