Task Tracking Sanity Check - Mine

[EarlePearce]

I feel stupid to ask this and I did read several messages but I don't see any
hope of a way to do what I MUST do.

I need to track actual man hours worked and manually enter their estimate of
percent complete for tasks, then have the Gannt bar extend to show a new
estimated duration.

Example: resource works 16hrs on an estimated 20h task but is only 50% done.
I need to see the 16hrs worked and the 50% complete and have Gannt extend
the estimated duration to 40h.

I know this runs counter to what I've read, but this is what I really must
do. Can I somehow get Project to do this via code or ? I'm now playing with
custom fields etc, and if somebody has done it I'd like their input.

 

[Rod Gill]

% complete is a blunt instrument for updating. Instead:

Click View, Resource Usage
Right mouse click the yellow timephased area and select Actual Work
Enter your 16h of actual work on the days they were done
Add 12h of work in the Work row to reflect when you think they will get done

Your Task will now show it started on the first day with Actual work and the
duration will have extended to the last day of your extra 12h.


--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

Project VBA Book, for details visit:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

NEW!! Web based VBA training course delivered by me. For details visit:
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/index.aspx

 

[EarlePearce]

That may be just what I am looking for. I've been playing with it since your
reply and think I understand. It's actually more granular than I hoped for
which is good.

I did have to tun off "Effort Driven" to keep it from messing with resource
allocation even tho it is set to Fixed Units, but it seems to be working. I
also discovered I have to add the lost time to the end of the task not the
middle. The fun part is I can add or subtract from the estimated hours as we
go and with an original schedule baseline see just where we strayed.

Thanks for your help and if you see anything else please let me know.

Earle

 

[Rod Gill]

Have fun! Effort driven only affects Tasks when you add or remove a second
or subsequent Resource. It has no effect when you edit assignments. Fixed
Units is the most flexible setting and for you preferred as you want
Duration to adjust itself.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

Project VBA Book, for details visit:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

NEW!! Web based VBA training course delivered by me. For details visit:
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/index.aspx

 

[EarlePearce]

Now this "wonderful" application is adding resource units when I specifically
told it "fixed units". My plan was working well in my testing, adding hrs to
the task extended the bar. I added a second resource to the resource sheet
but not the project and now adding hrs to the tasks increases units to 1.5
even tho I still only have 1 resource assigned.

It's going to be a challenge scheduling 20+ projects but I do want to have
the application working for me. How can I make it know I only want sam to
work 8 hours a day and not have help unless I assign it?

And Trevor, thanks for the clarification.

Earle

 

[EarlePearce]

Edit...
Well, there it goes again..... How could it treat a nice guy like me so
foolishly? This is like trying to bake a cake over a fire. Should I even be
trying to use Project at all?

I will be doing the master scheduling for about 20 active projects in
various stages. I have several Project Managers, Designers, CAD Drafters and
Implementers. The way we work is primary responsibility, collaboration and
convenient assignment. Each PM will have a several projects which normally
take a couple years to completely cycle with periods of inactivity.

I will be getting individual time sheets showing the hours worked on each
task and how many hours remain (or % done). I may as well assign them all to
a project and only "schedule" them to work as needed. However, the primary
PM is responsible and can assign % done.

Just when I think I have something that works, I add the next layer of
complexity and it falls apart. Always around resources, assigned/actual
work, and reflecting hrs worked on a task without completing % done time
(adjusting remaining time).

OK, sorry for the frustrastion, but is anybody doing scheduling like this
via MS Project? How?

Earle

:

Now this "wonderful" application is adding resource units when I specifically
told it "fixed units". My plan was working well in my testing, adding hrs to
the task extended the bar. I added a second resource to the resource sheet
but not the project and now adding hrs to the tasks increases units to 1.5
even tho I still only have 1 resource assigned.

It's going to be a challenge scheduling 20+ projects but I do want to have
the application working for me. How can I make it know I only want sam to
work 8 hours a day and not have help unless I assign it?

And Trevor, thanks for the clarification.

Earle

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

The units you see is actually peak units, not average units. So, if a
resource is planned to work 4h in a day but actually works 6h, then peak
units for that day is 75%

If this does not explain what you are seeing, please be specific with the
hours for each resource for the tasks for the time period. Project can do
what you want, you just need to learn what drives what.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

Project VBA Book, for details visit:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

NEW!! Web based VBA training course delivered by me. For details visit:
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/index.aspx

 

[EarlePearce]

OK, I can't make it do that again, but I suspect I entered some actual hours
worked then changed them or something. I "think" I can forget about units
for a bit and just focus on reporting hours and the bars.


The latest is I made 2 tasks with FS dependency each for 2D duration and set
for Fixed Units and not effort driven. I assigned 4 resources at 1 unit
(don't know who will work it how long). I entered 2 hours each for 2 days
and the duration jumped to 3.5D pushing out the second task. The first task
is actually complete not with 1.5D remaining.

If I'm catching on, I think setting the resources as a unit (there's that
word again) of 1 when they actually worked .25. If I change Duration back to
2 days it changes resource units to .25.

The problem is I won't really know who might help and charge time to a given
task. What happens if I assign people but not work to resources then actual
hours worked? Ah.. I tried it and it worked. Is that the answer?

Earle

 

[Rod Gill]

The idea is to predict work. With a little practice of predicting work, then
measuring actual work and learning from the difference, you will get
accurate.

If you assign someone at unit of 1 then that is 8h per day. Enter 2h actual
work and project automatically adds the 6h you didn't do to the end of the
assignment.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

Project VBA Book, for details visit:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

NEW!! Web based VBA training course delivered by me. For details visit:
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/index.aspx

 

[EarlePearce]

Rod, you just broke the code for me! I was missing that piece and frustrated
when it adjusted for me. I thought by unchecking the Effort Driven box it
would not do that - but it does.

I still don't like it but understand what is driving it. Although it seems
to me if they work 6 hrs day 1 and the bar extends, that working 10 hrs the
next day should shrink the bar back - but it doesn't.

I really wish I had to adjust the bar manually each day based on the real
work remaining. Maybe if I used restraints and set it to always respect
them. That might do it, but adds one more work around.

I'll know the program in a few months and probably change the way I use it
but for now just to get along with it is a big deal. I think I have enough
to build a real test now and try not to tie you up, at least for a while.
Thanks for your help.

Earle