"% Complete" vs. "% Work Complete"

[Joe Mac]

What is the difference between the columns "% Complete" and "% Work
Complete"? Why would you use one versus the other? All input is
appreciated...

 

[davegb]

What is the difference between the columns "% Complete" and "% Work
Complete"? Why would you use one versus the other? All input is
appreciated...

% Complete is just measuring how much of the total duration has passed,
and is pretty useless. It would mean something if the work effort over
the duration of the project was linear, which it very rarely is. % Work
complete is how many of the total work hours scheduled have been
completed, which is much more useful. Of course, it's only useful if
your effort estimates are accurate. If it's taking you twice as many
hours to do the tasks as you originally planned, % Work Complete might
look pretty good, until you figure out that everything's taking longer.
That's why Earned Value is so useful.

Hope this helps in your world.

 

[Darrell]

% Complete = Actual Duration / Duration

% Work Complete = Actual Work / Work

Which one you use depends on how you are updating and tracking progress. If
you are tracking by duration % Complete is more meaningful, if you are
tracking by work % Work Complete would be the one to use.

 

[tonyzink]

Here are a few basic formulas that I always share with people
(regardless of their MSProject skill level, since even more experienced
users sometimes don't know them):

Duration (planned) = Actual Duration + Remaining Duration
Work (planned) = Actual Work + Remaining Work

% (duration) Complete = Actual Duration / (planned) Duration
% Work Complete = Actual Work / (planned) Work

If it were up to me, I would rename "% Complete" to "% Duration
Complete" to avoid the confusion between "% Complete" and "% Work
Complete"!


Good luck!

Tony Zink
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[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Here's a concrete example. I'm painting a room with the task starting Mon @
8am and ending Fri @ 5pm. Monday we sand and prime and it take 2 hours. We
let the primer dry overnight and Tue put on a 2nd primer coat, taking 1
hour. We let the dry overnight and Wed apply the first colour coat - 2
hours. Thurs a 2nd colour coat also taking 2 hours. After letting it dry
overnight Fri we come in and do the fine detail work, remove tape, etc, etc
and that takes 8 hours and we're done.

Duration: Mon 8am->Fri 5pm = 40 hours
Work: 2+1+2+2+8 = 15 man-hours

It's Thursday, 5pm, and everything has gone according to plan. % Complete
is 32hr/40hr or 80%. % Work Complete is 7mhr/15mhr or ~47%.