Actual Duration

[Aimee]

To capture actual duration I've added the Actual Duration column. If the
actual duration is greater than the "planned duration" (i.e. Duration) then
MS Project 2007 updates "planned duration" (i.e. Duration) to equal Actual
Duration column. This is not what I want. I want Duration to stay the same
and Actual to capture the actual time spent on task.

Please help.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Aimee --

Keep this principle in mind: "In Microsoft Project, actuals always replace
estimates." If a task was supposed to take 5 days (a 5-day Duration) and
the task actually took 8 days (an 8-day Duration), wouldn't you agree that
the Duration of this task is now 8 days and not the original 5 days?

To capture the original Duration value of each task, you need to save a
Baseline before you start entering progress in your project. After doing
this, you can compare the current schedule of the project with the original
Baseline schedule. To save a Baseline, click Tools - Tracking - Save
Baseline (Set Baseline in Microsoft Project 2007). Hope this helps.

 

[Roland Cook]

You need to use the Baseline Duration as it doesn't change until the next
baseline activity. Duration and Actual Duration will be the same after
Actual is modified greater than the Duration field. Unless, of course, if
you extend duration greater than Actual Duration. If you haven't baselined
then you are out of luck.

 

[N Birkholz]

Note that you can MANUALLY set baseline durations by making the Baseline
Duration column visible and then entering valiues. I tend to do that because
my schedule fluctuates a lot in a dynamic environment.

 

[Aimee]

Okay Dale. That makes sense! Thank you.

Aimee

Aimee --

Keep this principle in mind: "In Microsoft Project, actuals always replace
estimates." If a task was supposed to take 5 days (a 5-day Duration) and
the task actually took 8 days (an 8-day Duration), wouldn't you agree that
the Duration of this task is now 8 days and not the original 5 days?

To capture the original Duration value of each task, you need to save a
Baseline before you start entering progress in your project. After doing
this, you can compare the current schedule of the project with the original
Baseline schedule. To save a Baseline, click Tools - Tracking - Save
Baseline (Set Baseline in Microsoft Project 2007). Hope this helps.

 

[Aimee]

Thank you, that helps.

Aimee

Note that you can MANUALLY set baseline durations by making the Baseline
Duration column visible and then entering valiues. I tend to do that because
my schedule fluctuates a lot in a dynamic environment.