Estimated Start and Finish vs Start and Finish

[SuperMicStick]

What columns does anyone recommend I add for Estimated Start and
Finish vs Start and Finish in MS PRo2007?

Currently we use Duration, Start, and Finish. But we would also like
to track Estimated Start,Estimated Finish, and then the difference
between the durations in a column and chart.

Any help would be greatly appreciated - Robb

 

[Jim Aksel]

The [Start] and [Finish] columns do represent estimated (or current forecast)
dates.
If you want to "memorialize" these dates prior to execution, save a baseline
(Tools/Tracking/Set Baseline). You now compare everything to your baseline
(or as I call it "What you agreed to be beat up by").

You can now work your project as expected, enter an [Actual Start] date in
the [Actual Start] if the task starts on a different day than planned. Same
with [Actual Finish] once 100% Complete. Your actual performance will push
the start/finish dates of the other tasks which automatically revises your
forecast. The Gantt chart can be modified to graphically display both the
baseline and current forecast bars allowing visual display of your
performance.

The columns [Duration], [Baseline Duration], [Baseline Start], [Acutal
Start], [Start] become useful. You can use a spare column such as
[Duration1] and a formula to calculate items such as [Actual Start]-[Baseline
Start] (days late or early that you started the task).

If your resources have costs associated with them, the better field to use
would be SV (Schedule Variance).
--
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Jim
It''s software; it''s not allowed to win.

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about Microsoft Project

 

[Steve House]

Start and Finish ARE estimated start and estimated finish. They may be
planned, but until you actually do the work they are only a good guess as to
what you'll actually be able to accomplish. For example, suppose the
resource able to do the task calls in sick on the day it was scheduled to
start - so much for the plan! If you could be a more precise about exactly
what you're calling the estimated schedule and how it differs from the
schedule you see in the Gantt chart entry table, perhaps we can offer some
options.