Actual & Remaining work in PWA is not reflecting this in MS Pro.

[Missy]

Resources are updating me on PWA using Actual and Remaining Work. If for
example the PM estimated that a task takes 15h to do, but the resource
finishes this early by typing 7.5h (Actual Work) and 0h (Remaining Work) and
updates this into Project (by the PM), Project DOES NOT schedule this in so
that it took less time to complete that task. It makes it 100% complete
(which is correct) but doesn't decrease the duration. However if it was the
opposite way round i.e. the task takes longer to do and the resource enters
the hours of work in PWA, this reflects it in Project.

I have made all my tasks 'Fixed Units', by selecting all the tasks and going
into Task Information and changing the task type then publishing it.

There must be a bug somewhere? A setting on PWA or MS Pro?
Please HELP!

 

[Reid McTaggart]

In Tools > Options > Calculation, examine the setting for "Edits to total
task % complete will be spread to the status date"

 

[Missy]

Reid,

Thanks for the reply. I ticked the checkbox "Edits to total task % complete
will be spread to the status date". Tested this out ticked and unticked and
Project still isn't reducing the duration of days.

Any other ideas? I've been at this for weeks.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Missy:

What was the task type when the resource started updating? Was it fixed
duration? The behavior you're describing is classic for fixed duration
tasks.

 

[Missy]

Gary,

I made sure all of my tasks are 'Fixed Units' before I saved and published
this from MS Project to the server. There isn't a setting in PWA where you
have to change the task type there??

I'm sure I have missed something out but I can't quite put my finger on it!

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Missy:

How was this project created originally. Might it have been a clone of
another project that was once published? That could cause all sorts of
strange behavior.

 

[Missy]

Gary,

I tested this out by creating a brand new project and adding tasks to it. I
then assigned myself to this task and went on Task Information and changed
the task type there. I also changed the task type by going onto Tools

options> Schedule. Saved and published to the server.

Went on PWA, typed in the values in 'View My Tasks' (7.5h Actual Work, 0h
Remaing work) and Update/Save. I, as the Administrator went onto 'Updates'
and accepted these changes. MS Project opened up and made the task 100% but
DID NOT reduce the work to 7.5h. It still made me Unavailable for the next
few days.

I really hope you can help!

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Missy:

One last question, and then maybe I'll give up... Are you entering hours by
day or in weekly or larger buckets?

 

[Missy]

Gary,

Mmm im not sure which bit you are talking about. In PWA, I am entering hours
worked on in View my tasks, then 'Update'. In MS Project, I assign resources
and enter in the Duration column 'Days'.

Im not sure if I already have told you this, resources are updating me by
"Actual work done and work remaining: Resources report the actual work done
and the work remaining to be done on each task".

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Missy:

If you have your resources entering actual work, say, in a weekly bucket,
rather than by-the-day, how would Project know that the task finished early?
This type of tracking is only a little more accurate than entering percent
complete which causes the system to assume that all dates and effort happen
as planned. Using a big-bucket approach to collecting hours, the system can
only assume that the task started when planned and finished when planned
unless your report more hours than planned, in which case the system can
also assume that the duration was longer than planned. Even when it extends
duration for you, the system assumes that the hours were worked on
consecutive days which may or may not be the case.

So, if you want to collect time in buckets other than reporting by day, and
you want your schedule to reflect accurate durations, you must also publish
actual start and actual finish dates and have the resources update these as
well. You still won't know which days the actual work occurred, however your
total hours will be correct and your start, finish and duration will be
correct.

Does this make sense?

 

[Missy]

Hi Gary,

After reading it a few times, yes it does make sense. So it was all down to
how I wanted the resources to update me then!

Considering what you have said, I am going to ask my resources to update me
day by day. At least using this way, I would know when the task started.
Using this strategy is more accurate than using a big bucket approach isn't
it?

One final question. Are there any downsides using the day by day approach?
Will it affect Project in some kind of bad way? My resources can still be
levelled right?

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Missy:

I highly recommend using this approach, although it has a psychological
downside that presenting real timesheets brings to an organization. It is,
by far, the easiest and most accurate way to update, as the system can
detect actual start and actual finish and we don't need to ask resources for
that information as well.

The one problem you're going to face is that when you change the reporting
method for active projects, and tasks that have started will retain the old
method and not convert for you. If you don't have a lot of projects in the
system, you might consider removing them all, and reimporting them under the
new tracking method to keep the mix of reporting methods from confusing your
users.

The following article on our Projectserverexperts site will help you with
this transition:

http://www.projectserverexperts.com/Shared Documents/ChangeTrackingMethod.htm

 

[Missy]

Yeah that's fine. I will give it a go and see if it works ok. Thanks for all
the help. Much appreciated

 

[Missy]

GARY!!

Hope you are still here to help!!!! I have tried a test for the approach you
suggested. There is still one problem i really dont understand!!

In MS Project > Entry View, if say I estimate task A takes 15h and a
resource enters Actual work (7.5h), Remaining work (7.5h) and updates, the
'Duration' increases!! Why would it be doing that? from what I have seen,
Project is adding the remaining work (7.5h) and Work (15h) together making it
22.5h duration. This also increases the task bar!!

When I go to 'Work' View, the hours in there are perfect!!! Is there a
calculation where you can change it so that Duration is Actual Work+Actual
Remaining work???

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Missy:

If the resource is updating a task that was estimated to be 15 hours with
7.5 hours work, there's no need for the resource to change a value in the
remaining work field. At what unit value is the resource assigned? What is
the resource calendar and working times?

 

[Missy]

Gary,

The task types are 'Fixed Units', Not sure what you mean by unit value.
Calender and Working times I am sure these are correct. (7.5h a day) on each
resources calender as well as on the setting of MS Project.

I dont know where to begin explaining it. Sometimes it works perfect! But
then for some reason (i don't always get it), the 'Duration' of a task grows
longer and I didnt even enter that. Have you had any experience/ideas why
Duration of tasks would 'grow' in the 'Entry' View?? Like I said before, the
'Work' View works fine! Is it because a resource enter small hours worked on
a task each day?

 

[Missy]

Gary,

I have found a simple example. Remember this only happens in the 'Entry'
View of Project

Task A estimated to take 30h.
Resources type in Actual Work on Wednesday 3h and thinks that the remaining
work left to do is 30h (types this into 'Remaining Work' and Updates).
Now in Project for task A, the 'Duration' has increased itself to 37.5h

There must be an explanation why Project is doing that or am I entering the
wrong values that dont make sense?

 

[Missy]

I know this is the 3rd message I have sent you. please ignore my last few
posts. It works fine. Sorry for the confusion.

One more thing. here I go again, once Actual and Remaining work has been
updated, why doesn't this reflect in Resource Timesheet? Simple example again:
Task A estimated 15h. Resource Actual Work on Wed = 3.5h and Remaining Work
0h and updates. Going back to the Resources Timesheet, on the left pane
Actual Work states 15h. Why is that?

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Missy:

We're getting a little lost in this thread. I also see that John gave you a
good explanation of what you're seeing with durations. The durations rollup
to the type of view you're using and what it's capable of displaying. What
might help you understand some of what you're seeing is to apply the task
usage view in Project and add the actual work field to the grid on the right
by right clicking on it and selecting actual work. Then set your timescale
to days over hours. This will help you understand how duration gets
calculated and how Project distributes the work. You can even get down to
hours and minutes, but that might be more detail than you need.

Let's start another thread for your latest question. Please describe the all
the steps involved.