Prevent BCWP from adding to ACWP. Non autocalc.

[kimusubi]

I have been trying to get this answered for several weeks. I must be doing
something wrong since no one else seems to have the problem. I turn off
autocalc. Enter actual costs into time phased actuals. When I add % complete
to activities, the BCWP is added into the ACWP column. This screws up all the
EV calculations. I have posted here before but do not understand how to fix
this problem. I have about 20 projects and they all work the same. I received
a "fixed" project from MS but could not understand how they repaired it. It
continues to work just fine! Mine don't. Please help with an explanation I
can understand!

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Hello,

Go to Tools / Options / Calculation : uncheck the Actual costs are always
calculated by Project option

Hope this helps,

Gérard Ducouret

 

[kimusubi]

Gerard,

Thank you, but I have had this answer a hundred times. I have both of the
autocalculate options in "options" disabled. Calculation mode: Manual;
"Actual costs are always calculated by Microsoft Office Project " - not
checked. It makes no difference. I have gone back and forth setting %
complete to zero and then to some arbitrary value. I have found no
correlation in any case. The ACWP always increases by the new BCWP.

Larry

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Larry,

I just tested again,and for me everything is working well.
NB : I always keep the Calculation mode as Automatic.
I'm using Project Pro 2003 (SP2)

Gérard Ducouret

 

[kimusubi]

Gerard,

Thanks again. Sorry if I was overwrought.

Unfortnately, it is more complicated than I explained. I want to see
completed work before the progress line and uncompleted work after the status
line. This would allow a very straightforward calculation of Work Performed,
When I try to implement this mode is when I have problems. The help, I
believe, tells you that if you use automatic calculate all entered actuals
are erased and Project calculates the actual costs. This is definitely not
what I want. I need to be able to enter actual costs not calculated actual
costs. I have to reflect what is in the financial system not some estimate.

The PM I am working with insists on not entering tasks in any sequence.
Therefore, he can complete work that is out three weeks from the status date.
I need to acquire this work for an accurate BCWS number. The technique I am
using will do this. However, as I explained, when I do it, it adds the BCWP
number to the ACWS which throws that number off! I have to go out to near the
end of the project with the status line to accumulate all BCWP. Then, I have
to go back with the status line to get BCWS correctly. Then I use Actual
Costs instead of ACWP since it is showing about twice the correct number when
it adds in the BCWP.

The function, as explained in three books and the on line and included help,
should do exactly what I want and in the program MS sent me back, it works
perfectly!! (I just went back to my Read Only file that I don't want to lose,
and it does indeed work as advertised. They told me that they had loaded my
program into Project Professional, but other than that I cannot see anything
that they claim they did that is different from what I am doing. I don't
believe I have ever used a program that you can't look up the directions for
how to make it work and it doesn't! This is driving me nuts.

Message from MS

Resolution

=========

· You informed that actual Cost & ACWP (Actual cost work
Performance) field shows wrong Data

· Changed the calculation mode to manual.

· Opened the Project in Question from Project professional

· Click on project >project information >Changed the status Date to
equal to or later than the latest actual work

· Now opened the Task Usage View >Actual cost Collection >Added the
cost (5000+5000+5000+5000)

· Opened Gantt Chat >Press F9

· Now we can see that both the values for ACWP & Actual Cost are
equal.
___________________________________________________________________
I spoke to MS several times, and I am not certain the problem I described
was ever understood. The fellow I talked to didn't seem to understand the
acronyms for Earned Value Analysis.

If you have time, you might set up a program (some old thing) to put
completed work before the Progress Line and Unfinished work after the
progress line. If it works right away, let me know what your Tools, Options
selections are and maybe that will fix my problem. I click all five options
on the "Calculation options for "file name"

Larry (Thanks for your continued interest!)

 

[Robert X]

Larry,

In the Task usage view of Project Pro 2003, I inserted the rows : BCWP, ACWP
and Actual Cost
I inserted these same fields in the Table columns.
I deselected the Tools / Options / Calculation : "Actual costs are always
calculated by Project" option.
So I am able to enter Actual Cost on a day by day basis in the yellow cells,
before the Status Date.
This Actual Cost is cumulated as ACWP.
So everything is working fine...

Gérard Ducouret

 

[kimusubi]

Robert,

I swear to you I have done the very same thing except that I used a weekly
entry of data. I will try it again with daily and see if that solves the
problem.

A million thanks for hanging in there with me. I spent two hours on the
phone today talking to Microsoft Indian help people. None of them had any
idea how Project is suppposed to work or how Earned Value is supposed to
work. I got an email tonight at home from another consultant who says she
will contact me tomorrow. However, she currently has a file that MS sent me
in answer to a previous query and my current program which doesn't work. If
she can't figure it out from two excellent examples, I don't know why they
bother to answer the phone! (By the way, I have used their "fixed" file in
dozens of ways including weekly entries of actual costs and it works just
fine.

I will let you know what the results are.

Larry

 

[kimusubi]

Robert,

As soon as I signed off and turned off my computer last night, I realized
that what you did does work perfectly. The problem I see is when I get to
this point and then add % complete. Sometimes the BCWP gets added to ACWP for
various % completes. Sometimes, depending on set-up, it does not get put into
ACWP until you hit 100% complete. When this happens it definitely screws up
the ACWP total and your CPI.

I am also in communication with another team at Microsoft so perhaps they
will come up with something, but they apparently start at 10:00 Pacifici time
so I will have to wait till noon to hear from them.

Just wanted to get back to you asap on this. If you still see no problems, I
am truly perplexed, but then, I have been for some time!

Larry