Project 2007 - Help is required

[Luca]

Hi- I produced a programme for my client and he has come back and asked me to
add extra columns and features to the programme. They are as follows:


2. We appreciate that the start stop dates provided are ABCs view of how XYZ
should have tackled this project from the start, please add in columns for
XYZ's start stop dates and use say a dotted outline to reflect the bar to
differentiate it from the solid bar you have used to reflect ABC's start stop
bar.

3. Add in a solid bar in black narrower than the ABC start stop bar to
reflect when XYZ started the task and when they finished the task. Add two
columns after the 2 additional XYZ start stop columns to show the % complete
and the number of calendar days they are ahead or behind using a green for
ahead and red for behind with respect to ABC's start stop dates.

Much appreciated if someone knew how to do the above requests, I'm lost at
how I should do this? Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[John]

Hi- I produced a programme for my client and he has come back and asked me to
add extra columns and features to the programme. They are as follows:


2. We appreciate that the start stop dates provided are ABCs view of how XYZ
should have tackled this project from the start, please add in columns for
XYZ's start stop dates and use say a dotted outline to reflect the bar to
differentiate it from the solid bar you have used to reflect ABC's start stop
bar.

3. Add in a solid bar in black narrower than the ABC start stop bar to
reflect when XYZ started the task and when they finished the task. Add two
columns after the 2 additional XYZ start stop columns to show the % complete
and the number of calendar days they are ahead or behind using a green for
ahead and red for behind with respect to ABC's start stop dates.

Much appreciated if someone knew how to do the above requests, I'm lost at
how I should do this? Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Luca,
There seems to be a disconnect between whoever ABC is and whoever XYZ
is. If I assume that you are "ABC" and your client is "XYZ" then the
first thing you need to do is to get on the same page. A schedule is a
schedule. There is no Bob's approach and Jim's approach. There should be
only one schedule that depicts the planned activities necessary to
accomplish the end goal and it should be a coordinated schedule agreed
to by both ABC and XYZ. That's step one.

Project already has existing date parameters to do what I think your
client wants. The normal Start and Finish fields describe the active
working plan. At the onset, a baseline is set to capture that plan so it
can be compared to performance throughout the life of the project. There
are also Actual Start and Actual Finish fields which are used to realign
the plan with reality as plan is executed. Start Variance and Finish
Variance fields show the delta between actual dates and baseline dates.
Understanding each of these fields and using them is step two.

The built-in Tracking Gantt view is specifically designed to show much
of what the client wants. Take a look at and see if it meets your needs.

Finally, I or several other people could show you how to do exactly what
you request, but in my opinion it doesn't sound like you and the client
are getting off to the right start. Try the two step approach above and
then see if there still is an issue.

Hope this helps.

John
Project MVP

 

[Luca]

How do I find that article.

Luca,
There seems to be a disconnect between whoever ABC is and whoever XYZ
is. If I assume that you are "ABC" and your client is "XYZ" then the
first thing you need to do is to get on the same page. A schedule is a
schedule. There is no Bob's approach and Jim's approach. There should be
only one schedule that depicts the planned activities necessary to
accomplish the end goal and it should be a coordinated schedule agreed
to by both ABC and XYZ. That's step one.

Project already has existing date parameters to do what I think your
client wants. The normal Start and Finish fields describe the active
working plan. At the onset, a baseline is set to capture that plan so it
can be compared to performance throughout the life of the project. There
are also Actual Start and Actual Finish fields which are used to realign
the plan with reality as plan is executed. Start Variance and Finish
Variance fields show the delta between actual dates and baseline dates.
Understanding each of these fields and using them is step two.

The built-in Tracking Gantt view is specifically designed to show much
of what the client wants. Take a look at and see if it meets your needs.

Finally, I or several other people could show you how to do exactly what
you request, but in my opinion it doesn't sound like you and the client
are getting off to the right start. Try the two step approach above and
then see if there still is an issue.

Hope this helps.

John
Project MVP

 

[vanita]

Hi Luca

Going ahead with John's advice, Start/Finish dates being shown could be
yours that is ABC's planned Start/Finish or stop dates as shown in your
posting. Once after planning you save the baseline this data is reflected in
Baseline start/Baseline finish columns.

Actual Start/Actual finish columns are the actual dates coming from XYZ or
your client. You could input this data in Tracking Gantt view with Tracking
table. In this table you will also get % complete col. as required.

There is another table Variance which could be opened alongwith Tracking
gantt through View > Table > Variance. Here you will get some of your desired
cols. alongwith Start variance/Finish variance cols. More cols. like %
complete col. you could add in this table through Insert > col. command.

For your next req. in this view, add a column Flag1 and customise it through
'Customise Field' option adding a formula 'IIf([Finish Variance]>0,Yes,No)'
So, if any activity finishes late i.e its Finish variance >0 you will get
'Yes' in that col. otherwise No. Now by again going to customise Field option
add Graphical indicators to this Flag 1 col. You could give an option that if
Flag 1 is Yes, then Red colour circle, if it is No, then Green colour circle.
Now this column will show Red/Green colurs as required by you.

I hope it helps.

Vanita

 

[John]

How do I find that article.

Luca,
I didn't reference any articles but since you mentioned it, fellow MVP
Mike Glen has an excellent tutorial series on Project. Go to our MVP
website at, http://project.mvps.org/links.htm, and click on the button
for Mike's Tutorials.

Another reference you might like if you want an actual book is fellow
MVPs, Dale Howard and Gary Chefetz's book called, "Ultimate Learning
Guide to Microsoft Office Project 2007". You can find out more about it
at, https://www.projectserverbooks.com.

Hope this helps.

