HELP - Indicators

[Gina]

I am trying to set up a stop light indicator using a custom Flag1 field in a
project plan. I have a couple of questions to verify what i want to do and
then how do i actually do it.

First- Do I have to have a baseline to show a stoplight indicator? What
are some other options?
Second - I need to create the indicator to show a task(s) and resources are
both an issue when late or overallocated because of timeline. Is it possible
in one indicator?

Third - What other options so i have without a current baseline (which will
get done in next 3 days?

Once I have decided on these questions i can make the decision (which will
probably be the 2nd option) how do i implement it? I have used MS Project
quite a lot, but this is my first to use indicators. Willing to learn how!

Thanks in advance for the help. I need to get this finished up for the
short gig and basically have 1 day to do this.

Gina

 

[Ben Howard]

Hi Gina,
This is a "how long is a piece of string question". Your first choice is
whether you want something to be set automatically or manually. If you need
something automatic, then you need something to compare the current state
with, so a baseline is needed. If manual, then it's upto the project manager
to set the value depending on their view of the world.

There are a zillion ways to doing this, so without creating the wheel have a
look at
http://www.projectserverexperts.com/Shared Documents/CreateStoplightIndicators.htm - that should leave you about 7 hours left in your 1 day gig!

 

[Gina]

Ben,

Thank you. I do want this as automatically as possible. I figure it was
required to have a baseline so give us some info. I will report this back to
the group I am working with and will choose the way that best fits this
organization for the stoplight reports. Much appreciated!.

Gina

 

[Ben Howard]

No worries. Automatic indicators are sometimes more trouble than they are
worth, IF the process is not right...

 

[Gina]

Ben,

I was able to create the indicators, however i am struggling with it. The
company is not going to utilize it against the baseline.

Here is an example of what they want to do. Tell me if my logic is
incorrect and if i need programming brains to deal with this....

First. they want an indicator at a task level that rolls up to the summary
levels (which is capable of doing). If a task goes red (the setup being red
if 1 day late from the planned finish date) then it could mean that the
summary goes yellow.

They (meaning the company going forward) wants to use yellow as a task that
is 5 days from completing. Using the indicator as a way to say its coming
up. I thought i could do the following......
is greater than or equal to - 5 days is yellow in the indicator section

Anything for Red is the following....
Is greater or equal to 1 day is red indicator

everything else is green.

I did that. I think its in the formula i am struggling with.... I am using
[Finish Variance]

Result is.....

All tasks go either green, yellow or red... its not at a task or individual
level for color indicator.

I followed the directions from the website you gave me... Thanks a million
on that..

So logically what am i missing?

Thanks so much in advance.

gina

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Gina:

Without a baseline, all actual work, cost, duration, (etc) is variance
because all variance is measured from the baseline. Think about that
statement. If you do not set a baseline, all values in the baseline field
equal zero or null and, therefore, all variance fields will contain the full
amount of accrued actuals no matter what they represent.

It seems to me that the business requirements need a bit more thought. I can
bet that they weren't conjured up by someone who understands Microsoft
project and maybe by someone who doesn't understand project management. Are
all of your tasks in every project exactly the same duration? They'd have to
be for the business rule to make any sense. What if a task is a one-day
task? Is it always red? How about when it finishes 10 days early, is it
still red? How would you know if it is late or early without a baseline for
comparison?

You need to work with your stakeholders to better define the business
problem. Help them understand that project deals in a limited set of facts:
Work, Duration, Human Work Inventory, Cost, and that at its heart is a
scheduling engine. Explain that each of these has three primary values:
baseline, planned, and actual. Help them understand that the "planned" value
is the current "projection" and not the "original" planned value. If you
need to, create enterprise custom fields that refrence key values and
display them with labels that your organziation relates to or understands.

If someone needs to know what tasks are scheduled to complete within the
next 5 days, make a view for them. Get the business problem written out in
plain language without taking anything in the tool into account. Then
evaluate whether it is something that you can support in the tool.


--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

Ben,

I was able to create the indicators, however i am struggling with it. The
company is not going to utilize it against the baseline.

Here is an example of what they want to do. Tell me if my logic is
incorrect and if i need programming brains to deal with this....

