Actuals changing in the past

J

James

Hi,

We are running Project Server 2002 - but we have a problem whereby actuals
already entered against tasks are changing.

We are using fixed work tasks (effort driven) and have several resources
assigned to the tasks.

There doesn't seem to be any logical pattern to it. All I can say is that
mpp versions of our project that WERE the same don't match the current
actuals in our published version of the plan. Even for tasks that go back
to the beginning of last year.

Has anyone else seen or experienced this problem ? And are there any
workarounds/fixes for this ?

Does anyone know how it is that actuals can change ? By definition I would
have thought that ince entered actuals should never change !! But they are
!

Thanks

James
 
S

Scott McClure

We have had this problem as well and haven't been able to nail the symptoms
down well enough to open a case with MS. We too are MSPS 2002. We do not
enter our actuals using the timesheet but rather centeralize the entry on a
version of the Task Usage form (that now includes Actual Work). Our tasks
are Effort Driven and Fixed Unit.

This problem has been driving us crazy. We put good money into a macro that
should load actual times from our work order system but we are afraid to use
it because of this and other items like it (sometimes the actuals spread
into the future!).

I sure wish we could get some answer to this!

Thanks,
Scott
 
S

Sally

Hi
We have had this happen, it is when our Project Managers
have marked their tasks as a % complete while there is
remaining work against them. If there is 2h work
remaining and someone marks it as 50% complete, then the
project will assume that 1h of work has actually been done
and will change remaining work to actual work wherever it
was previously scheduled.
Maybe this is what is happening?
 
S

Scott McClure

Sally,

Thanks for your reply but I think no hit. One person does all of the data
entry and I can pretty well guarantee that the only time she changes the
%bcomplete is to set it to 100 when the task is done.

Anyone else -- this is killing us!

Thanks,
Scott
 
D

Dean Carroll

Scott,

Sally's response was pointed at a specific option setting as being the
problem. In Tools, Options, Calculation, Calculation options for 'Project',
is the Updating task status updates resource status check box checked? If
so:

Microsoft Project automatically calculates the actual and remaining work and
cost for resources assigned to the task as you enter task percent complete
information in your schedule.

If you select this check box, Microsoft Project recalculates both the task
and assignment actual work and actual cost whenever you enter information
into the task or assignment Percent Complete, Actual Duration, or Remaining
Duration fields. If you track work for resource assignments, Microsoft
Project updates progress for the task.

If you don't select this check box, you must enter values in the Actual Work
field for resources in order to have an accurate picture of the actual work
and actual cost.

This is a local setting saved with the active project. The default setting
for this check box is selected.
 
S

Scott McClure

Understood. The reason I don't believe this applies is that we only update
Actual Work -- NOT Duration, % Complete, Actual Duration, or Remining
Duration. This happens not when updating those fields but only when
entering Actual Work.

Now, having said that, question: does anyone think unchecking that box (it
is checked) would alliviate the problem we have? Also, would Project
continue to spread a single number for Actual Work for a day entered at the
Task Level across multiple resources?

Perhaps we'll give it a try.

Thanks,
Scott
 
Top