John
Project MVP

 

[Luca]

Thanks Vanita - I seem to have done all that, but now got a few more questions.
The columns I have are Dur / Start / Finish / Actual Start / Actual Finish /
% Complete / Finish Variance / Flag 1

When I go to put in the dates when the item actually started and finished it
changes the original start and finish as well. Why is this the case? I want
the original start / finish to remain as is but be able to change the actual
start/ actual finish without effecting the original dates. Can this be done?
Then do I presume the the Finish variance will update itself based on the
actual start and actual finish dates in respect to the original dates?
Following this will then the red / green indicator light depending if it's
late or ontime (early). Your help will be gretaly appreciated.

Thanks

Luca

Hi Luca

Going ahead with John's advice, Start/Finish dates being shown could be
yours that is ABC's planned Start/Finish or stop dates as shown in your
posting. Once after planning you save the baseline this data is reflected in
Baseline start/Baseline finish columns.

Actual Start/Actual finish columns are the actual dates coming from XYZ or
your client. You could input this data in Tracking Gantt view with Tracking
table. In this table you will also get % complete col. as required.

There is another table Variance which could be opened alongwith Tracking
gantt through View > Table > Variance. Here you will get some of your desired
cols. alongwith Start variance/Finish variance cols. More cols. like %
complete col. you could add in this table through Insert > col. command.

For your next req. in this view, add a column Flag1 and customise it through
'Customise Field' option adding a formula 'IIf([Finish Variance]>0,Yes,No)'
So, if any activity finishes late i.e its Finish variance >0 you will get
'Yes' in that col. otherwise No. Now by again going to customise Field option
add Graphical indicators to this Flag 1 col. You could give an option that if
Flag 1 is Yes, then Red colour circle, if it is No, then Green colour circle.
Now this column will show Red/Green colurs as required by you.

I hope it helps.

Vanita

How do I find that article.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Luca,

The original scheduled dates will only be stored if you save a baseline
(Tools/Tracking.../Set Baseline...). You can then compare them in the
Tracking Gantt view.

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

Thanks Vanita - I seem to have done all that, but now got a few more
questions. The columns I have are Dur / Start / Finish / Actual Start
/ Actual Finish / % Complete / Finish Variance / Flag 1

When I go to put in the dates when the item actually started and
finished it changes the original start and finish as well. Why is
this the case? I want the original start / finish to remain as is but
be able to change the actual start/ actual finish without effecting
the original dates. Can this be done? Then do I presume the the
Finish variance will update itself based on the actual start and
actual finish dates in respect to the original dates? Following this
will then the red / green indicator light depending if it's late or
ontime (early). Your help will be gretaly appreciated.

Thanks

Luca

Hi Luca

Going ahead with John's advice, Start/Finish dates being shown could
be yours that is ABC's planned Start/Finish or stop dates as shown
in your posting. Once after planning you save the baseline this data
is reflected in Baseline start/Baseline finish columns.

Actual Start/Actual finish columns are the actual dates coming from
XYZ or your client. You could input this data in Tracking Gantt view
with Tracking table. In this table you will also get % complete col.
as required.

There is another table Variance which could be opened alongwith
Tracking gantt through View > Table > Variance. Here you will get
some of your desired cols. alongwith Start variance/Finish variance
cols. More cols. like % complete col. you could add in this table
through Insert > col. command.

For your next req. in this view, add a column Flag1 and customise it
through 'Customise Field' option adding a formula 'IIf([Finish
Variance]>0,Yes,No)' So, if any activity finishes late i.e its
Finish variance >0 you will get 'Yes' in that col. otherwise No. Now
by again going to customise Field option add Graphical indicators to
this Flag 1 col. You could give an option that if Flag 1 is Yes,
then Red colour circle, if it is No, then Green colour circle. Now
this column will show Red/Green colurs as required by you.

I hope it helps.

Vanita

How do I find that article.

:

Hi- I produced a programme for my client and he has come back and
asked me to add extra columns and features to the programme. They
are as follows:


2. We appreciate that the start stop dates provided are ABCs view
of how XYZ should have tackled this project from the start,
please add in columns for XYZ's start stop dates and use say a
dotted outline to reflect the bar to differentiate it from the
solid bar you have used to reflect ABC's start stop bar.

3. Add in a solid bar in black narrower than the ABC start stop
bar to reflect when XYZ started the task and when they finished
the task. Add two columns after the 2 additional XYZ start stop
columns to show the % complete and the number of calendar days
they are ahead or behind using a green for ahead and red for
behind with respect to ABC's start stop dates.

Much appreciated if someone knew how to do the above requests,
I'm lost at how I should do this? Your suggestions will be
greatly appreciated.

Luca,
There seems to be a disconnect between whoever ABC is and whoever
XYZ is. If I assume that you are "ABC" and your client is "XYZ"
then the first thing you need to do is to get on the same page. A
schedule is a schedule. There is no Bob's approach and Jim's
approach. There should be only one schedule that depicts the
planned activities necessary to accomplish the end goal and it
should be a coordinated schedule agreed to by both ABC and XYZ.
That's step one.

Project already has existing date parameters to do what I think
your client wants. The normal Start and Finish fields describe the
active working plan. At the onset, a baseline is set to capture
that plan so it can be compared to performance throughout the life
of the project. There are also Actual Start and Actual Finish
fields which are used to realign the plan with reality as plan is
executed. Start Variance and Finish Variance fields show the delta
between actual dates and baseline dates. Understanding each of
these fields and using them is step two.

The built-in Tracking Gantt view is specifically designed to show
much of what the client wants. Take a look at and see if it meets
your needs.

Finally, I or several other people could show you how to do
exactly what you request, but in my opinion it doesn't sound like
you and the client are getting off to the right start. Try the two
step approach above and then see if there still is an issue.

Hope this helps.

John
Project MVP