Tracking

[Richard]

I am tracking a project by using the % complete method. However, I have a
task that finished prior to the scheduled finish but still required the
original amount of work. When I show the task as 100 % complete on the
status date, the amount of work is decreased proportionately. Is there a way
to keep the amount of work as originally scheduled and still show the task
100% complete?

Thank you for any help you may provide.

 

[Haris Rashid]

hi Richard,

In Microsoft Project, for all tasks, after you assign a resource, the task
is scheduled according to the formula Duration = Work / Units. For any task,
you can choose which piece of the equation Project calculates by setting the
task type.

Click Task Information button (or double click on the task) and Select the
Advanced Tab. Here you can define the task type. Task type specifies the
effect that a change to work, assignment units, or duration has on the
calculation of the other two fields for the task.

For your scenario you need to select the Fixed Work type. Fixed Work
indicates that the task's amount of work must remain constant, regardless of
any change in duration or assignment units for the task. Because, by
definition, fixed-work tasks are effort-driven, the Effort driven check box
is automatically selected for fixed-work tasks.

Simly select the fixed work type and MS Project will keep the amount of work
fixed.

Regards,

Haris

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

That makes sense unless you have assigned your resources at less than 100%
to begin with and then they worked at a higher percentage than they were
assigned. Think about it. If I have a guy working full time to paint a
room and it's scheduled for 5 days to complete, that represents 40 hours of
duration and 40 man-hours of work. If he completed it in 4 days, 32 hours
of duration, that means he either did 2 hours a day overtime or the task was
really a 32 man-hours task, not a 40 man-hour task as we had thought it
would be. Why? Because it is physcially impossible for someone to do 40
man-hours of work in 32 hours of time. When you use simple methods to post
completion with actual<planned and remaining=0, Project assumes the latter
case, meaning we over-estimated the work required when we set up the plan
originally. If it's the former, you need to go into the usage view and
account for the actual hours of work on the days they were done so that the
net result is 40 man-hours of work performed.