Problems faced in Microsoft Project

[Jaya]

Hey all,

I have a problem comprehending with what is baseline start/finish, actual
start/finish, start/finish columns.
- I generally use start/finish, and I save baseline.
For e.g. I assign a resource for 3 days but he finishes his work in one day
and he updates in his calender(in Microsoft Outlook through web access) that
his work is 100% in the same day. When I check in Microsoft Project, his work
is complete but the Finish date and actual finish date is still in 3 days,
but the person has finishd the work in one day. Why is that so ?
- All the reports is based on each project! Is there any way of customizing
a report based on all the projects in the project server because that
involves all resources and we could know how many resources are allocated to
ho many projects ?
Somebody helpp....I am feeling so stuck .

Thanks,
Jaya

 

[Trevor Rabey]

You haven't told us how you update progress on the Task/Project.
How are you doing it?
If you are typing 100% into the % Complete column, that's the problem.
MSP will assume, reasonably in the absence of any other information, that
the Task Started and Finished as planned.

 

[Jaya]

Thanks Trevor,
Yes..My collegues update their task progress by 100% from microsoft
Outlook/Web Access.. what are the other ways to update their task progress if
not by making the progress 100 % ?

 

[Trevor Rabey]

First, I suggest a trawl through other Q&A in this newsgroup for the same
topic, which has come up many times and been discussed at great length.
Search on "% Complete" or "progress" or include my name (but this produces
only my advice/methods which others may or may not agree with so check it
against other opinions).
Shorthand Rules:
Have a strict checklist for updating progress, eg set status date, save
baseline, show Tracking Gantt View, show Tracking Table, show Tracking
Toolbar, format the Tracking Gantt View to show the Status Date as a
vertical line on the Gantt Chart.
Then select the Task and type in Actuals (ie Facts).
Use the Tracking Toolbar to re-schedule remaining "work" (Duration really).
Check the program options (Tools, Options, Calculation) regarding splits
etc.
Do not use Progress Lines.
Do not record progress in the future of the current date or the status date
(unless the people reporting it have a time machine).
% Complete is about Duration, and does not measure whether the Task is done
or how much of it is done.
If someone says a Task is 70% done, do not type 70 into the % Complete
field. Get the rest of the facts.
Do not type anything into "%" fields, ever. Let this be calculated by MSP
from the facts that you type in.
Deal only in facts. Do not create a picture which contradicts, or is not
consistent with, facts. If you do, it's wrong.
Facts are Actual Start Date, Actual Finish Date, Actual Work, Actual Cost,
Actual Duration, Remaining Duration (really a pseudo-fact since it is an
estimate).
Keep in mind, aslo, Remaining Cost and Remaining Work.
I suggest setting up a small project consisting of only 2 Tasks, to practice
on with different Status dates and reported actuals, eg:

1) Lay 10000 bricks 10 days, 1 x bricklayer @ $50/hour, 10000 bricks @
$1/brick = $10000 Cost per use.
2) Lay another 10000 bricks, ditto, and 1) is the FS0 Predecessor of this
Task.

This can reveal all that needs to be known about updating, tracking,
re-scheduling, what works and makes sense as well as what doesn't.
I may have missed something, rules are good but there are exceptions, there
are bound to be variations of this general method, and there is more
discussed in previous posts.

 

[Dominic]

Jaya,

There is a setting in the Tools > Options > Calculation tab in MS Project -
update Task Status Updates resource status - is this checked or not? There
may also be an issue if your Task Type is Fixed Duration.

 

[Jaya]

Thanks for the reply..

Trevor/Dominic, could I have your email add? I want to send you an
attachment of the form that the resources here use to update their
progress..you will see that in the form that we use..there is no way to
update their progress except that they put a % complete progress...

 

[Dominic]

Jaya add dominic.moss@ to the domain in my website address below.

 

[sekweles]

your baseline start/finish are your planned start and finish your actual
start/finish are the real start dates. eg. you planned to start your project
on monday(Baseline), but, the materials are not delivered and you start on
tuesday(Actual).
If you finish your project in 1 day instead of three days, 3 days is your
planned finish date, one day will be your actual finish date, so you must
update the actual finish date to end on that actual finish date.