Actual Cost to ACWP

[Morbius]

I am having difficulty tracking ACWP as Actual Cost (Microsoft calculation
OFF). In one (large) project file the capture of ACWP from Actual Cost
appears to be dependent on the Status Date (i.e. no ACWP unless Status Date
past start of task). I have another small test project wherein the Status
Date has no effect. There appears there is another factor, but I can't find
it.

 

[John]

I am having difficulty tracking ACWP as Actual Cost (Microsoft calculation
OFF). In one (large) project file the capture of ACWP from Actual Cost
appears to be dependent on the Status Date (i.e. no ACWP unless Status Date
past start of task). I have another small test project wherein the Status
Date has no effect. There appears there is another factor, but I can't find
it.

Morbius,
Well first of all ACWP and Actual Cost are two separate fields in
Project. The former is an earned value metric and IS dependent on the
status date. The latter is simply dependent on progress of a task (i.e.
% Work Complete).

Rather than explain the difference here, I suggest you read the Project
help file on each of those fields. A very convenient way to do that is
to insert those two fields as columns in a view. Then hover your mouse
over the column heading. In a moment, a pop up will appear and allow you
to go directly to the help file topic for that field.

John
Project MVP

 

[Jim Aksel]

Are you entering an [Actual Start] date in the [Actual Start] column?
ACWP will not show until status date>actual start date. If there is no
actual start date and you claim a %complete, project will populate the
[Actual Start] with the [Start] date (it will not know what date to use, so
it uses that date even if it is in the future).

If you do not claim a %complete and enter an Actual Cost, ACWP will only
show when status date>start date.

Make sure you have a proper baseline in place.

 

[Morbius]

I have reviewed the documentation on Actual Cost and ACWP and I think I
understand them. I am trying to use actual costs from our time-keeping
database. Per the documentation, I have turned off the switch in
Tools/Options/Calculations that causes Microsoft Project to always calculate
actual costs. This allows me to stuff my data into that location.

My problem is that this data is copied to ACWP sometimes, but not always.
With Tools/Options/Calculations: Edits to total actual cost will be spread to
the status date turned OFF (unchecked), the value never copies to ACWP. With
this option selected, Actual Cost copies to ACWP EXCEPT when the status date
is set to the day of or the day before the task start date. I don't
understand why this happens.

I have a small example that demonstrates this behavior if you would care to
look at it.

 

[Morbius]

After doing some more research using the options described in my previous
post, I've discovered that if the project status date is set to a weekend,
Actual Cost will transfer to ACWP for ALL tasks, even those for which the
start date is later than the status date. If the project status date is set
to a week day, it will only transfer for tasks that start before the status
date.

Is this a bug?

 

[John]

After doing some more research using the options described in my previous
post, I've discovered that if the project status date is set to a weekend,
Actual Cost will transfer to ACWP for ALL tasks, even those for which the
start date is later than the status date. If the project status date is set
to a week day, it will only transfer for tasks that start before the status
date.

Is this a bug?

Morbius,
I'll have to do some research on this and that may take a few days. If
someone else has an ready answer, great.

John