Scheduled finish dates

[Barry]

Is there a way to make the scheduled finish date change when the % complete
is changed? There does not appear to be a linkage.

 

[davegb]

Is there a way to make the scheduled finish date change when the % complete
is changed? There does not appear to be a linkage.

I'm not sure why there would be a linkage. If I tell Project that task
A is 20% complete today, and 30% complete tommorrow, why would the
start or finish date change? Just progress on the task being reported.

 

[John]

Is there a way to make the scheduled finish date change when the % complete
is changed? There does not appear to be a linkage.

Barry,
Ok, I'll bite, why would the scheduled finish date be expected to change
when progress changes?

The idea behind scheduling is that the duration of a task is defined by
its start and finish dates. As the task is worked, progress is recorded
(i.e. % complete). The main reason the scheduled start date may change
is because the task was actually started earlier or later than the
scheduled start. If the actual start date changes, then the finish date
would also normally change. Or, the finish date might change for example
if more resources are added to speed up the task. Percent complete
simply records progress - it doesn't change the basic parameters of the
task.

John
Project MVP

 

[Barry]

Barry,
Ok, I'll bite, why would the scheduled finish date be expected to change
when progress changes?

The idea behind scheduling is that the duration of a task is defined by
its start and finish dates. As the task is worked, progress is recorded
(i.e. % complete). The main reason the scheduled start date may change
is because the task was actually started earlier or later than the
scheduled start. If the actual start date changes, then the finish date
would also normally change. Or, the finish date might change for example
if more resources are added to speed up the task. Percent complete
simply records progress - it doesn't change the basic parameters of the
task.

John
Project MVP

John,

Assume a task is started and the actual date is entered. Assume further
that progress is ahead of schedule. Shouldn't the scheduled finish date
move to the left, when the % complete is entered?

Barry

 

[davegb]

John,

Assume a task is started and the actual date is entered. Assume further
that progress is ahead of schedule. Shouldn't the scheduled finish date
move to the left, when the % complete is entered?

Barry

Not necessarily. Remember, %complete does not always have a linear
relationship with duration. In basic tasks, like painting a room or
putting in piping, the %complete might be pretty linear with the task's
duration. But in more complex work, the first 20% of the work might be
completed in 10% of the duration, the next 15% of the work might take
35% of the duration, and so on. Project can't know this. This is
something the PM/Scheduler has to tell it.
It's much more useful, in many ways, to report progress in Actual hrs
and Remaining hrs than in %complete. If I schedule a task to take 40
hrs, and then as it progresses, I track each day by entering the
additional hrs worked since the last report and my best guess as to how
many hours are left, then project will automatically adjust %complete
and Finish date each time I update. (In reality, very few projects, if
properly run, need to be tracked daily. Weekly is sufficient. Daily
tracking lends itself to micro-management.)
In my one week example, at the end of the first day, I enter 8 hrs
Actual, 32 hrs remaining. Project calculates that the task is 20%
complete and on schedule. The dates don't change.
The next day, I enter 8 hrs Actual, and 20 hrs Remaining (not 24). Now
Project calculates the task to be 44.4 %complete, and reduces the
Finish Date by 4 hrs. Any linked successor tasks not otherwise
prevented from doing so, start a half day sooner then previously
planned. And so forth.
This kind of tracking can be done from any table or form that has
Actual hrs and Remaining hrs. I usually use the Task Update Form, found
in the Tracking toolbar.
Hope this helps in your world.

 

[Rod Gill]

Agree with Dave. Alternatively, if you don't have resources assigned (so no
work) Update Actual Start, Actual Duration and Remaining Duration. %
complete will be calculated for you and the finish date adjusts according to
the duration (Actual + Remaining).

The Tracking table shows these columns.

 

[John]

John,

Assume a task is started and the actual date is entered. Assume further
that progress is ahead of schedule. Shouldn't the scheduled finish date
move to the left, when the % complete is entered?

Barry

Barry,
It looks like the other guys answered your question. If not, re-post and
we will try again.

John

 

[Trevor Rabey]

% Complete should be left to be calculated by MSP, based on your input of
facts and estimates such as Actual Start, Actual Duration and Remaining
Duration, rather than be input by you.

MSP allows you to input % Complete because there are a few cases when it is
appropriate or convenient, such as when a Task is 100% Complete.

Remember that % Complete refers to Duration and is simply the Actual
Duration divided by the Total Duration, and nothing else.

It has nothing to do with the progress of the Task, such as 3000 bricks laid
out of 10000.

 

[Barry]

Thanks for the responses. You've answered my question.

Barry

 

[John]

Thanks for the responses. You've answered my question.

Barry

Barry,
Great, and you're welcome.
John

 

[Jaya]

Thanks all,
This post have helped me too I had exactly the same problem as Barry.
Now, the resources here update their progress through filling out the
remaining hours and actual hours. This automatically updates the %complete.
Though I am still quite doubtful cause in Web Access, in the Task Menu, The
actual finish date and the actual start date is always NA, why is that ?

Any suggestions would be truly appreciated .

Thanks...

Barry <[email protected]> wrote:

Thanks for the responses. You've answered my question.

Barry