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estimate project end date

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Ian BelchamberMember for 21 years 3 months
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I’ve used project for a number of years and usually, with a bit of pain, found ways to get it to do what I want. But I’m struggling with this one:

I just want to know, what is the estimated end date, based on:

1. Project start date
2. Tasks % complete.

For example, I have a project with 3 one day tasks, same resource. If I start Monday, then it will finish end Wednesday. But, if the current date is Tuesday, and no tasks have been started, the estimated complete date will be end Thursday. Also, if the current date is Monday, but any one of the 3 tasks is already done, the estimated end date is end of Tuesday.

Until now, I’ve controlled progress by removing remaining time / tasks as the work is done, and set a new start date of today.

But I’d like to show all tasks with % complete, with est end date.

Seems like this is one of the most fundamental things you would need to do with project, I must be missing something completely.

Any help much appreciated

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9 replies

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  1. 0
    Raj Maurya ·
    #1
    Ian,
    First you update the task (Tool-->tracking--->update Task)based on % complete or remaining days (whatever you like) then update the project(Tool-->tracking--->update project)click reschedule uncompleted work and give the data date, then click entire project if you to update entire project other wise click selected tasks and then click ok. This will reschedule uncompleted tasks and will show the current expected finish of tasks or project. Hope, I understood correctly what you wanted to do and this will help.
    You no need to change the start date of project or any activity.
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  2. 0
    Ian Belchamber ·
    #2
    Thanks for your reply. I tried this but I could not get a result:

    I started a new blank project, and entered unlinked tasks 1, 2, 3 all using resource a, 4 days each.

    I set %complete on task 2 to 50% (in reality, tasks may not complete in the planned order)

    I went to tools / update task on task 2 - I assume this is not a necessary step, but just another way to set the % complete (I did it by dragging on the task bar)

    I went to tools / update project, selected "reschedule uncompleted work... and for entire project, at that point I expect task 2 to change to show 2 days remaining work, and the end date to come forwards by 2 days, but nothing happens.


    What am I missing?

    Thanks
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  3. 0
    Tony McClennon ·
    #3
    Hi Ian,

    Have you reset the Status Date?

    I tried this using your example below, and it worked (MSP2000).

    1) Same 3 tasks entered, 4 days duration, start date 18/07/05.

    2) Enter % complete for task 2 (I used 50%)

    3) I entered the project status date as 21/07/05

    3) Go to Tools, Tracking, Update Project, then selected "Reschedule Uncompleted Work to Start After" and the project status date of 21/07/05 was already in there.

    4) Once OK was entered, tasks 1 and 3 now start 22/07, finishing 27/07 (includes non-working time at weekend). Task 2 is shown as completed 50% (2 days) on 18+19/07, but the outstanding 50% (2 days work) is shown as being completed 22/07 + 25/07.

    Hope this helps.




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  4. 0
    Ian Belchamber ·
    #4
    I think I did exactly what you suggested below, but I didn’t get the same result! But I’m using project 98 sr1, maybe it didn’t work in that version.

    What I get is that the tasks split up rather oddly- I get task 3 18th Jul-20th, task 1 on hte 21st, task 2 (complete part) 22-25th (over the weekend), task 1 on the 26th, task 3 on the 27th, task 1 28th-29th, and task 2 1st-2nd Aug !!!

    And the end date is still 12 days away!

    Any other ideas?



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  5. 0
    Raj Maurya ·
    #5
    Ian,
    I don’t have MSP-98 to cross check but I am sure that this feature must be available with MSP98 also because this is the basic thing for any planning software. You could check the option and what the rules have been set for calculation.
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  6. 0
    Sukumaran Subaramaniyan ·
    #6
    Ian,

    a) First reset the %complete to 0%.
    b) Then again enter %complete for all the task.

    Now you will get the estimated project completion date. (I have done a test run on my schedule).

    Regards.
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  7. 0
    Ian Belchamber ·
    #7
    No, I still don’t get it:

    I started a new project, starting today, 3 tasks, named 1,2,3, all using resource "a" and 1 day each (so the project lasts 3 days).
    I set 100% complete for task 2. I go to update project, and set reschedule uncompleted work to start today. Nothing changes in the gantt.
    I set % complete for task 2 to 0, then back to 100%. Still nothing changes.

    Is it that the estimated end date is shown somewhere else, not on the gantt?

    Thanks
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  8. 0
    Joao Ribeiro ·
    #8
    Have checked project statistics?Also check the table you are seeing and what kind of dates it is displaying.

    good luck
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  9. 0
    Ian Belchamber ·
    #9
    Many thanks for all the replies, and particularly for some private assistence from Sukumaran and Tony, I think I’ve got this going now, I’ll experement a bit more and let you know if I get any more questions!

    Regards, Ian
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