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Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

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Automated dashboard using formulas in MS Project
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Building a Project Dashboard with Formulas in MS Project Relu Rosenberg PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt
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Page 1: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

Building a Project Dashboard with Formulasin MS Project

Relu RosenbergPMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

Page 2: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

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 2

Page 3: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

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 3

Page 4: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

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

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Logic #1 – Notes

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•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

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Logic #2 – Use task “Status” field

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ConditionTask Status

Display

Field

Value

%Complete = 100 Complete 0

Timephased Cumulative %Complete >0 on midnight of day before On Schedule 1

Timephased Cumulative %Complete =0 on midnight before Late 2

Task Start Date > Today Future Task 3

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

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Logic #2 – Notes

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•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

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

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Logic 3 - Using EVM SPI

Resources

Define all resources

Assign rates to each resource (Std. Rate, Ovt. Rate)

Assign resource to each task

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

Default task Earned Value method: % Complete

Edits to total task % complete will be spread to the status date (to see SPI>1)

Baseline project

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

10/6/2010 9Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

Page 10: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

Logic 3 – Notes

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• 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)

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Logic 3 - Task Progress using EVM SPI

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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 12Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

Page 13: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

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

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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 <100)

IIf(([Finish] < Date()) And ([% Complete] < 100),"Overdue","")

Flag active and overdue tasks – combine the above

IIf((Date()>[Start]) And (Date()<[Finish]),"Active Task", IIf(([Finish]<Date()) And ([% Complete]<100),"Overdue","")

)

10/6/2010 Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt 14

Page 15: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

Writing the Formulas for “Task Progress” logic

Below formulas implement the logic diagrams (decision trees) depicted in slides

It is recommended to check each decision path in the formula using the Logic diagram

Easiest way to test the values is by adjusting the % Complete

10/6/2010 Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt 15

Logic 1 - % Complete and Start/Finish Dates

IIf(*% Complete+=100,"Complete",IIf(*Estimated+=Yes,"TBD",IIf(Date()>*Finish+,”Not Finished",IIf(Date()>*Start+,IIf(*% Complete+=0,“Not Started",IIf((*Finish+-Date())<7,"Ending Next","In progress")),IIf([Start]-Date()<7,"Starting Next","Future")))))

Logic 2 - % Complete, Task Status and Start/Finish DatesIIf([% Complete]=100,"Complete",IIf([Estimated]=Yes,"TBD",IIf(Date()>[Finish],"Not Finished",IIf(Date()>[Start],IIf([% Complete]=0,"Not Started",IIf(([Finish]-Date())<7,"Ending Next",IIf([Status]=1,"On Schedule","Late"))),IIf([Start]-Date()<7,"Starting Next","Future")))))

Logic 3 - Use SPI and Start/Finish DatesIIf([% Complete]=100,"Complete",IIf([Estimated]=Yes,"TBD",IIf(Date()>[Finish],"Not Finished",IIf(Date()>[Start],IIf([% Complete]=0,"Not Started",IIf(([Finish]-Date())<7,"Ending Next",IIf([SPI]<1,"Late",IIf([SPI]>1,"Ahead","On Schedule")))),IIf([Start]-Date()<7,"Starting Next","Future")))))

Page 16: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

Formula written in structured format

10/6/2010 Relu Rosenberg, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt

IIf([ % Complete]=100,

“Complete"

IIf([Estimated]=Yes,

"TBD",

IIf(Date()>[Finish],

"Not Finished",

IIf(Date()>[Start],

IIf([%Complete]=0,

"Not Started",

IIf(([Finish]-Date())<7,

"Ending Next",

IIf([Status]=1,

“On Schedule”,

“Late”

)

)

),

IIf([Start]-Date()<7,

"Starting Next",

"Future Task"

)

)

)

)

)

16

Page 17: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

Using Formula Applet

Press Formula button to open the applet

Use Field button to inserts field names in formula and Function button to select functions

To learn more about functions search for “Project functions” in Help

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Add Graphical Indicators

Check Graphical Indicators … Radio button to enable

Press Graphical Indicator… Button to define the values

Select “Nonsummary rows” to display indicator for tasks only

Assign icon for each status value – right click and select from pull-down menu

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Set Calculations Mode

Confirm/Set Calculations mode to Automatic

Tools->Options->Calculation Tab

Check/Set Calculation Mode: Automatic

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Project Plan without Graphical Indicators Very difficult to understand tasks status

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Project Plan with Calculated Status & Graphical Indicators

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Project Plan with Graphical Indicators – 2Optional – Display also Status Values (can also be seen when pointing over the Indicator )

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Project tasks review using filters

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Select tasks of interest

In progress, Ending Next, Starting Next

Select issues

Not started, Late, Not Finished, TBD (Dates not Confirmed)

Create Filter

Got to Project->Filtered For->More Filters

Select New

Check radio button for Task filter

In New Filter Applet

o Define the Name

o Check Show In Menu to see it in Filters list

o Define the rules for tasks selection

Page 24: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

New Filter Applet

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Project tasks review – Filter: Focus tasks (less clutter)

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Optional – Data can be seen also when pointer is over the indicator

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Project tasks review – Filter: IssuesNot Started, Not Finished, Late, Duration estimated (TBD)

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Project Dashboard – phase level report for management

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Apply Dashboard filter to produce this phase level view ((Outline level <=2) And (Summary=Yes))

Page 28: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

Project Dashboard – Phase & Major Activities review

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Add filter with ((Outline level <=3) And (Summary=Yes))

Page 29: Building Formulas And Dashboard In Ms Project

Share customizations

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Make customizations available to all your projects

Any MS Project object customized in a project plan will be saved within the project file only.

In order to make these objects available to the other projects they need to be saved in the global template.

Identify all customizations

o Tools->Organizer and go through each tab (object category).

o Left side “Global.MPT” represents global objects, right side shows the objects exiting only in the specific project file.

o Select object from Fields, Filters, Views, etc, on right side, press Copy and it will be copied to Global Template.

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Share customizations - 2

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Share customizations with others

Create a blank project files

Copy all customizations from Global to the Project file

o Tools->Organizer and go through each tab (object category).

o Left side “Global.MPT” represents global objects, right side shows the objects exiting only in the specific project file.

o Select a an object field, filter, etc, on Left side, Global Template, and press Copy to copy to project file

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Questions ?Email: [email protected]

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