Recording actuals

[jpas1954]

I am working with a number of project managers, each of whom does schedules
his or her own way. One of the things they are not good at is recording
actuals. About the most that they do is put percent complete. I am wondering
what the quickest way is to record actuals. I know you can set status date
and all that. But is there a way to record actuals that I could teach in a
short time to novice and experienced users? Can they save a baseline, and
just fill in actual start and actual finish? My fear is that it will all seem
too complex and they will abandon the method quickly. What do people
generally do in the real world to record actuals and maintain that against
the baseline?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

jpas1954 --

A method I teach for simple tracking is this:

1. Apply the Gantt Chart view.
2. Click View - Table - Tracking.
3. Drag the % Complete column in between the Actual Start and Actual Finish
columns.

Using this arrangement of the Tracking table, your PM's can enter a date in
the Actual Start field for the date the task actually started, can enter an
estimated % Complete when the task is in progress, and can enter a date in
the Actual Finish field when the task is actually completed. This method of
tracking is date sensitive, so your PM's can then see schedule slippage by
applying the Tracking Gantt view, assuming they have remembered to save a
Baseline before they begin tracking progress in their project. Hope this
helps.

 

[Jim Aksel]

The most correct measurte to use is Physical%Complete. It follows Trever's
example most closely
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

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

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi ,

Also, you might like to have a look at my series on Microsoft Project in the
TechTrax ezine, particularly #27 on progress data input, 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