Creating S curve graph with days management

[martin.champoux]

Hello,

I'm would like to create a S curve graph but we don't manage the cost
of the project at my level, only the number of days per task. Number of
days for each task and the number of days worked.

How can I create the graph ?

How can I switch from money caculation to days ?

I saw calculation formula in the help file but It was with the Cost
budget and Cost worked.

Thanks in advance

Marty

 

[davegb]

Hello,

I'm would like to create a S curve graph but we don't manage the cost
of the project at my level, only the number of days per task. Number of
days for each task and the number of days worked.

How can I create the graph ?

How can I switch from money caculation to days ?

I saw calculation formula in the help file but It was with the Cost
budget and Cost worked.

Thanks in advance

Marty

I've seen S curves done on many different variables, including
variations on cost (capital cost usually doesn't work because it can
fluctuate so much month to month, gives a jagged S curve), yds of
concrete, metric tons of structural steel or rebar, etc. And on
manhours. I'd suggest you base yours on manhours of labor. Others might
have equally valuable suggestions.
To get the S curve, you need to get a view in Project showing manhours,
then copy and paste the data into Excel (a copy, Paste Special, Paste
Link will hotlink the data), then create your graph.
Hope this helps in your world.

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Days of duration won't do it for an "S" curve but man-hours of work
scheduled versus completed will. Since you're not tracking costs,
arbitrarily assign a standard rate of $1.00 to each resource. On the Tools,
Options menu, View page set the units of currency to a blank. Now your EV
reports will report numbers of man-hours rather than dollars.

 

[Trevor Rabey]

Whenever they plot the Hours S Curve and track Hours instead of Costs, this
effectively is an assumption that all Hours have the same Cost, eg $1/hour
will do, as you say.
Hours become a proxy currency.
But it sucks, doncha think?
It is such a distortion of the reality as to be meaningless.
It is not so bad if it is just a plot of Cumulative Hours but the uses to
which it is put creates the real problem.
Mainly, it is sometimes used as a way of measuring progress, ie actual
cumulative hours compared to planned cumulative hours.
Sometimes, I have seen an idea which is "Earned Hours". That is, each
completed part of any Task is a percentage of progress for that Task eg 50%.
Then each Task has "earned" hours = 50% of the
budget/planned/baseline/estimated Hours.
Then cumulative "earned" hours compared to planned cumulative hours and if
less then behind progress, throw in more troops, "earn more hours".
I just think this is erzatz earned value, very misleading, too simple,
mis-interpreted, over-rated.

Thanks

 

[Helge Svee]

Then you have to assign manhour on your activities, and eg use excel for
displaying the curves.

BUT the best way of managing project with MSP is to buy an add on software
from SAFRAN call Safran for MSP. It works and I have used it in several
projects. Contact them at www.safran.no

(e-mail address removed) skrev:

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

Well, it can be used for schedule management but isn't much use for budget
management. I can't believe how many PM's say, to effect, "We don't care
how much our project costs." Makes one wonder at the reason their firms are
even in business (and doesn't bode well for the long term viability of the
firm).

 

[davegb]

Well, it can be used for schedule management but isn't much use for budget
management. I can't believe how many PM's say, to effect, "We don't care
how much our project costs." Makes one wonder at the reason their firms are
even in business (and doesn't bode well for the long term viability of the
firm).

I agree here. I had a former student of mine I ran into at a PMI
convention a few years ago tell me that she was now working at AT&T in
the networking department. She told me that as a PM, she NEVER knew the
project budget, and that NO ONE in the organization tracked expences at
the project level. They had no idea which project they were doing were
profitable or not! The only place they knew how they were doing was at
the profit center level! Scary!! I wasn't terribly surprised when I
heard they folded.

 

[Trevor Rabey]

Erzatz EV with Hours instead of Costs is common in construction, especially
here in Oz (pun intended).
Imagine being in the consultant role and trying to tell them it's wrong, as
politely and diplomatically as I can manage.
You will get no thanks for pointing this out, but might get the usual
reasons/excuses, eg "the way we do it here", "we don't care/know about
Cost", "this is industry standard" or even "this is what the client wants".
I have never been successful in weaning them off it if the idea is firmly
embedded and there is just too much ego invested in staying with it and
trying to make it work, even though it doesn't and won't. They engage me for
the advice, I think, but they won't take it. Can't complain, getting paid
anyway?
But, for me, it's time to start looking for the next, hopefully more
enlightened, client, since I can't be happy just helping them to perpetuate
doing it wrong.
But if they are enlightened, they don't need me.

