Re: Having the task finish date update when % complete = 100%

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I'm not a Server/PWA guru so I'll have to defer info on specifc fields on their reporting templates to those who have more knowledge of the specifics there. You might ask in the Server newsgroup too.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

"dtarkington" <dtarkington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:434B1A16-FAE4-4436-B515-2E430A670DAB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I understand what you are saying but is it possible within Project Server for
a resource to report as you are suggesting? Within Project Server there are
only options for reporting % work complete, actual work done and remaining or
actual hours of work done per day or week. We have chosen the % complete
option and so far all we have found is that if we have resources report %
complete, there is no field for them to also report when they achieved 100%
complete.

"Steve House [Project MVP]" wrote:

I suggest you might be better off asking the resources to report dates and
durations worked than % Complete. First of all, there are 3 types of
percent complete metrics - % Complete (measures duration), % Work Complete
(measures work effort), and % Physical Complete ( measures physical
progress). People untrained in PM methodology, such as most likely most of
your resources will be, tend to mix them up or be inconsistent. Secondly,
people tend to over-estimate their own progress - go casually ask a
subordinate how close they are to finishing some task and they'll typically
respond something like "Going great Boss, 90% done!" because they don't
want to look bad. Yet if you were to put a stopwatch on them you'll find
they might be at almost anything when you actually look at duration worked
versus duration required.


