MS Project 2010 Formule

Building a Project Dashboard with Formulas in MS Project Relu Rosenberg PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

Introduction  This presentation will show how to build a Project Dashboard using Excel like formulas and functions in MS Project  The study case will walk through the steps for creating a field called “Task Progress” to calculate the Progress status of a task and use graphical indicators for creating a dashboard view for active tasks (task level) or project summary view (Summary tasks level)  Steps      

Define the logic Build the formula Add graphical indicators for quick identification of tasks status, issues Build filter based on calculated values to select tasks of interest (focus tasks) Make customizations available to all your Project plans Make customizations available to someone else , publish a template plan

 Benefits   

Automated calculation and identification of active tasks Automated identification of tasks requiring attention One step preparation of high level project status report for management

 As always, a good, detailed plan will drive the quality of the resulting report !

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Introduction - 2  The end result will take you from a project plan with no easy way to identify a status (left) to a toolbox to produce one click status reports, issues , focus tasks list (right side). If this interests you, follow the rest of this presentation !

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic #1 - Calculate Task Progress based on Start/End dates

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic #1 – Notes

•Logic #1 is very simple to implement as it is based only on “% Complete” and Start, End dates of the task. It automates calculation and identification of 8 task status values ! •If %Complete is >0 it will know task work started and it will mark as “In progress” •Doesn’t require accurate estimate of %Complete. •It is suitable for tasks of short duration, w/o interim milestones •This calculation cannot establish if a task in progress is late or ahead of the schedule. This is where logic #2 and #3 will help

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic #2 – Use task “Status” field Task Status Display

Condition %Complete = 100 Timephased Cumulative %Complete >0 on midnight of day before Timephased Cumulative %Complete =0 on midnight before Task Start Date > Today

Complete On Schedule Late Future Task

Field Value 0 1 2 3

Go To View->More Views ->”Task Usage” To add fields Format -> “Detail Styles” and add “Cumulative Percent Complete” to show pane To change displayed fields Format->”Details” and Check/Uncheck fields Note: In order to use Task Status and be able to display “Cumulative %Complete“ you must assign a resource (real or generic) to each task !

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic #2 – Notes

•Logic #2 leverages the “Status” task field from Microsoft Project. This will help to determine not just if a task is in Progress but also if it is on Schedule or Late. •It is the correct way to calculate because the time phased “% Complete” accounts for the actual work performed over elapsed time. •A resource can have days off , days not worked full time, etc and comparing ((Date()-*Start+)/*Duration+) with “% Complete” is misleading. •Requires more accurate estimate of %Complete of a task •It’s suitable for tasks of longer duration where %Complete can be measured

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic 2 - Task Progress using “Status” field (task field)

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic 3 - Using EVM SPI 

Resources   



Define Earned Value Calculation options (Tools ->Options -> Calculation)  



Define all resources Assign rates to each resource (Std. Rate, Ovt. Rate) Assign resource to each task

Default task Earned Value method: % Complete Edits to total task % complete will be spread to the status date (to see SPI>1)

Baseline project 

10/6/2010

Re-baseline every time you add tasks and resources or change tasks, resources

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic 3 – Notes

• Logic #3 is the most sophisticated and accurate. It will allow to determine if a task in progress is Behind Schedule, On Schedule, Ahead of Schedule. • It uses Earned Value Methodology and specifically it uses Schedule Performance Index. • For older versions of Microsoft Project which don’t have the SPI calculated you can add SPI as a customized field, Number , with following formula: IIf([BCWS]>0,[BCWP]/[BCWS],0) Since BCWS is 0 For future tasks in MS Project 2000, the formula checks and returns SPI=0 to prevent Error due to division by 0. • It requires accurate measurement of %Complete to provide accurate indicator of progress status (Ahead, On Schedule, Behind)

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Logic 3 - Task Progress using EVM SPI

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Creating a custom field 

The are several types of fields you can customize, depending on desired data type  



Text, Date , Number are the most used Start, Finish, Cost, Duration, Flag are additional types

Right click on project headings to “Insert Column” , will choose Text type field, Text2 for “Task Progress” field

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Customize field applet   

Right click on field header and select Customize field Use Rename to rename the field from Text2 to “Task Progress” for use in formulas Check the boxes for Formula and Graphical Indicators buttons for customization

10/6/2010

Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

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Writing Formulas – simple examples 

We will use these statements and functions   



IIf(expression-to-test, Do-this-if-true,Do-this-if-False) Date() - returns current system date Project fields - designated as [field-name]

Examples 

Flag all active tasks (Start < Date < Finish) IIf((Date() > [Start]) And (Date() < [Finish]),"Active Task","")



Flag all overdue tasks – (Finish < Date) and (%Complete [Start]) And (Date()