Tracking Progress Microsoft Project Rules

Every bar tells a story about that Task. Make sure that the story is consistent with the facts. 1. Set the Status Date (this is the "as of ..." date which every progress report must state up front) 2. Save a Baseline 3. Show the Tracking Gantt View 4. Show the Tracking Table 5. Show the Tracking Toolbar 6. Format the Gridlines to show the Status Date as a vertical red line on the Tracking Gantt Chart

BEFORE making any updates of the Work or the Cost, deal with the Actual Start, Actual Duration, Remaining Duration, Actual Finish. Then, any Actual Work and/or Actual Cost must have ocurred during the Actual Duration. Any Remaining Work and/or Remaining Cost must be planned to occur during the Remaining Duration. Do not type in % Complete because this is calculated for you by MSP. Do not show Progress Lines because they show no useful information and just clutter up the Gantt Chart. You can't plan to do something last week, so no unused Duration to the left of the Status date. If it is there then it must be re-scheduled to the future (3rd button, Tracking Toolbar). No unstarted Task to the left of the Status date. If it is there then it must be rescheduled to the future (3rd button, Tracking Toolbar). No started Task (ie no Actual Start Date) to the right of the Status date (Tasks cannot have actually started tomorrow). No Actual Duration to the right of the Status date (Tasks cannot have occurred tomorrow). No finished Task to the right of the status date (you did not finish tomorrow)

You see many Gantt Charts with both unused Duration in the past and progress in the future. Both are just wrong and are just an announcement that the uthor doesn't understand what he is doing or what the software is for. Good CPM network modeling in the first place is essential for fast, easy, accurate tracking, eg adopt these rules and do not attempt to Track if the plan is not finished, has loose ends etc. Summaries have no Predecessors or Successors. Predecessors and Successors between Tasks and Milestones only. Every Task has at least one Finish to Start Predecessor. You need a closed network to do the CPA. Every Task has at least one Finish to Start Successor. Same. Resources assigned to Tasks and Milestones only, not Summaries. Costs assigned to Tasks and Milestones only, not Summaries. Milestones do not have resources (maybe). No negative lag. No Date Constraints. Only a small number, say 7 - 10 Tasks only, under any heading or sub-heading in the WBS