Graphical Indicators

Hi Hemanth,

If you just want to show a RAG status (Red / Amber / Green) for overdue tasks, you can use graphical indicators that use a Finish Variance.

First of all you need to have a baselined project, as you’re already tracking planned vs actual progress I’ll assume you already have a baseline.

You then need a spare Duration field (1-10), rename it as something like ‘Date Slippage’ and then customise it with a simple formula. All you add in the formula field is [Finish Variance].

For the graphical indicators, you have to set the tests and value criteria so that they look something like this:

is greater than or equal to 10d
is greater than or equal to 5d
is greater than or equal to 0d

You can then use a Red indicator for 10d, Amber / Yellow for 5d and Green 0d.

Regards,

Darren

Dear Darren

Thanks for your attempt

But that was not I am looking for

Can you go through the question once again please


1.I have the required progress % on status date , from this formula :IIf([Baseline Start]>[Status Date],0,IIf([Baseline Finish]<[Status Date],100,projdatediff([Status Date],[Baseline Start],IIf([Task Calendar]="None",[Project Calendar],[Task Calendar]))*100/projdatediff([Baseline Finish],[Baseline Start],IIf([Task Calendar]="None",[Project Calendar],[Task Calendar]))))

2.And actual progress

Hemanth,

I think you already have the basic information you need, are you just after the delta /variance for the Planned and Actual % completes?

I haven’t run it but I’m guessing the formula in post #3 gives you your Planned % Complete, am I correct? You also have your Actual % Complete from the % Complete field.

For a simple graphical indicator why not subtract the Actual % Complete from your Planned % Complete and then use your stoplight criteria?

In this example I’ll use Text1 as the column which has the Planned % Complete (you can substitute whichever column you use) and the Number1 column to show the RAG status.

Customise the Number1 column with this formula [Text1]-[% Complete]

For the graphical indicators, set the test and value criteria to show:

is greater than or equal to 20.00
is greater than or equal to 10.00
is greater than or equal to 0.00
is less than 0.00

You then use a Red indicator for 20.00, Amber / Yellow for 10.00 and Green 0.00.

This should then give you a Green Dot if the difference between Actual and Planned is 10 % or less, a Yellow Dot if the difference is between 10% and 20% and a Red Dot if it is greater then 20%.

Regards,

Darren

Hi Darren
You again missed the point

My Indicators are fine , it shows perfectly Green Yellow Red based on my percentage criteria

My PROBLEM IS

when one activity say Activity "A"s planned finish date was 10 days before status date and is 90% complete
my indicator will be green as 100%-90%=10% =Green

but i want it to be red

I want The indicator to be red if "Status Date " minius "Finish" is more than certain days Say 5 days.
irrespectve of activity’s percentage progress

and

Apply indicators based on the percentage progress -difference criteria, to the rest of the activities.

Hemanth,

Firstly, as I don’t want to head down ANOTHER rabbit hole, is the formula in post #3 the one that you’re using currently to get your indicators? If it is what are the tests and values for your Red / Yellow / Amber indicators? If it isn’t what formula / tests / values are you using?

Secondly, do you just want the solution to be formulated in a single set of conditions, or one column for your % criteria and another for your finish criteria?

Thirdly, is this the sort of thing you’re wanting to show for your Finish – Status Date criteria?

IIf([Finish]-[Status Date]<=-5 And [% Complete]<100,"Red",IIf([Finish]-[Status Date]>-5 And [Finish]-[Status Date]<0 And [% Complete]<100,"Yellow",IIf([Finish]-[Status Date]<0 And [% Complete]=100,"Green",IIf([Finish]-[Status Date]>=0,”Green”))))

Lastly, why would you want Red and Yellow indicators if the task Finish value is less than the Status Date? Surely if the tasks haven’t finished by the Status Date they should be rescheduled or just shown as Red.

Regards,

Darren

Hi friend

i will go in detail to your post

i am not rescheduling , because of one of my managers preferances

just show required and actual progress and indicators

Hemanth,

I need more information than you are giving me.

Please post the formula you are currently using with the tests and values for the indicators. I can then attempt to adapt it so it shows the criteria you are after.

Tools > Customize > Fields > (whatever custom field you’re using) > Formula

Tools > Customize > Fields > (whatever custom field you’re using) > Graphical Indicators

If I don’t know the formula you are using, then I would have to write a new one which, going on past performances, probably won’t include all the conditions you are after.

Regards,

Darren

HiDarren
I am extremeley sorry for the silence
i was out of station
i appreciate your helpful mind
if you look at your solution again , i hope you will find the flaw

Hi All,

I am very pleased that this topic has come up, however looking at some of the postings it’s very hard to understand the thinking behind the explanation.

If i may ask all i am looking for is a Graphical Indicator the shows tasks which are slipping (Red) and tasks which are on schedule (green).

Can some one give a step by step explanation as to how this is done?