Well, it can be used for schedule management but isn't much use for
budget
management. I can't believe how many PM's say, to effect, "We don't care
how much our project costs." Makes one wonder at the reason their firms
are
even in business (and doesn't bode well for the long term viability of
the
firm).
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Whenever they plot the Hours S Curve and track Hours instead of Costs,
this effectively is an assumption that all Hours have the same Cost, eg
$1/hour will do, as you say.
Hours become a proxy currency.
But it sucks, doncha think?
It is such a distortion of the reality as to be meaningless.
It is not so bad if it is just a plot of Cumulative Hours but the uses
to
which it is put creates the real problem.
Mainly, it is sometimes used as a way of measuring progress, ie actual
cumulative hours compared to planned cumulative hours.
Sometimes, I have seen an idea which is "Earned Hours". That is, each
completed part of any Task is a percentage of progress for that Task eg
50%. Then each Task has "earned" hours = 50% of the
budget/planned/baseline/estimated Hours.
Then cumulative "earned" hours compared to planned cumulative hours
and
if less then behind progress, throw in more troops, "earn more hours".
I just think this is erzatz earned value, very misleading, too simple,
mis-interpreted, over-rated.

Thanks


"Steve House [Project MVP]" <[email protected]>
wrote in message Days of duration won't do it for an "S" curve but man-hours of work
scheduled versus completed will. Since you're not tracking costs,
arbitrarily assign a standard rate of $1.00 to each resource. On the
Tools, Options menu, View page set the units of currency to a blank.
Now
your EV reports will report numbers of man-hours rather than dollars.

I agree here. I had a former student of mine I ran into at a PMI
convention a few years ago tell me that she was now working at AT&T in
the networking department. She told me that as a PM, she NEVER knew the
project budget, and that NO ONE in the organization tracked expences at
the project level. They had no idea which project they were doing were
profitable or not! The only place they knew how they were doing was at
the profit center level! Scary!! I wasn't terribly surprised when I
heard they folded.

 

[davegb]

Erzatz EV with Hours instead of Costs is common in construction, especially
here in Oz (pun intended).
Imagine being in the consultant role and trying to tell them it's wrong, as
politely and diplomatically as I can manage.
You will get no thanks for pointing this out, but might get the usual
reasons/excuses, eg "the way we do it here", "we don't care/know about
Cost", "this is industry standard" or even "this is what the client wants".
I have never been successful in weaning them off it if the idea is firmly
embedded and there is just too much ego invested in staying with it and
trying to make it work, even though it doesn't and won't. They engage me for
the advice, I think, but they won't take it. Can't complain, getting paid
anyway?
But, for me, it's time to start looking for the next, hopefully more
enlightened, client, since I can't be happy just helping them to perpetuate
doing it wrong.
But if they are enlightened, they don't need me.

I respectfully disagree. If you know your stuff, you know lots of
things they don't, but would be willing to hear. Those are the clients
I like the best. The ones who are willing to hear, understand, and
change. Wish I had more of those.

Well, it can be used for schedule management but isn't much use for
budget
management. I can't believe how many PM's say, to effect, "We don't care
how much our project costs." Makes one wonder at the reason their firms
are
even in business (and doesn't bode well for the long term viability of
the
firm).
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Whenever they plot the Hours S Curve and track Hours instead of Costs,
this effectively is an assumption that all Hours have the same Cost, eg
$1/hour will do, as you say.
Hours become a proxy currency.
But it sucks, doncha think?
It is such a distortion of the reality as to be meaningless.
It is not so bad if it is just a plot of Cumulative Hours but the uses
to
which it is put creates the real problem.
Mainly, it is sometimes used as a way of measuring progress, ie actual
cumulative hours compared to planned cumulative hours.
Sometimes, I have seen an idea which is "Earned Hours". That is, each
completed part of any Task is a percentage of progress for that Task eg
50%. Then each Task has "earned" hours = 50% of the
budget/planned/baseline/estimated Hours.
Then cumulative "earned" hours compared to planned cumulative hours
and
if less then behind progress, throw in more troops, "earn more hours".
I just think this is erzatz earned value, very misleading, too simple,
mis-interpreted, over-rated.

Thanks


"Steve House [Project MVP]" <[email protected]>
wrote in message Days of duration won't do it for an "S" curve but man-hours of work
scheduled versus completed will. Since you're not tracking costs,
arbitrarily assign a standard rate of $1.00 to each resource. On the
Tools, Options menu, View page set the units of currency to a blank.
Now
your EV reports will report numbers of man-hours rather than dollars.

I agree here. I had a former student of mine I ran into at a PMI
convention a few years ago tell me that she was now working at AT&T in
the networking department. She told me that as a PM, she NEVER knew the
project budget, and that NO ONE in the organization tracked expences at
the project level. They had no idea which project they were doing were
profitable or not! The only place they knew how they were doing was at
the profit center level! Scary!! I wasn't terribly surprised when I
heard they folded.

Hello,

I'm would like to create a S curve graph but we don't manage the cost
of the project at my level, only the number of days per task. Number
of
days for each task and the number of days worked.

How can I create the graph ?

How can I switch from money caculation to days ?

I saw calculation formula in the help file but It was with the Cost
budget and Cost worked.

Thanks in advance

Marty