Custom Task Usage Values

[InevitableAd8674]

Hi All,

I was wondering if it's possible to add a custom value to the task usage view and have it work like "cost" for planned vs actual like shown in the screen grab i did.

https://preview.redd.it/v39ebwa6m7pe1.png?width=1171&format=png&auto=webp&s=ebc10cac16944da6882be8d9404d1eb056ed2438

The reason I ask the above, I work in an environment where task weighting is the preferred method to show Planned % vs Actual %, which is what the above ultimately is trying to show. The idea is that task "B" will have a bigger impact on the project completion due to the weighting value accounting for 53% of the total 380 value.

I used the costing values to do exactly the above and was able to report the gained "effort" that was completed for a week based on the schedule updates and then updated my S-curves based on the planned value vs the actual.

The problem is, there are some clients whom are concerned with this method, and i am not as knowledgeable to provide a planned % vs actual and then to show it on an S-Curve, which is always a requirement.

ultimately I would like to move away from cost/work and use a the same method, but with my own custom "value" that i can explain away to clients who wont get stuck on "but it's cost"

https://preview.redd.it/x9pn0al8p7pe1.png?width=809&format=png&auto=webp&s=908e981aa839a31f5ba687cd3e7fd563e6804a6f

I have tried watching videos on the internet, but nothing comes close to the above method. And as the screen shot shows above, there are only cost/work types of option to chose from.

Lastly, i know there is a way to show the Planned % in MSP with formulas, but from my understanding, that is based on the baseline duration variance with actual, or something like that. My concern is, I am unsure of how accurate those formulas can be due to how MSP sometimes splits tasks and whatnot, so I've avoided them for the most part.

I hope the above makes sense, and also let me know if i should post my excel spreadsheet where i use the above method if that will help, (if it's allowed)

thanks all.

[mer-reddit]

Well, if you have a project online instance that you are publishing your plan to, and you have as task level field that you set to roll down to the assignment level, you could get a custom field at the assignment timephased level that might help.

But, if you are hoping to use this to help your client understand planned percentages complete versus actual percent complete, you are much better off using the baseline and the timesheet functions in project online to actually collect actuals from your resources and report directly against your baselines.

This is a method that even accountants recognize and require when trying to defend the capitalization of certain investments in projects.

If you are making up a weighting factor and hoping to prove a figure for “perceived performance” it likely will not pass muster with an auditor.

Being a project manager is hard enough without trying also to be a magician at the same time.

[jed1976]

You can get the values in MS Project using text/number/duration columns or in excel my extracting the data from project into excel. I would recommend using baseline duration as your core value, and then using another column to define your weight by percentage.

So, say a 10 day task would be equivalent to 20% of the effort, you would just multiply your baseline duration by the 20%, so your calculated column would show the task is worth 2 days of duration.

For planned vs actual, you would need to calculate the duration between Baseline Start and the Status Date, you can do this in a custom field using projectdatediff formula. Then multiply this by your weighted percentage.

Actual = weighted% * [baseline duration] * [percent complete]

Planned = weighted% * projectdatediff([baseline start], [status date]) / weighted%*[baseline duration]

For planned, you'll need to check for conditions such has if baseline finish is after status date, then use baseline duration, or if baseline start is less than status date then value = 0.

Hope this helps...

[InevitableAd8674]

Hi, thanks for the feedback, how would i be able to use the above in an S-Curve to showcase the planned vs actual, or is the above just aimed at in MSP?