First. they want an indicator at a task level that rolls up to the
summary
levels (which is capable of doing). If a task goes red (the setup being
red
if 1 day late from the planned finish date) then it could mean that the
summary goes yellow.

They (meaning the company going forward) wants to use yellow as a task
that
is 5 days from completing. Using the indicator as a way to say its coming
up. I thought i could do the following......
is greater than or equal to - 5 days is yellow in the indicator section

Anything for Red is the following....
Is greater or equal to 1 day is red indicator

everything else is green.

I did that. I think its in the formula i am struggling with.... I am
using
[Finish Variance]

Result is.....

All tasks go either green, yellow or red... its not at a task or
individual
level for color indicator.

I followed the directions from the website you gave me... Thanks a million
on that..

So logically what am i missing?

Thanks so much in advance.

gina

No worries. Automatic indicators are sometimes more trouble than they
are
worth, IF the process is not right...

 

[GirlGeek]

Gina:

Without a baseline, all actual work, cost, duration, (etc) is variance
because all variance is measured from the baseline. Think about that
statement. If you do not set a baseline, all values in the baseline field
equal zero or null and, therefore, all variance fields will contain the full
amount of accrued actuals no matter what they represent.

It seems to me that the business requirements need a bit more thought. I can
bet that they weren't conjured up by someone who understands Microsoft
project and maybe by someone who doesn't understand project management. Are
all of your tasks in every project exactly the same duration? They'd have to
be for the business rule to make any sense. What if a task is a one-day
task? Is it always red? How about when it finishes 10 days early, is it
still red? How would you know if it is late or early without a baseline for
comparison?

You need to work with your stakeholders to better define the business
problem. Help them understand that project deals in a limited set of facts:
Work, Duration, Human Work Inventory, Cost, and that at its heart is a
scheduling engine. Explain that each of these has three primary values:
baseline, planned, and actual. Help them understand that the "planned" value
is the current "projection" and not the "original" planned value. If you
need to, create enterprise custom fields that refrence key values and
display them with labels that your organziation relates to or understands.

If someone needs to know what tasks are scheduled to complete within the
next 5 days, make a view for them. Get the business problem written out in
plain language without taking anything in the tool into account. Then
evaluate whether it is something that you can support in the tool.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting:http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS:http://www.projectserverexperts.com

Ben,

I was able to create the indicators, however i am struggling with it. The
company is not going to utilize it against the baseline.

Here is an example of what they want to do. Tell me if my logic is
incorrect and if i need programming brains to deal with this....

First. they want an indicator at a task level that rolls up to the
summary
levels (which is capable of doing). If a task goes red (the setup being
red
if 1 day late from the planned finish date) then it could mean that the
summary goes yellow.

They (meaning the company going forward) wants to use yellow as a task
that
is 5 days from completing. Using the indicator as a way to say its coming
up. I thought i could do the following......
is greater than or equal to - 5 days is yellow in the indicator section

Anything for Red is the following....
Is greater or equal to 1 day is red indicator

everything else is green.

I did that. I think its in the formula i am struggling with.... I am
using
[Finish Variance]

Result is.....

All tasks go either green, yellow or red... its not at a task or
individual
level for color indicator.

I followed the directions from the website you gave me... Thanks a million
on that..

So logically what am i missing?

Thanks so much in advance.

"Ben Howard" wrote:

- Show quoted text -

Gina,

If all the tasks are turning one color, I'm guessing you're using a
project-level indicator rather than a task-level indicator. When you
follow the instructions, make sure you're inserting the correct
column.

Girlgeek

 

[Gina]

All,

Thanks for the input. To Gary's response. I have done this in advance. I
even tried to use the indicator on a set of plans that had a baseline taken.
The baseline will be taken in 2 weeks after leveling of resources are
complete. I understand that making the management group understand and have
succeeded this with better than expected results. I have been able to set up
the projects to show more than they expected using several tools including MS
Project.

To Girl Geek, can you please tell me what i am doing possibly wront whe nit
comes to a project vs task level for the indicators. Loaded question
there.... Sorry.

i think i am missing something that i am not understanding.. i followed the
direction.. the only thing i did was selected all the tasks. vs just one. i
would hate to have select one at a time and then do the following indicators.

Thanks, Gina