I was checking the application and something that I didn't understand (or seems not to apply to my reality) is the fact that the system uses the reported/validated working hours to increase the progress of the activity / project (real progress).
For instance:
I have a activity / project which is planned to end in 5 days (40 hours - 8 hours per day)
After 3 days, the project member logged 24 working hours (which would represent 60% of the activity/project). However, even if the user really worked those 24 hours, it doesn't mean that the progress of the activity / project is realy 60%. He/She may have had a better performance (delivered 70% using 24 hours) or the opposite (delivered only 45% using those 24 hours).
Could someone explain to me how the calculation works and how I could "tell" projeqtor that the % of real progress has to be adjusted?
Thank you very much indeed.
Hi,
the main principle is :
- customer requests a change (or else) : in most cases he requests for a tagert date (end date)
- project leader, depending on resource avaialbilty, assigns resources : this defines assigned work
- with complete planning PL can commit on target : validated work, validated end date
- when working, resources enter real work, day by day : real work
and update left work depending on what is left to do (left work is automatically updated when real work is entered, but it must be re-estimated - see below)
- planned work is automatically calculated as real work + left work
So
- validated work = committed work
- assigned work = validated work dispatched to the resources
- real work = work really done by each resources
- left work = new estimate of left work
- planned work = new estimate of full work = real work + left work
And from this data :
- real progress = real work / (real work + left work) = real work / planned work
- expected progress = real work / validated work (where progress should be if validated work was correct)
So, to get the correct progress, the left work must be updated :
- by resource on real work allocation
- by progress leader on assignment in the activity
(this should answer your question)
So now, why only "work driven" principle, why not let the resource estimate the progress ?
Because of expertise and long practice of project management.
Just try this once or twice, you'll be surprised ...
- consider a 10 days task
- after resource has worked 5 days, meet him and ask : "what is your progress on the task ?"
- 99% of change you get : "50% !"
- then, slightly change the question and ask : "how much work do you need to finish the task ?"
- you could be surprised to hear : "7 days !"
- so you request some explanation : "but you just said you did half of the work ?"
- and don't be surprise to hear : "Yes !!! I did half of what's to be done" (half of the rules, of half of the specification), "but I left the hardest for the end, so the end will be a bit longer" ... or alternatively "but I did not run unit tests yet, and I will manage all at the end" ... or possibly "but when all is done I'll have a little of tuning to integrate components and have them work together"...
I heard these so many times that I really made my mind : only plan from "work" and fight to have "left work" restimated at least on a weekly basis.
This was my 2 cents on project Management, hope it can help...
Hi babynus.
Thank you very much for your anwer.
Thanks Babynus!
Never heard or read an explanation as simple and concise as this one, but at the same time, as complete o/ /º o/ /º o/ /º (waving 😉 )
It's a candidate for a Project Management FAQ 😉