Why does changing remaining work also change the Work column?

[Vico]

I have setup the "Work" column with the project hours, and when I am updating
the plan weekly I just want to update "remaining work" to reflect what did
(or didn't) get done over the week. The problem is that it also changes my
"Work" column - why does it do this? I want "Work" to stay the same - and
use "Remaining work" as my estimate to complete. Help!

 

[Rod Gill]

This is proper behavior. Work=Actual Work + Remaining work.

If you want to keep a copy of original work, duration and dates etc. select
Tools, Tracking, save baseline. project now has Baseline Work, Baseline
duration and so on. View the Tracking Gantt chart to see where you are now
compared to where you were when you saved the baseline.

 

[Vico]

Thanks Rod.

Is there anyway I can do what I have described? I have done this before (3
years ago) but I can't remember how to do it.

 

[Rod Gill]

No. Work=Actual Work + Remaining work always applies.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Vico,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

If you want Work to remain the same, you need also to enter the Actual Work
to balance the equation.

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials

 

[Dean C]

To enter the actual work, for tasks that have already started and are not due
to finish prior to the status date, use the update as scheduled icon, then
enter the remaining work. If the task started since the last time you updated
the schedule, enter the actual start date then use the icon.