Project Compare Formulas

[deluth]

I'm currently using MSP 2003 for comparing projects. I would like to know if
there's a way I can add up all the durations that were changed in the diff of
the 2 projects. Basically, I would like to be able to set formulas for
calculating the diffs of the projects - make the diff file act like MS Excel
and find the totals based on the values of the columns. I thought of
customizing the columns to input my formulas, but this is not cummulative
across the entire diff project, it's only specific to the task. Any ideas is
greatly appreciated. Deluth.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

How about displaying the Project Summary task of each project and simply
compare the two project total duration values?

 

[JackD]

Actually a formula works fine in this case.
In this example use Number1
The formula for Number1 would be
[duration]

Then for the summary task use "sum"

If you want to be a bit more creative, simply copy and paste the value of
Number1 into another unused number field before you update the project. Then
you can use a third number field to display the difference between the two.

 

[John]

Steve,
Sorry but your approach won't give what I think Deluth wants. If I
interpret his post correctly, he wants to add up the Duration
differences, like Excel would if the data were in Excel. The Project
Summary will give a Summary line calculation of Duration which only
under very specific conditions is actually the sum of subtask Durations.
And, Deluth is also correct in that a formula in a custom field won't
work either, basically for the same reason.

I see two approaches. Either copy the Duration fields from each project
file to Excel and do the math there, or use a VBA macro to populate a
spare field in Project with the summed up difference data at the Summary
line. I would take the second approach. It is relatively simple and
keeps everything in Project.

However, I'm sure we both agree on this question - why would anyone want
to sum up Duration differences?

John

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

True enough - but the difference between the total duration in the Project
Summary for Project A from the total duration of Project B does do the same
thing as taking the differences of each individual task and summing them.

 

[JackD]

Steve,

It would only do that if ALL tasks were serial - no overlaps or gaps.
This is rarely the case.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

One of those "ddduuuuuhhhhhhh" head-slapping moments just occured. I forgot
the basics, that the Project summary task is not the arithmetic sum of the
task durations. If it was, then the difference of the two sums would be the
sum of the differences, but since it's not, it isn't. What can I say?
Incipient old-timers disease is creeping up!


--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

 

[JackD]

You'ld be right if we were talking work.

 

[John]

Jack,
You're right as usual. When I tried the formula approach I used a spare
Duration field. I should have gone the extra step and tried a spare
number field.

My bad.
John

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

I know - what can I say, brain cramps set in.

 

[John]

Steve,
Don't feel too bad. I may have trumped you but Jack sure trumped me. I
think we both have a slap mark on our foreheads

John

 

[JackD]

I RULE! I AM THE KING!

gotta make hay while the sun shines - tomorrow may be a darker day

 

[JackD]

Yeah Jack, you da king . . . at least for today. You realize of course
Steve and I will be monitoring your replies verrry closely just, waiting
for the opportune moment. Boo ha ha!

John
P.S. how many MVPs does it take to screw in light bulb?

Who needs lightbulbs when I have the sun shining out of ...

-Jack

 

[John]

Yeah Jack, you da king . . . at least for today. You realize of course
Steve and I will be monitoring your replies verrry closely just, waiting
for the opportune moment. Boo ha ha!

John
P.S. how many MVPs does it take to screw in light bulb?