MS Project Summary physical % complete

[Derek@Kendal]

How do I get MS Project 2003 to show the Summary physical % complete ? I've
entered individual task %'s but it does not bring them up to the Summary task.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Physical Complete is a purely subjective indicator and there's no
mathmatical rule to govern its rollup. Thus what you're asking just isn't
possible in Project. You'll need to manually enter completion estimates for
the summaries. You might want to rethink the use of physical % complete
anyway as it's an incredibly unreliable indicator of progress - generally
when you look at progress you're interested in "are we on track with the
schedule?" and "are we on budget?" Physical % Complete doesn't tell you
anything about either one and for most types of projects is impossible to
estimate with any reliability at all. If you're painting a wall and have
half of it done, then it's pretty straight forward to say it's 50% physical
complete. But suppose you were designing an engine ... just what would
saying it's "50% physical complete" mean? Half the drawings? Half the
systems? The front done but still working on the back?

 

[Derek@Kendal]

Thanks for the speedy reply ! Thiought that might be the answer, but can't
see why Project can't calcluate average % for the Summmary value ? We're
designing susbstations actually (!) and 8 wks into a 10 week task I'm told
it's 90% done, but it will take another 5 weeks to complete ! I started using
% Complete, but basic problem is designers multi-task and have several
projects on the go at once so rpogress is not proportional to time. Physical
% Complete gets round this, if only it would roll up. I might land up
entering manually but any other suggestions very welcome.

Physical Complete is a purely subjective indicator and there's no
mathmatical rule to govern its rollup. Thus what you're asking just isn't
possible in Project. You'll need to manually enter completion estimates for
the summaries. You might want to rethink the use of physical % complete
anyway as it's an incredibly unreliable indicator of progress - generally
when you look at progress you're interested in "are we on track with the
schedule?" and "are we on budget?" Physical % Complete doesn't tell you
anything about either one and for most types of projects is impossible to
estimate with any reliability at all. If you're painting a wall and have
half of it done, then it's pretty straight forward to say it's 50% physical
complete. But suppose you were designing an engine ... just what would
saying it's "50% physical complete" mean? Half the drawings? Half the
systems? The front done but still working on the back?


--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

How do I get MS Project 2003 to show the Summary physical % complete ?
I've
entered individual task %'s but it does not bring them up to the Summary
task.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

You hit the problem with % Physical Complete in a nutshell, right there.
You're not 90% compete at all as you're not 90% along the way between start
and finish. While work is not proportional to time in your case, progress
is. The bottom line question is still what date the substation can come
online, regardless of how the work is loaded during the process. You're 8
weeks into what has become a 13 week project and so your "real" completion
percentage is 8/13 or ~ 60% done regardless of the physical state of the
deliverable. When the Pope asked Michelangelo how things were coming along,
he didn't care how many square feet of the Cistine Chapel ceiling had been
covered, he wanted to know if they'd have the pictures done and the
scaffolding out of the way in time for Easter mass <grin>.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Thanks for the speedy reply ! Thiought that might be the answer, but can't
see why Project can't calcluate average % for the Summmary value ? We're
designing susbstations actually (!) and 8 wks into a 10 week task I'm told
it's 90% done, but it will take another 5 weeks to complete ! I started
using
% Complete, but basic problem is designers multi-task and have several
projects on the go at once so rpogress is not proportional to time.
Physical
% Complete gets round this, if only it would roll up. I might land up
entering manually but any other suggestions very welcome.

Physical Complete is a purely subjective indicator and there's no
mathmatical rule to govern its rollup. Thus what you're asking just
isn't
possible in Project. You'll need to manually enter completion estimates
for
the summaries. You might want to rethink the use of physical % complete
anyway as it's an incredibly unreliable indicator of progress - generally
when you look at progress you're interested in "are we on track with the
schedule?" and "are we on budget?" Physical % Complete doesn't tell you
anything about either one and for most types of projects is impossible to
estimate with any reliability at all. If you're painting a wall and have
half of it done, then it's pretty straight forward to say it's 50%
physical
complete. But suppose you were designing an engine ... just what would
saying it's "50% physical complete" mean? Half the drawings? Half the
systems? The front done but still working on the back?


--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

How do I get MS Project 2003 to show the Summary physical % complete ?
I've
entered individual task %'s but it does not bring them up to the
Summary
task.