Re: BCWP and BCWS

As Julie said % complete is not accurate. I would go further and say that earned value reporting when you only use % complete is not all all accurate and will likely be misleading. The only way to get accurate earned value reports is by accurate scheduling of resources and actual hours per day updating (usually via a time*** system).

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com



"Anna" <Anna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:E016E7EC-6013-40FC-BA77-CDA2D9833A2E@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Awesome! I will play around with this tomorrow and see how everything works
out. I really appreciate all your help and suggestions. I'll let you know how
it all worked out. Thanks again and take care.

"JulieS" wrote:

Hi Anna,

Yes. By using actual and remaining duration, Project calculates %
complete.
Percent complete = actual duration/duration * 100

From help:
"If you type a value in the % Complete field, Project automatically
calculates actual duration and remaining duration. Likewise, entering
a value in the Actual Duration or Remaining Duration field
automatically recalculates the other fields."

Julie


"Anna" <Anna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2D122A23-7B16-4799-8CCF-2CB33386C710@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> If I go with tracking actual against remaining durations, do I still
> keep the
> Earned Value Method = % Complete in the field like Andrew suggested?
> Does
> Project automatically calculate acutual and remaining durations?
>
> "JulieS" wrote:
>
>> Hi Anna,
>>
>> Don't worry about asking questions, that's what the newsgroup is
>> here
>> for :-)
>>
>> No you shouldn't save a new baseline. You should be able to run
>> the
>> report with the existing baseline.
>>
>> Just a quick comment on % complete. Most of the regular posters
>> here
>> do not recommend % complete as a method of tracking. I suggest
>> tracking actual and remaining duration which will calculate and
>> update
>> % complete. For most people it's more accurate than % complete.
>>
>> I hope this helps.
>> Julie
>> Project MVP
>>
>>
>>
>> "Anna" <Anna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:8CF46B0D-B0AC-4A24-AD55-DDFB39F87582@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >I hope this is the last question. Each week I will go in and track
>> >the
>> > progress by entering % complete, do I need to save the baseline
>> > to a
>> > new
>> > baseline every week and will this generate an Earned Value Over
>> > Time
>> > Report
>> > through visual reports?
>> >
>> > "JulieS" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi Anna,
>> >>
>> >> Yes, I do mean a standard rate. If you use fixed costs as
>> >> Andrew
>> >> suggests it should also work. Assign the fixed costs, save a
>> >> baseline
>> >> and it should populate BAC (baseline cost).
>> >>
>> >> Julie
>> >>
>> >> "Anna" <Anna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> >> news:286298CE-246B-40A1-9024-68CF4F6DCFB3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> > Hi Julie,
>> >> >
>> >> > Yes, Resources were loaded. What do you mean by standard
>> >> > rates?
>> >> > If
>> >> > it's an
>> >> > hourly rate that I need to include for a resource, then it's
>> >> > no
>> >> > good
>> >> > because
>> >> > all that is provided to me is a lump sum cost from the
>> >> > contractor
>> >> > for that
>> >> > task.
>> >> >
>> >> > Thats why I assumed that I had to put the lump sum in the BAC
>> >> > field.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > "JulieS" wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> Hello Anna,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Pardon me for bumping in. In order for Project to calculate
>> >> >> BCWP
>> >> >> and
>> >> >> BCWS you need:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 1) Resources with standard rates assigned to tasks to create
>> >> >> work.
>> >> >> 2) Saved a baseline.
>> >> >> 3) Set a status date
>> >> >> 4) Applied tracking information
>> >> >>
>> >> >> As you don't say specifically that you've assigned resources,
>> >> >> my
>> >> >> guess
>> >> >> is you haven't. Therefore no work scheduled, therefore no
>> >> >> BCWP.
>> >> >> When
>> >> >> you save a baseline it will populate BAC for you - no need to
>> >> >> enter
>> >> >> it
>> >> >> in manually.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> See the help topic "Analyze project performance with earned
>> >> >> value
>> >> >> analysis".
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Julie
>> >> >> Project MVP
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
>> >> >> information
>> >> >> about Microsoft Project
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> "Anna" <Anna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> >> >> news:25727D9B-C3B1-408E-9F2E-09A8364E7386@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> >> >I have Service Pack 1 installed. I tried Steps 1 and 2 and
>> >> >> >then
>> >> >> >I
>> >> >> >went to
>> >> >> > tables/more tables/earned value to check and see if the
>> >> >> > BCWP
>> >> >> > and
>> >> >> > BCWS
>> >> >> > calculated and it didn't. I know that I'm doing something
>> >> >> > wrong,
>> >> >> > but
>> >> >> > I don't
>> >> >> > know what. Do I need to save another baseline in order for
>> >> >> > this
>> >> >> > to
>> >> >> > work?
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > Do you have any material that can walk me through the step
>> >> >> > by
>> >> >> > step
>> >> >> > process
>> >> >> > of entering lump sum costs into a task and then being able
>> >> >> > to
>> >> >> > generate an
>> >> >> > Earned Value report by exporting to excel?
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > "Andrew Lavinsky" wrote:
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> Might be a couple of things:
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> 1) Set the Status Date in Project > Project Information
>> >> >> >> 2) Make sure that the task Earned Value calculation is set
>> >> >> >> to
>> >> >> >> %
>> >> >> >> Complete
>> >> >> >> (which is the default). I think that's Tools > Options >
>> >> >> >> Calculations, but
>> >> >> >> on existing tasks, you have to expose the field, which is
>> >> >> >> Earned
>> >> >> >> Value Method
>> >> >> >> 3) If you're using Project 2007, make sure that you have
>> >> >> >> the
>> >> >> >> Service Pack
>> >> >> >> installed. There were apparently some issues w/ exporting
>> >> >> >> EVMS
>> >> >> >> data before
>> >> >> >> that was released.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> Probably the first one will work though.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> -A
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> "Anna" wrote:
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> > I saved a baseline and I entered my planned cost in BAC
>> >> >> >> > field
>> >> >> >> > and
>> >> >> >> > enetered %
>> >> >> >> > complete and the BCWP field still shows 0 value. What am
>> >> >> >> > I
>> >> >> >> > doing
>> >> >> >> > wrong?
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>




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