Summarize subproject % complete in Master Project

[Les Bener]

I have exact site project templates for 200 sites. The master schedule
contains the same template. I have created subprojects and inserted them
into the master schedule. % complete for subtasks transfers fine into the
master project within the inserted project, but I cannot get the percent
complete to rollup into the subtask in the Master Project Summary template.

 

[Jim Aksel]

Things to check in the master

1. Tools/Options/Calculations (tab). Select "Inserted Project are
calculated like summary tasks."

2. Does the master have a baseline? That shouldn't matter if you are using
ordinary %Complete. If you are using Physical%Complete post back as the
story changes.

3. Consistent status dates in all the files including the master
(Project/Project Information... then set a status date).

4. Try claiming status from within the master, not the individual files.

5. On Tools/Options/Calculation tab, is the calculation mode set to
automatic (in the master)?

If you need further help, please post back.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[Les Bener]

Hi Jim, i am using straight percent completes. Calculation is set to
automatic. But just to clarify: i have 200 different sites to build. Each
site has the same template and order of tasks and there are 20 sites per area
which are linked in succession (so I will have 10 subprojects). The master
schedule contains the very same template and i want the percent complete for
Project1/site1/task20 to summarize into masterproject/task20. So i would be
gathering summary information for 200 identical tasks into the summary task
in the master.

 

[Jim Aksel [MVP]]

Let me see if I understand. Essentially you have "x" number of identical
files and what you want to do is create a single master that is identical to
the other "x" files but represents the sum total of all the progress. So if
you have 200 files that contain a task "Bake Cake" then you want to roll up
all 200 of those tasks into a single "Bake Cake" task in the master? Might
I also assume that your master has the same "n" tasks as all the other
files, but you have inserted your other "x" files below this in the master?
So now you want Line10 of file 4 to roll up to the corresponding name in the
master (it would be line 10 in the master up at the top).

If all the tasks are identical and happen on the same days, the %Complete
for all of them would always be the same since it is duration based. A 10
day task is always 50% complete on day 5 So I am also assuming these tasks
will not actually execute at the same times. So you are expecting your
rolled up "Bake Cake" task to span a duration of all the "Bake Cake" tasks
in all the schedules.

Assuming I have made the correct conclusion from your post, you can plug all
the files into a single master and make certain that every task in every
file has exactly the same text in the task name. You do not need to use the
same task names in the master... in your master all you have to do is insert
the 200 project files and you do not need any other tasks in the file.

Now, use a custom group by feature in Project. (Project/Group By/Customize
Group By...) You will want to GroupBy the task "Name" field. This will
place all similar tasks together under a task with the name name... "Bake
Cake." Your newly created summary task will start at the earliest "Bake
Cake" task and end when the latest "Bake Cake" finishes. Your %Complete
will roll up for you as the duration weighted %Complete from all the
subordinate "Bake Cake" tasks. You can now collapse all the tasks to just
show the summaries and you have a new schedule that represents the roll up
of all the other schedules.

To undo the grouping, go to Project/GroupBy/No Group and it will return to
normal views.

A word of caution. All the "Bake Cake" tasks are named the same and you have
200 of them, It will be difficult to find which sprecific "Bake Cake" task
is running late, etc. Consider adding a custom text field such as Text1 or
some other identifier. In the Text1 field you could place the project name
or some other identifier so you can track it back to the original file. If
you were baking cakes for 200 weddings you might use the Groom's last name
in the Text1 field.

Summary: Insert all the files into a single master, no other tasks in the
master file. Use the custom grouping field based on task name.

Hope that helps.

Jim

 

[Les Bener]

Wow. thanks Jim. i am going to print this read the "recipe" several times
and maybe have my "cake and eat it too." All tasks do not happen on the
same day and % completes will be caluculated manually not based on S/F times.
i will let you know!! Thanks again.

 

[Les Bener]

rhi jim, things are going OK, but when I insert the project with a file name
"Tripoli1" it shows "BI03_0001 Ufone Phase 2-B rev A 2006-05-04." I have no
idea where this name comes from. It is not entered into a task or summary
task field an is not a file name.

 

[Les Bener]

OK. found the problem. Old file reference. One last issue. When i group
the tasks it works great except as follows: i created a Text1 column where i
insert the site name so i know which "cake" it belongs to. I created 4
subprojects as a test and inserted them. I group by ID which puts all the
same tasks together and in ascending order except project 3 always is on top
so the sequence is 3,1,2,4. I have inserted them in order, compared
everything, but 3 always come up as the first subproject of the four!

 

[Jim Aksel]

I am perplexed on that one. It has to do with the algorithm used by Project
I suppose.

I see a fatal flaw in something else however. Please visit my blog and read
my White Paper on Percent Complete. In your case, you probably want
Physical%Complete.

In MS Project, the ordinary %Complete is based strictly on duration. If you
have a 10 day task it is 60% complete on day6, there is no other correct
value. If you say it is 50% complete, you are implying it will take 12 days
to do the task. Note if you change the duration to 12 days, the %complete
will drop. If you change the duration to 8 days, the %complete changes to
75%.

Best way to use ordinary %Complete is for Project to Caluclate it for you.
You should focus on "remaining work" and "remainng duration" columns and then
let %Complete land where it may. My white papers explain more about it.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[Les Bener]

Thanks Jim I will read the paper. As to the other problem, i will see what
happens when i add other projects. Thanks again

 

[KingKikapu]

*Question about claiming status in the master, not the individual
files*: does this work with earned value? I have tried in the past to
update the status of the subproject from within the master project, but
the earned value data never accrues. If I however status update within
the subproject files, then open the master project file and change the
status date to that of what I updated to in the subprojects, then I find
the earned value gets updated.


Got any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

QUOTE=Jim Aksel;4624023]Things to check in the master

1. Tools/Options/Calculations (tab). Select "Inserted Project are
calculated like summary tasks."

2. Does the master have a baseline? That shouldn't matter if you are
using
ordinary %Complete. If you are using Physical%Complete post back as
the
story changes.

3. Consistent status dates in all the files including the master
(Project/Project Information... then set a status date).

4. Try claiming status from within the master, not the individual
files.

5. On Tools/Options/Calculation tab, is the calculation mode set to
automatic (in the master)?

If you need further help, please post back.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

I have exact site project templates for 200 sites. The master schedule
contains the same template. I have created subprojects and inserted them
into the master schedule. % complete for subtasks transfers fine into the
master project within the inserted project, but I cannot get the percent
complete to rollup into the subtask in the Master Project Summary

template.