Managing project scope, schedule, and budget
The management tab gives access to all project information including the schedule, progress, and budget.
- Schedule Progress - The percent of time elapsed from the start date to the end date. This is calculated for each task. At the project level this is based on the the current date, the earliest task start date, and latest task end date.
- Project Progress - The percent of the work completed. This is based on the "% Complete" input available in the edit task window and is a manual input. It provides an easy way for project managers to document overall progress. The overall percent complete is based on the average progress of all tasks in the project.
- Budget Progress - The percent of budget spent based on timesheet entries compared with the hours and rates estimated in the Budget sub-tab. This allows for a real-time view of project budget.
These metrics are shown in aggregate at the top of the Management tab, and for each individual task below. The status of each metric can be used to more actively manage your project to make sure you complete the project on-time and on-budget.
Project Progress Examples
The following are several examples of progress situations and what they might mean for your project:
1 - All metrics approximately the same percentage - this could mean your project is healthy and making progress as anticipated.
2 - Budget percent is lower than others - This could mean you are making progress but not spending/billing what you expected. This is healthy and means the project is likely to finish on time and under budget.
3 - Progress percent is lower than others - This could mean you are not making progress as quickly as needed and are likely to complete the project late and over budget. Your team should probably refocus on the most critical tasks to complete the project successfully.
4 - Schedule percent is lower than others - This could mean you are making progress more quickly than expected. This is healthy and means the project is likely to finish early and on budget.
5 - Schedule percent is higher than others - This could mean that you are not making enough progress and are likely to complete the project late. Your team should probably assign more resources to the project for it to complete on time.
6 - Progress percent is higher than others - This could mean you are making progress more quickly than expected. You are likely to finish early and under budget.
7 - Budget percent is higher than others - This could mean you are spending money (billing) too quickly and are likely to go over budget. You may need to help the team be more efficient or address tasks taking longer than expected
