Method to Track Progress

Hi Ulysses,

Start tracking from time-now. Ignore what has gone before, as you cannot verify anything. Q. How do they know it’s about 60%? What unit of measure are they using...or is it just the fact that "they" are highly experienced and have a good guess, based on such experience?

James :-)

if u r sure it’s 60% then u have to manage a way to monitor the remaining 40%, fix the previous % and progress the remaining % your way.

Regards,
Karim

Hi James, Karim,

The 60% is a purely guess from the air , it maybe 40% or 30% if proper tracking tools were bieng used but no matter what is it?
The problem is the clients is asking the actual overall % to date.

The following question have built up into my mind..

1. What option is best to tell the clients for actual progress to date.
2. How do I create my schedule to reflect the previous % progress.
These two items are what the client’s is asking for..

U must have a methodology to get the progress % from, U can use cost or activity days (weightiness of activities) for example in the assessment of progress.

But u should have used this methodology from the start of the project not after completion of 30%, 40% or 60%, at least to compare the progress on site.

Regards,
Karim

You could always tell the client that a stray dog did a wee-wee on your computer, and corrupted the disk. This will give you the chance to make-up a completely new programme that reflects whatever % Complete that you wish to imagine.

Seriously, though. Are you saying that you have no programme to which you can refer? If there is no programme, you really don’t have much choice but to just make-up a programme or XL spreadsheet, input some figures that look reasonable, input some progress and see the result. You could use either mahours, duration, physical % Complete, $ spend. Use any form of measurement unit - just get something on paper that calculates and justifies whatever number that is reasonably believable. You can then use the spreadsheet to monitor the remainder of the project. Moreover, if you have found that your tracking system is utterly and completely wrong, and you need to change your % complete, you can always claim that you discovered a mathematical error in your programme/spreadsheet.

It really doesn’t matter what you use. Just get something written down. To show that you have absolutely no system at all, is just not an option.

James.

Actually I am in project mangement directly in the client’s side. Our company is hired it is mainly because the owner want to know the project in a comprehensible status since this is out of its track bound to nowhere.

Is there any options..

Progress has to be measured against a plan or estimate. If you don’t have a plan or estimate, you have no basis for measuring progress. The only option is to develop a plan/estimate.

Bernard Ertl
InterPlan Systems

Hi Berard,

If you don’t have a plan or estimate, you have no basis for measuring progress. The only option is to develop a plan/estimate as you said...

Thank for the reply.. however my only concern is where do i start the plan/schedule to track the actual percentage of the project.

Any golden ideas..

Hi Ulyses,
why dont u count by duration based on time frame given in contract, in parallel with that prepared somthing for your next action plan either by commodity or manhours.

just an idea.

Hi Raja,

Thanks for your ideas, If duration or MH is my basis to measure % progess it will become 100% or more because the project duration is 700 days and already elapse. The second option that im thinking is to measure it by physical % progress, but the question is?? HOW and WHEN do i start the Schedule and at what basis to measure the actual % accomplished?

Hi Ulysses,

How can your project be 100% complete if it isn’t finished? You obviously need to add what you think to be the remainder of the project duration. Therefore, the current % complete = 700/(700+Remaining Duration). Exactly the same equation is applied if you want to use manhours - ie. Actual Manhours / (Actual Manhours+Remaining Manhours)


James.

James,

The project duration is 700 days, so if i use duration to measure progress it will comes out 100% in a sense that the project consumed already the 700 days. but the physical % is not yet completely 100%.

Hi again,
first thing u got the

Example
dur-100%=360 days,then assume based on your eye view 30%=108 that is remaining in percent or days. so u just deduct 108 day from 360 days timeframe that have passed, now you got the percent to date.

Hope this will help.

Hi Uly,

For a client %progress only means money spent.

So you have to get the Cost Break Down from your commercials of Contract. Try to further break it down and then you can start monitoring against that.

Regards,

Ashraf

Ulysses,

Please understand that it does not make any difference what unit of measurement you are using. The equation is exactly the same % Complete = Actual / (Actual+Remaining). This is just basic mathematics.

James.

Hi James,

You are rigth theorotically, but to all planners correct me if Im wrong, In my knowledge there are different method to know the % progress and the result will vary according to what basis of measurement you are using. Try to use % based on the ff.. ( DURATION, PHYSICAL, MH, COST,AND E.V.) Im sure you will get different results.

You are spot on....

ulyses u were right, but seems u are in critical to produce report the only way to get back in track by duration.

Back to original Question.. the problem is this..

Project duration = 700 days -> Actual duration = 700 days

Project Cost = 500 million -> Actual cost = 500 million

Physical % progress = not known

MH = not known.

Previous status = not known and no schedulling method previously done.

The question is HOW and WHEN to start the schedule to know what is the actual % progress to date.

Ulysses - you are absolutely correct, in that you will get different results. However, you HAVE to choose which unit of measurement you are going to use. Every planner in the world has to make that choice every time they construct a plan. Every planner has their own preference, clients have their own preference. However, it doesn’t make any difference as to which one you use, as long as everyone understands it - and you can easily measure it.