Many thanks
Andrew

Assumptions

1.You Are Using Project 2007
2.You have made a project and baselined it
2.You Are Rescheduling The Project On Every Progress Update
ie: After Updating The Progress You Are Doing This
Tools-Tracking -Update Project -Reschedule Uncompleted Tasks After (Data Date)

Steps

Insert A New Column "Number1"
Then
"Tools"-"Customize"-"Fields"-Select "Number-1" Click Formula
insert This [Finish]-[Baseline Finish]
Come Back To Your " Number1" Colum , You Will See Finish Variance In Days
Now You Want To Make Slipping Tasks As In Red Indicator
And Others As A Green Dot

Go to Tools"-"Customize"-"Fields-Select "Number-1"
at the bottom select the radio button "Graphical Indicators " Under "Values To Display Option
Now Click "Graphical Indicators "

Test For Number-1
is less than or equel to 0.00 select a Green Dot
is Greater Than 0.00 Select A Red Dot
Voila You Are Done

Or======================================If You Want Indicators Based On The Planned Progress Percent
Use The below given Formula To Get The Planned Progress On Data Date And Compare With Actual Progress , set formula and parameters and play with indicators

IIf([Baseline Start]>[Status Date],0,IIf([Baseline Finish]<[Status Date],100,projdatediff([Status Date],[Baseline Start],IIf([Task Calendar]="None",[Project Calendar],[Task Calendar]))*100/projdatediff([Baseline Finish],[Baseline Start],IIf([Task Calendar]="None",[Project Calendar],[Task Calendar]))))

Thanks Hemanth

I am using ver 2003 which may be the reasons it’s not working to well.
However i now understand the principle of how it works and will apply it in future projects thank you again

Regards
Andrew

will work in 2003 too

Dear Hemanth, hope your well

I have tested the method you gave me and yes it does work thank you, however there is a slight problem, i hope you can help me with.


Currently the way we have set up the Graphical Indicators is that if a task is either not started or incomplete and the data date has passed, then this will show the “Red” indicator, however what I am looking for is if the task lets say 20% complete, when it should have been 50% complete according to the data date then I would say this task is slipping. So I want to show the “Yellow” indicator as a warning symbol. As we are still doing the task there is a possibility to complete the said task on time.

If the dada date passes the completion date for that task, then the “Red” Indicator is shown

If the task is on target (data date) or ahead of scheduled then “Green” indicator is shown.

Also if the task has not yet started due to it is ahead of the data date then no indicator required.

Hope I have made my self clear and you are able to help, very much appreciated.

Regards
Andrew

Get The Percentage Variance In A Column and show the Indicators

Steps

1.Save Baseline
2.Update Project..Enter Actual Progress
3.Change Status Date
4.Insert A Colum For "Planned Progress"
5.Copy "The Formula" To Get The Planned Progress On Status Date
6.Insert another column "%Variance " (Actual%-Planned%)
7.Assign Indicators ,like when the variance is Greater Than 0 "Green" , Less Than 0 Red Etc

Mail Me I Will Send You a Sample File

hemanth.vineyard@gmail.com

Hi Hemanth

I have tried to email, the sample file would be helpfull thanks.

Regards
Andrew

>Or======================================If You Want >Indicators Based On The Planned Progress Percent
>Use The below given Formula To Get The Planned Progress On >Data Date And Compare With Actual Progress , set formula >and parameters and play with indicators

> IIf([Baseline Start]>[Status Date],0,IIf([Baseline Finish]> <[Status Date],100,projdatediff([Status Date],[Baseline >Start],IIf([Task Calendar]="None",[Project Calendar],[Task > Calendar]))*100/projdatediff([Baseline Finish],[Baseline > Start],IIf([Task Calendar]="None",[Project Calendar],
>Task Calendar]))))

I take the above calculation uses project calendars but I don’t quite understand this.

Is there a way to make a simple calculation using the activity calendar?

For instance (an example):

Planned Start (PS) = 1st September
Planned Finish (PF)= 7th September

planned duration (PDU) = PF-PS + 1

no calendar and PDU = 7 days (default I believe)
5 day week PDU = 5 days
6 day week PDU = 6 days

Typical we use 5 or 6 day weeks.

Thanks in advance,

Mark

Thanks Mark,

However your formula has some errors in it, and does not seem to work?

And unfortunately Hemanth has not emailed me his sample, so I am still struggling with this one.

Andrew

Sorry Andrew


I sent it today ( 26 Sep)

I googled afterwards and have found how to do things. For instance if you want to create a date that X days (5 in my example below)after finish date then this is the formula.

ProjDateAdd([Finish],5,[Project Calendar])

However, I am having problems using this as it’s not calculating the correct date but is using the calendar! I have more experimanting later.

There are two other functions similar to this and they are ProjDateDiff (for durations)and ProjDateSub.

I hope this helps.

I’ve been looking at this more:

ProjDateAdd([Finish],5,[Project Calendar])

and I have stumbled across that I need to Chane [Project Calendar]to a named calendar like "24 hours" or "standard" which is fine if you have one calendar. I was hoping if I had [Project Calendar] then it would use the selected calendar for that activity.

Any ideas how to over come this?