How to track time without considering assignment units?

[lbreysse]

Hello,
I'm using MS Project Pro 2003, non enterprise version.

We are planning projets by allocating resources up to 80% (time
available for projects, excluding all organizational tasks).
We track efforts (with Actual work and Remaining work) and want a
schedule reflecting the reality.

For understaffing (less efforts produced than planned), updating
actual+remaining work, and rescheduling the planning gives good
results.

For overstaffing (more efforts produced than planned, ex: the engineer
worked 100% of his time on the task), we have to update the Actual work
in the 'Task usage' view to see the planned assignment be updated with
real efforts spent over the week. If not, we do not see the benefits of
a work advance due to an overstaffing.

Here is the problem:
Task A ends Week 1 : Actual work = 3 days
Task B follows task A: Actual work = 2 days
1/ When I input 3 days on task A, week 1, MSP delays task B to start on
week 11
2/ If I input 2 days on task B, week 1, MSP detects a schedule conflict
because it considers that task B starts at the beginning of the week,
despite the fact that the task has a 'as soon as possible' constraint
I seems like MSP spreads efforts over the tracking period, without
considering tasks sequencing...

How to track accurate efforts with MSP, when two tasks are overlapping
during the timescale period (week) ?
Any advice should be appreciated!

Regards
Laurent Breysse

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

You selected the worst method available to introduce actuals
If you just enter 3 days in a task table (not in a timescaled view) or in
theUpdate tasks window Project will "actualize" the task when it was
planned. B will not move
If you want more precision, enter actuals by day.
You cannot request a day's granularity when you enter data on a week basis
I'm afraid.

 

[lbreysse]

Hi, Jan,

This tracking method was chosen because, to my knowledge, no other
method enables to manage overstaffing.

Here is a simple example:

Task A, Actual work = 0, Remaining work = 5, Assignment 1 person / 50%,
so duration = 10 days
I make a status one week later.
The person worked 100% of his time for this task, instead of the 50%
expected. There is no remaining work.

If I input 5 days into the Task's actual, the progress bar will end
with one week of advance, which does not reflects the reality.

If the Gantt reflects the reality:
- the assignment must change to 100%
- the end date must become the status date because of no remaining work
- the following task must be automatically rescheduled one week earlier

This is what I expected for the timephased view (Task usage), and it
works well expect for overlapping periods between two tasks...

I could say I'm looking for a function similar to the 'reschedule
remaining work', which will 'compress' the actual work up to the status
date, for tasks with a progress date later than the status date.
Any idea?

Thanks,
Laurent Breysse

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Laurent,

Well, if you enter 5 times 8 hours in Task Usage, timescale per day,
everything happens as you need it (I wonder how status day comes into play
as you suggest)
Your only problem is that you want to work by wek.

HTH

 

[lbreysse]

Jan,

That's true, we want to track by week to minimize double inputs. (We
have a disconnected time tracking system, and have to print a time
report then input data into MSP).

I'm looking for a real rescheduling function, which, as a result, would
present a planning with ***each progress bar positionned to the status
date***, and :
- a 'hole' in the gantt chart, in case of understaffing (MSP already do
that)
- a units increase, in case of overstaffing (MSP don't do that...)
- as a consequence, all remaining work starting at the status date, and
planned with initial assignment (ex: 80%)

The final need is:
- to compute an ACWP per week, with real data.
- to display into the gantt chart milestones earlier than expected, in
case of overstaffing

Thanks for your help

Regards,
Laurent Breysse

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Jumping in, I think you're mis-interpreting what the status date is or at
least misusing it. The status date is not the date the task finished. The
status date is the date you wish to report progress by. If the work on
task X was finished on 15 Jan, the status date is not 15 Jan unless you just
happen happen to want to see a report of progress as of that date.
Steve House [MVP]

 

[lbreysse]

I resolved my problem by using the rescheduling functions of MSP :

Tools->Options->Calculations

Move end of completed parts after status date back to status date:
checked
And move start of remaining parts back to status date: checked
Move start of remaining parts before status date forward to status
date: Checked
And move end of completed parts forward to status date: UNchecked (for
a more precise ACWP)

Regards,
Laurent Breysse

 

[lbreysse]

Hi,

I'm ok with your definition: the status date is the date when a status
is done on a project: actual work and remaining work are only valid for
this status date. We do a project status during the week as soon as
actuals and estimates to complete are available from our time tracking
tool. The status date is the last friday.

What I was missing was a way to manage tasks AHEAD of the status date:
- do I have to spread extra work on past work, and how?
- how do I see the project gain of time and the final milestone
advance?

I solved these questions by properly configuring the calculation
options of ms project (please see my other post)
Anyway, thanks for your help !