--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

"dtarkington" <dtarkington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:FC41A62E-04FD-4A97-9AB8-B1BEA8825B59@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Steve thanks for this. To clarify we are reporting the % complete on > each
> task first and when it is 100% wanting to change the actual finish date
> (not
> the baseline finish date) and have the system calculate the actual
> duration
> just as you explained and thereby updating all of the subsequent task
> start
> and finish dates automatically. We just wanted to make sure that there
> was
> no technical problem with doing this. We are using MS Project Server > for
> the
> resources to report their % complete and wanting to have the Project
> Managers
> update the Actual Finish Dates to the best of their ability and > knowledge.
>
> "Steve House [Project MVP]" wrote:
>
>> You still haven't told me which finish date you're talking about
>> changing -
>> the scheduled Finish in the Gantt chart entry table, the baseline >> finish,
>> or
>> the actual finish - the specific answer to your question is dependent >> on
>> which "finish date" field you're planning on entering the data into. >> But
>> in
>> any case you don't need to figure out actual duration by hand. If >> you're
>> setting the task complete and the actual duration differs from the
>> scheduled
>> duration and you want Project to calculate the real duration for you,
>> display the Tracking Table (View menu, Tables, Tracking) and enter the
>> date
>> work actually commenced on the task in the Actual Start column and the
>> date
>> work was completed in the Actual Finish column. Project will take >> those
>> two
>> values and calculate the Actual Duration, set the Remaining Duration >> to
>> zero, mark the task 100% complete, and transfer your input values back
>> into
>> the regular Gantt chart entry table's Start, Finish, and Duration
>> columns.
>> HOWEVER, entering those same values directly into the entry table's
>> Start,
>> Finish, and Duration columns WILl NOT post that there has been any
>> progress
>> to the task, it simply means it's still waiting to be done but you >> have
>> revised the estimates you'd previously made regarding it.
>>
>> So there is no technical reason you can't enter the Actual Finish date >> in
>> the appropriate field - in fact, I recommend it. OTOH there is a very
>> good
>> reason to not enter it into the baseline finish - baselines are >> supposed
>> to
>> be snapshot records of what you originally planned so you can see if >> your
>> on
>> track or not. Likewise, there's an excellent (technical) reason not >> to
>> enter the actual finish in the Finish column of the Gantt chart entry
>> table - doing so does not post in any actual progress but simply
>> indicates
>> the plan has been revised.
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> -- >> Steve House [MVP]
>> MS Project Trainer & Consultant
>> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
>>
>>
>>
>> "dtarkington" <dtarkington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:2DF3B9FA-8698-4B52-BA41-0F8346D5C3A3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > We have previously set a baseline and wanted to know if there is any
>> > technical reason why we cannot change the finish date to the actual
>> > date
>> > finished rather than having to look at a calendar and figure out the
>> > actual
>> > duration
>> >
>> > "Steve House [Project MVP]" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Updating WHICH "finish date" to accomplish what end? I'm not clear
>> >> why
>> >> you're updating it and what your intended result is.
>> >> -- >> >> Steve House [MVP]
>> >> MS Project Trainer & Consultant
>> >> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "dtarkington" <dtarkington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in >> >> message
>> >> news:D29EC3D3-3BAC-435B-B27C-BF977D1DA61B@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> >I understand about the timing issue but other than that is there >> >> >any
>> >> > technical problem with updating the finish date?
>> >> >
>> >> > "dtarkington" wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> I understand this now. Is it also possible to simply change the
>> >> >> finish
>> >> >> date
>> >> >> of the task which will accomplish the same thing?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> "Steve House [Project MVP]" wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> > Nope because the updates might or might not be happening in >> >> >> > real
>> >> >> > time.
>> >> >> > What
>> >> >> > would happen if the task was scheduled for Mon, Tue, and Wed >> >> >> > of
>> >> >> > last
>> >> >> > week,
>> >> >> > we found that we were actually done late Tuesday afternoon, >> >> >> > but
>> >> >> > for
>> >> >> > some
>> >> >> > reason we put off updating our timecard information until >> >> >> > today?
>> >> >> > -- >> >> >> > Steve House [MVP]
>> >> >> > MS Project Trainer & Consultant
>> >> >> > Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > "dtarkington" <dtarkington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>> >> >> > message
>> >> >> > news:3AAE5E5B-9304-4FF4-B170-3C2E396BC6DC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> >> > > Is there no way that Project Server can update the % >> >> >> > > complete
>> >> >> > > based
>> >> >> > > on the
>> >> >> > > date that the resource reported it at 100%?
>> >> >> > >
>> >> >> > > "Steve House [Project MVP]" wrote:
>> >> >> > >
>> >> >> > >> Simply entering a percent complete says everything went
>> >> >> > >> according
>> >> >> > >> to
>> >> >> > >> plan.
>> >> >> > >> If the actual task duration is greater or lesser than the
>> >> >> > >> planned
>> >> >> > >> duration,
>> >> >> > >> or if the actual start or finish datesx differ from the >> >> >> > >> plan,
>> >> >> > >> you
>> >> >> > >> need to
>> >> >> > >> manually enter the actual values on the tracking table. If
>> >> >> > >> you
>> >> >> > >> originally
>> >> >> > >> planned on the task taking 10 days but you find you're
>> >> >> > >> finished
>> >> >> > >> in
>> >> >> > >> 8,
>> >> >> > >> instead of just marking it complete enter an actual >> >> >> > >> duration
>> >> >> > >> of 8
>> >> >> > >> days
>> >> >> > >> and a
>> >> >> > >> remaining duration of zero.
>> >> >> > >> -- >> >> >> > >> Steve House [MVP]
>> >> >> > >> MS Project Trainer & Consultant
>> >> >> > >> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
>> >> >> > >>
>> >> >> > >> "dtarkington" <dtarkington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote >> >> >> > >> in
>> >> >> > >> message
>> >> >> > >> news:E24DC081-48DF-4CDE-9609-3534C3A3F730@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> >> > >> > We are using the Contraints of Fixed Duration and Finish >> >> >> > >> > As
>> >> >> > >> > Soon
>> >> >> > >> > As
>> >> >> > >> > Possible
>> >> >> > >> > using % complete yet when the % complete is changed to >> >> >> > >> > 100%
>> >> >> > >> > before
>> >> >> > >> > the
>> >> >> > >> > estimated duration is reached the finish date does not
>> >> >> > >> > update
>> >> >> > >> > to
>> >> >> > >> > the
>> >> >> > >> > actual
>> >> >> > >> > finish date. How can we get this to update?
>> >> >> > >>
>> >> >> > >>
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>



.

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