[P7] Fixed Work, Percentage Update, Units Change Unexpectedly

C

CQ

I am using Project Server 2007, tasks with Fixed Work, Resources update by
percentage complete, all resources on standard (8-5, 8 hour day) calendar.
Usually, when the resource updates a task, all works as expected. However,
when they update a task AND change the Finish Date of the task the system
automatically is modifying their units (from 100%) and the duration of the
task. So, I am having things like a one day duration task with 8 hours of
work suddenly jump to 5 days of duration and changing the units to something
like 20%, the work is staying at 8 hours. I expected that the task would
split to the new finish date, the duration would increase but the units
wouldn't change. How do I keep the units from changing?
 
B

Beth

Did you ever find a solution to this? I am actually trying to create this
capability, but cannot figure out how to do it. In our environment, I cannot
change the Units when we change the Finish Date.

In your situation, it sounds like your problem might be fixed by changing to
Fixed Units from Fixed Work on the tasks.
 
C

CQ

Hi, no, we never did resolve this issue. We ended up rebuilding the file,
changing it to Fixed Duration. We couldn't make it stop modifying the
duration, no matter which type we made it (fixed work, units or duration).
We ended up blaming it on data corruption and/or a bug and started over since
it was easier at the time.

When you say that you can't change the units when you change finish date do
you mean that it just doesn't work or that you have it set to fixed duration
or fixed work and that the system won't recalculate for you?
 
B

Beth

When you rebuilt the file, your problem was resolved? We have the same
problem on all our projects (either uploaded projects, built from a template,
or built from scratch).

It's actually both problems for us on the Units: (1) The system won't
recalculate Units for us. Whenever we change the Finish Date, the Start Date
just floats with it, maintaining the same Duration and Units. We are using
Fixed Work tasks. (2) I added the Units field to the Assignment Details view
via Manage Views, but it is not an editable field when I do that, so we can't
change it.

I had a recommendation to change Remaining Work instead. This effectively
changes the Duration for us because it is operating from Fixed Units. I am
testing it out; right now I'm getting very strange behavior when I submit the
task info (ie, it doesn't submit, or the data changes) so I need to
understand whether or not that problem is related right now.

Beth
 
B

Beth

Hi Gary-

Sorry for the confusion. I had actually started another post with a better
description and then found the post below so was having another side
discussion. Here's the other post:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...d645&catlist=&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us

In sum, my client wants to do % Complete task reporting, but I cannot
identify a way to change the Duration of the task in this environment. Our
system is responding with Fixed Units all the time (tasks are set up as Fixed
Work). Dale suggested to change Remaining Work, which does then change the
Duration for us, but the response is erratic.

Thanks much for your help-
Beth
 
G

Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]

Beth:

I still don't understand your problem, but maybe this will help. Best
practice when you track by %Complete, you should always collect Actual Start
and Actual Finish, and have your resources adjust remaining work to shorten
or lengthen duration.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
 
B

Beth

Thanks Gary - I appreciate your feedback.

Just FYI on that strategy for what we are experiencing-

I cannot get the Start or Actual Start date to push back to the project in
PP. It always creates a split task instead. From another post, I understood
this response to be intentional, ie, designed in.

When I adjust Remaining Work to modulate Duration, I get an inconsistent
response. Sometimes it will push the new Finish Date back to PP, sometimes
it will not (similar to the Start Date problem). Sometimes it adjusts my
input unexpectedly (ie, I add more Remaining Work, hit Recalculate, see the
update, but when I Save it I see back in the Assignments View that it
shortened it instead).

When I collect Actual Finish, that pushes back to PP correctly.

Anyway... what I'm most convinced about at this point is that I really would
like to get them over to effort/time period reporting...

Thanks again-
Beth
 

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