Chapter 6 Tracking Progress on Tasks

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Chapter 6Tracking Progress on Tasks

• What will we do in this chapter?
• Start Execution phase of project.
• Explore baselines, baseline a project.
• Track progress on tasks
• As Scheduled
• Percentage of Completion
• Actuals
• Explore Variance.

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Execution phase

• Consists of 4 major activities
• Tracking
• Analyzing
• Controlling
• Reporting

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Execution Phase Tracking

• Track progress on tasks so you know when tasks
  are actually completed by their assigned
  resources.

4
Execution Phase Analyzing

• Examine any differences between your original
  plan and how its actually progressing. Monitor
  the differences in schedule or cost to anticipate
  any potential problems.

5
Execution Phase Controlling

• Take any necessary corrective actions to keep the
  project on track toward completion on time and
  within budget.

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Execution Phase Reporting

• Keep stakeholders informed. Whether youre
  providing the big picture to your project team or
  high-level progress information to executives,
  you should regularly report various aspects of
  project information.

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Baselines - general

• The original project plan, adjusted to
  perfection, is considered the baseline. It is
  the ideal balance between scope, schedule and
  cost. This plan is usually agreed on by
  stakeholders before project begins execution.
• The best time to save this baseline is when the
  plan has been developed as fully as possible, but
  before you have started tracking.

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Baselines fields saved

• A baseline is a snapshot of key scheduling and
  cost information in your project plan at a
  specific point in time, fields saved are
• Start
• Finish
• Duration
• Work
• Cost

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Baselines How to

• To save a baseline
• Tools -gt Tracking -gt Save Baseline
• To delete a baseline
• Tools -gt Tracking -gt Clear Baseline

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Baselines - Multiple

• It is possible to save multiple baselines. You
  may want to do this if
• Your project is exceptionally long.
• The execution of your project has started and a
  major change occurs, ie. Funding changes,
  corporate shift in priorities etc.

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Baselines - Viewing

• To view your baselines with views
• Tracking Gantt
• Multiple Baselines Gantt
• Or
• You can insert baseline values into charts using
  Insert -gt Column

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TrackingTracking Tool Bar
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Tracking Track Project as Scheduled

• Use this if actual work is proceeding exactly as
  planned.
• Tools -gt Tracking -gt Update Project
• Select Update Work as Complete Through option
• Enter Complete Through Date

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Tracking Completion Percentage, Actual
Start/Finish, Actual Duration

• Enter percent complete or actuals, MS Project
  calculates remaining values and updates schedule
  if required.
• Select the task to be updated in any task sheet
  view (Gantt chart etc.)
• Tools -gt Tracking -gt Update Tasks
• Enter the percentage complete or actuals for
  the task.

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Tracking Actual Values - Work

• Remember resources must be assigned to tasks to
  have work values.
• Display a task sheet view such as the Gantt
  Chart.
• Click View -gt Table -gt Work
• In the Actual (Work) field of task that you
  want to update, enter actual work value.

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Variance

• The difference between baseline and current
  scheduled information is called a variance.
• Variance can bee seen in various charts (View -gt
  Table -gt Variance), in the project statistics, or
  it can be inserted as a column in charts.

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Food for Thought

• QHow many project managers does it take to
  change a light bulb? 
• A One, he/she stands in the middle of the room
  holding the bulb and the rest of the world
  revolves around him/her.
• or
• A If in the scope statement, 1, if it's not, how
  much money do you have?