Customize Published Fields - Method for Reporting Progress - Which Option to Use?

[Pat]

I am looking for information about each of the available Methods for
Reporting Progress in the Customize Published Fields. I have found
the basic definitions about what each option will provide but that is
not enough. I am looking for the recommended options based on the
level of detail and needs for the Project Manager and Business.

For example:

Reporting % Complete - makes sense to use this if your level of
Project Management is low. Simply depicting project progress and
little else.

Actual Work Done - Provides more detail on assignments as to the
actual amount of time spent. However, actual start & finish dates are
not always accurate.

Work done per Time Period - provides a greater amount of detail and
accuracy on assignments as to actual amount of time spent and when
this time actually occured.

The big questions come into play when you want to take Project
Management and the EPM tool to a further degree - Earned Value
reporting, Forecasting and Resource Allocations. How do these options
affect these more advanced capabilities offered by the EPM solution?
Which option should I use and in what Situations?

Pat

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Pat:

It sounds as though you have your brain well wrapped around the diferences
between the tracking methods, although I'd comment that you can get accurate
start and completion dates from the first two methods if you publish those
assignment fields and have your resources report them.

Clearly, effort-based tracking (collecting actual hours worked) gives you
the most detail, allows you to validate and tune your work estimating, and
ultimately produces the most reliable detail for projecting resource loading
and the best basis for EVA calculations in many circustances. What is also
clear is that tracking effort is typically the most difficult road to
travel, even when an organization is already tracking time. Most
organizations that have a need for time tracking, already have a time
keeping system. This presents a challenge because the granularity at which
most time systems track is at a much higher level than what Project needs.
Organizations that do not already have a need for time tracking, almost
always resist the idea of implementing one. Managing the cultural shift is
the challenge in this case.

I'm a big believer in the "less is more" philosophy, partcularly when it
comes to control systems. Do what is necessary to achieve the goal, or solve
the problem that you're aiming at. Make sure that you've taken the time to
define that well.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
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