Progress lines for summary tasks

[shm75]

Hi all,

I have a query about tracking the progress of a task. At the moment I have programmes set up which I update every week, through Task - Update Tasks - and then setting the % complete. Anything which was due to start but has not I move forward to the right of the status date; similarly, if a task is started early I move it back, and if it is completed in less time than expected I amend the duration. That way (by my reckoning anyway!) the plan is a good reflection of when work is actually carried out.

I have set a baseline and show that on the Gantt chart.

My client has now asked that I show a progress line on the chart, but when I set this up to display against the baseline I get a strange result. The subtasks are correct, but the progress of the summary tasks is showing it as being way behind the original plan.

If I take one task as an example:
There are 33 subtasks, the first was due to start on 10th June and the last is due to finish on 20th February next year.[/li]
The status date has been set as 27th September.
6 subtasks are currently complete.
Subtask number 5 was due to start on 9th September, but has not yet started so it has been moved forward to 30th September. The progress line shows it as being 3 weeks late, which is fine.
Subtask number 8 was due to start on 23rd September, but as above this has been moved to 30th. The progress line shows this as being 1 week late.
The progress line for the summary task is showing a peak to the left of the status date (which I would expect) but going back to 1st July. Surely if the most any of the subtasks is running late is 3 weeks, this is what should be shown on the summary task?

Can anyone explain why I am getting this result, and what to do to make the progress line a more accurate reflection of what is happening with the task? I don't want to send this through to my client as it is, because it seems to be showing us as much further behind schedule than we actually are.

I'm using Project Standard 2013.

Thanks.

 

[JulieInMaine]

Do you have a milestone (zero duration) task back in July that is not marked complete?

 

[shm75]

No - there's only 1 subtask in July, and it's been marked as complete.

 

[JulieInMaine]

I'd take a look at the variance table and see if you have any tasks with large amounts of Finish Variance. I'd also clarify with your client do they want progress lines (such as what you are showing) or progress bars that show progress against task duration. I have never been a fan of progress lines.

 

[shm75]

I've checked the variance table - the most finish variance that's shown is 15 days, which is what I would expect. The summary task is showing a finish variance of 5 days - again, this is what I would expect, but doesn't explain why the progress line doesn't match it.

I'll see if I can persuade the client away from progress lines, but would still quite like to see if I can find a solution to this just in case.

 

[JulieInMaine]

Is this a project file that can be shared via email? What version of Project and service pack do you have installed?

 

[shm75]

It's Project Standard 2013.

 

[JulieInMaine]

Any cumulative updates installed?

 

[shm75]

Not as far as I know. When I go into product information, the version that is shown is 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601.

Does that help?

 

[JulieInMaine]

Is this product information for Project? There is no released service pack for Project 2013 and the release information appears to be from Windows, not Project.

 

[shm75]

This is the information that was shown when I was in Project - File - Account - About Project - System Info. If I should be looking somewhere else just let me know, I'm quite new to this!

 

[JulieInMaine]

Don't select System Info button. The Information about release on Project should be at the top of the dialog window. It should say something like Microsoft Project 2013 (15.0.4517.1001) MSO (15.0.4535.1002) 32 bit.

 

[shm75]

Ok, the version shown is Microsoft Project 2013 (15.0.4481.1501) MSO (15.0.4481.1501) 32 bit.

What's the best way to share the file - via the forum?

 

[JulieInMaine]

If you can attach it as a zip file that would be great.

 

[shm75]

Hopefully this link should work!

 

[JulieInMaine]

Hi,
I've taken a look at I cannot figure out why it is doing that. I noticed when I saved as XML and re-created the file, the issue disappeared. The early tasks (June & July) show no variance against baseline, so why the progress bar for the summary tasks is that far off, I don't know. Showing the bar against plan seems to be okay. I think showing baseline bars against current plan is far more meaningful. If the client wants further data, show them finish variance.

 

[shm75]

I guess I'm just going to have to write it off as a mystery of Project - thanks for all your help with this though.

 

[JulieInMaine]

You're welcome. I have always found project lines on summary tasks dodgy.