James.

this is worst then i thought...
How- try define remaining activities measure by eye view, activities then use yr sense how many days remaining.

when - start from the early project to date plus remaining

Back to original Question.. the problem that im facing rigth now is this.

Project duration = 700 days -> Actual duration = 700 days

Project Cost = 500 million -> Actual cost = 500 million

Physical % progress = not known

MH = not known.

Previous status = not known and no schedulling method previously done.

The question is HOW and WHEN to start the schedule to know what is the actual % progress to date.

Below , I forgot to mentioned that the status of the project is still not completed.. as per the ff. datas.

Hi Uly,

In this case, I guess you have to start doing a "what should have been programme". After doing this, you can start statusing the progress of each activity of the project. The formula is not 700days total duration divided by 700 days actual duration. Using duration of each activity, the formula should be Sum(OD-RD)/Sum(OD).

I hope this helps.

Se

Hi SE,

There is no remaining duration exist,the remaining is only physical

To make things clear, I would say like this..

Supposed ..You are assign to a project then you found out the following conditions;

1. No project schedulling data exist.
2. Actual duration = 700 days
Original duration = 700 days
3. Original cost = 500 mil
Actual cost = 500mil
4. No data for MH.

The project still not completely finished

Then the client’s is asking you what is the % progress status of the project to date.

What is your answer??

To all best planners,

I think there is no other option to used other than Physical % to track the progress.

However there are two other questions that remains stillmate,

HOW and WHEN to start making the schedule based on the datas i previously posted..

You Think?

Do..you? We have recived 15 posts from you...on the same subject. First the question, then the answer, then the explanation and then lots of ifs and buts..

I guess your bosses are not in today or on vacation.

Regards,

Ashraf

Hi Uly,

I don’t quite understand when you said there is no RD anymore. Of course there is, because the project is not yet finished. Maybe the reason why you’re saying there’s no remaining duration is because the 700 days has passed already. But in reality, to complete the project, you still need some time to complete it.

So I don’t agree that there’s no RD anymore.

Cheers,

Se

hi se

of course there is RD but your formula is based on duration so for this reason it wont works.

Then the client’s is asking you what is the % progress status of the project to date.

The only way to answer this is to plan *all* the work (completed + left to complete). You don’t need to schedule completed work, but you do need to estimate it if you intend to measure progress against manhours/physical progress.

Bernard Ertl
InterPlan Systems

Hi bernard,

Thanks for the reply, you have enligthened me some of the points which i believed you are right but you may elaborate it further ..(as you said you dont need to plan the completed activities???)

Other ideas...

Percent complete as manhours/physical progress is a measure of manhours credited against the plan versus total planned manhours.

You need to estimate the manhours for the total project in order to determine what percentage of those manhours have been completed.

You should create a schedule for the remaining work.

Bernard Ertl
InterPlan Systems

Hi bernard

To get manhour for completed works at this present situation is impossible ( pls. read my previous post).

You made mentioned about physical % in doing so , i believed manhour is useless to used because both will differ from the other.

Uly,

make use of the Bill of Quantities (i’m sure it exist), then from there, create your plan as you assumed how it is to be done; then calculate the actual physical progress based on quantities and costs (if available); otherwise, convert it to manhours, then i suppose you’ll determine the remaining duration from there.

Tell your Boss, you cannot run the existing program anymore given the data (as you mentioned), so you need to create another plan (that’s another job for you!); if they don’t understand it, i suggest you find another Boss!

Ulysses, please stop putting obstacles in the way of what needs to be done. We have done everything possible to answer your questions...and the answer itself is actually very, very simple. The equation: % Complete = Actual/[Actual+Remaining] is valid for ALL units of measurement. There is no other choice, no other option, no other method. To give yourself, your Boss and your Client some indication as to the current %Complete, you must CHOOSE one unit and use it. If necessary, you need to estimate what quanitity of these units have already been used (you know the cost and duration) so why not use them. All you need to do is attempt to plan the remaining cost and remaining duration. It really is a simple as that - or am I being a total idiot?

Best of Luck.

James.

You’re absolutely right James. I think this is a case where either one can not convince his boss or his boss is just plain stupid and stubborn. In both cases, people should know what to do next.

cheers,

Se

Se, you could try my boss, i’ll place a bet!

It reminds me of a phrase... this is unacceptable!

very popular like mafi moskela (no problem); why bother anyway...

but i prefer to say it mafi moksila...

annon

how you know mafi muskala , are you really in antarctica

Its arabic meaning NO PROBLEM (I guess so!)

Hey Ravi,

ur becoming expert in Arabic..............!

good

Ulysses,
I suggest you must go to site and investigate what is the remaining works. Make a punchlist of every items that is not yet finished. Within this data, check the BOQ items and compare it. That is the simple way, Right? As my understanding, your boss wanted to know that after the project duration was lapsed. Then what is the status of the Project? Remaining quantity over Original quantity(BOQ) am I right? Then the second question, " How much time will be needed to complete the project?" Then you should prepare a detailed or summary schedule based on your punchlisted item.