Am I crazy, or is this a % complete bug???

[trpy2k]

I have a 1500 line schedule that I inherited, and a few of the tasks are
demonstrating strange behavior.

Each time I update the task's % complete (say from 26% to 60%) Project
automatically changes the % complete to 100% complete and inserts the Actual
finish field.

So I scratch my head, undo the change and manually calculate the Actual
Duration, and try using that to get the % complete. Same thing, it jumps to
100%! Undo, and try it with the manually calculated remaining duration...
Yep, it happens again!

Further testing on some of these show that I can change this task to 40%
with no problem, but if I go to say 45%, the % cpl jumps it up to 100%
complete again.

On another task, I was able to change the % work complete. This
automatically changes the duration to a larger number and allows me to hit
the % complete that I actually need. In all cases, it changes the finish
date, which is not my intention at all, and skews my SV #'s.

Notes:
Using MS Prof 2007 SP 2
Task attributes:
Fixed Duration
300 ed duration
1 resource set to 100% units, changing the resource does not help.
Baselined

Help needed for this frustrating situation,

Thanks

 

[Jim Aksel]

Look in two places.
1. Clear any entry in the "Actual Finish" column
2. Clear the %Work Complete if you are not using it.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[trpy2k]

Neither solution worked. I removed actual start as part of the original
testing. Kinda seems like the first thing you would think of, right?

The % Work Complete has me stumped too. I am trying to wrap my mind around
why a change in % complete would cause for a variance between the % complete
and % Work Complete numbers.

I mean, when updating, I put in either the Actual start date then % cpl or %
cpl then Actual Start, depending on how I want to alter the task (perhaps it
is an increase in duration, but still anticipated to end on the same day).
This invariably changes the % Work Complete number...

Now when I tried your suggestion, I went back in and started to try and pull
apart the task.
-Deleted Actual Start
- Deleted % Work Complete
It change my % complete to 0% and my % work Complete to 25%. Tried it
again, and it changed to 0%. Then I input % cpl to 35%, and it automatically
changed it to 100%.

Still Stumped,

T

 

[Steve House]

I'm thinking it's something introduced by using edays for your task's
duration. 300 edays means the task's activity takes place 24/7 for 300 days
without interruption. When a resource is assigned, using edays means in
turn that he will work 24 hours a day, without even a nap, for the next 10
months. He does 24 man-hours of work each day, day in and day out without a
break, something physically impossible in the real world. Somewhere along
the line there's an internaction between calendars for project time, civil
time, and resource working time that is throwing things askew but I haven't
been able to duplicate your problem using the data you're posted.

 

[trpy2k]

Steve,

Sorry for the long lag in responding. I have had to start three other
project files, and therefore, this issue took a back burner.

Since your last post, I have tried a bevy of tricks, including changing the
options on how Project Calculates. Nothing was working until...

I once again tried the only trick that has worked for me previously with
this problem:
I inserted the Actual Duration field. Now, if I put in what the actual
duration SHOULD be, it popped to 100% complete. After nearly throwing the
computer through the window, I decided to take a chill pill, and eat the
elephant in bites.

I added 1 ed at a time, and low and behold, it worked. Now I have the
actuals in their correctly. Do not know why, do not know how. To be
truthful, as long as it works, I don't even care!

That said, thank you for your help. I am sure we will be talking again.

Thomas