How to update for a whole number of remaining days?

[Steve]

I'm constructing and statusing a simple overview plan, so using simple FS
fixed duration tasks with settings for days (not hours). All the tasks are
start at the beginning of the day and finish at the end.
When for example I update a 5 day task at 50% (a simple way to say it's
started and not finished) and owing to slip the remainder is scheduled to the
status line then I get a split 12.5 day task which is 20% complete. (? Not
so good.) But the task is scheduled to finish at midday and the successor to
start at midday on the same day where my client would prefer to see separate
days for finish and start. Any suggestions about set up to give beginning of
the day only starts, or using a different approach please?

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Steve,

I don't understand your sentence:
When for example I update a 5 day task at 50% (a simple way to say it's
started and not finished) and owing to slip the remainder is scheduled to
the
status line then I get a split 12.5 day task which is 20% complete.

Could you be more secific on what you actually did? What do you mean by
slip? Do you mean it's been delayed? If so, how did you enter the delay?
How/where did you enter the 50% and how did you update the status? Which
version of Project are you using?

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

 

[Steve]

Thanks, Mike.

MSP2003.

Often the method I use to update a task that is late is simply to extend the
duration to show a finish date ahead of the status. The new duration depends
on the latest information from the supplier or project manager on the
submission or completion date. But sometimes this isn't so realistic. For a
long delay the % complete could be quite high and indicate the resource has
nearly finished whereas in fact there's been an interruption, the resource
will shortly resume and has, say, 50% of the task left to complete.

Back to my 5 day task set at 50% complete. Start date was correct. I know
progress has been made but not how much exactly so I choose to set the task
at 50% which is sufficient to indicate a start and substantial progress. The
next update will be 100% when I am certain the task is complete.
But the task is late because there's an interruption to the process. The
remainder 50% of the task is set to status date which is several days after
the start. If necessary it will be driven by the status date until
resumption of the task and finally completion. So my task is split with
duration now 12.5 days and % complete now 20%. It also tells me the
remaining duration is 10 days. To me these three figures seem misleading.
Actually the bar on the Gantt shows the remaining 2.5 days being driven by
the status line, which is what I'd expect.

The problem I am concerned with is that when setting a % complete the
remaining duration is a part of a day and I was asking how can that be set to
round up to whole days so that for the remainder of the plan tasks are shown
commencing at the beginning of the day, not say midday?

Or should I go back to my first method of updating?

Hope this is clearer. Thanks.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Steve,

When you update your tasks, you need to go to Tools/Tracking.../Update
Project.../and select to Reschedule uncompleted work to start after... and
select the Status Date.

Note that using %Complete is a rough and ready way to indicate progress as
Project assumes you met the Work and Dates set in your plan. It is much
better to enter Actual Work and Remaining work, then reschedule as above.
Try that first.

Mike Glen
Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

 

[Steve]

Thanks!

Hi Steve,

When you update your tasks, you need to go to Tools/Tracking.../Update
Project.../and select to Reschedule uncompleted work to start after... and
select the Status Date.

Note that using %Complete is a rough and ready way to indicate progress as
Project assumes you met the Work and Dates set in your plan. It is much
better to enter Actual Work and Remaining work, then reschedule as above.
Try that first.

Mike Glen
Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

 

[Mike Glen]

You're welcome, Steve, I hope you've got it sorted now

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials