Finish Variance, Stoplights and Time Reporting Methods

[Steve Lundwall]

Using MS Project Professional 2003 and Project Server 2003.

I have a project set up with the Stop Light indicators as described in the
MS Project Experts' FAQ
(http://www.projectserverexperts.com/ProjectServerFAQKnowledgeBase/CreateStoplightIndicators.aspx).
It works great comparing the Finish Variance to the Baselined Finish Date.

Due to various reasons, I'm the only one using the Time Sheet view to enter
my own time on my own tasks. I am simply asking the others in the project to
give me their 'Percent Complete' of each task. I am updating those directly.
I am beginning to think that the Stoplight Indicator only works if you use
the TimeSheet view for time entry. There are a couple of my tasks that are
Yellow (based upon slippage amount) while several of theirs are older and
there is no Yellow indicator. The Finish Variance is still 0 Days even
though the Baselined Finish Date is 6/19 - well past the slippage tolerance
of 10 days.

I assumed the Stoplight indicator would look at today's date, the baselined
Finish Date and apply the proper color based upon the time difference
irrespective of the time reporting or task updating methoid. Am I wrong on
that? Do I need it to look at the End Date rather than Finish Variance?

Thanks.

Steve

 

[Jonathan Sofer]

Steve,

It should work regardless of the way you enter the data. If there is a
variance then the graphical indicators should reflect that.

I'm assuming you are having the issue in Project Professional. When you
include the variance field, does it show a variance? Verify that the
formula is re-calculating by hitting the F9 key. Also verify you have the
auto calculate on under Tools>Options>Calculation

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

Steve,

Finish variance is the difference between finish and baseline.
You stated that the baseline finish was 6/17.
What is the finish date for the task?
Has the task been updated with a new future finish date or does it remain in
the past.
Incomplete tasks in the past will show 0 finish variance if you have not
updated them.

Sounds like this is what is going on.
Set the task so that the finish date for the task is at the right spot
(presumably in the future) and you should see a variance.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

Steve, that setting is a bit odd... I never use it.
There is a method to move all the uncompleted work forward though.

Go to the "Tools" menu, select "tracking" then "Update Project" and choose
the "reschedule uncompleted work to start after..." option. Then click "OK"

In my opinion, having project do things automatically is generally not a
good thing. For example if you got what you wished, then suppose you opened
your project after not looking at it for a week. The first thing that would
happen is that all the tasks would move forward a week without you even
having a chance to update them. That is why statusing tasks and moving them
forward should be a deliberate action on the part of the the project manager.

-Jack Dahlgren