MS Project Made Easy Tutorial 6, How To Update A Schedule

Microsoft Project is a tool that allows us to effectively run our projects. In this video Tom Stephenson explains the fundamentally important process of how to Update A Project Schedule. The only reason to develop schedules is so that we can update and recover them. As Eisenhower said plans are nothing but planning is everything. Included in this discussion is setting a baseline, setting a status date, using the tracking screen, mark on track, variance screen, and customizing the tables for ease of use during the updating process. Using a simple bathroom renovation we update the project. Other important icons and methods discussed include splitting the task, and application of the tracking Gantt chart when reviewing the variance table, placement of notes to record why activities were delayed.
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Other Videos in this series include:
MS Project Made Easy
Tutorial 1 Introduction • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 2 • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 3 Calendars • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 4 Resources • 8 Things & More on How...
Tutorial 5 Filtering and sorting • MS Project Made Easy T...

Great explanation! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@Wisdom_heritage]

you tutorials are so helpful that i cant express in words sir.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Manem, I'm glad they are helping you. Have a great day!

[@thephongh]

The best Ms Project tuto ever!

[@TomStephensontraining]

Excellent, I’m glad it helped you!

[@ammadkhan5380]

Great explanation sir, really helpful. Thank you. Also wanted to ask that, mark on track only works for status date?

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Ammad yes it updates only to what you put as the status, which you can change as needed

[@CalvinMasaseplus24]

Hi Tom, thanks a lot for the great tutorials I find them very rich and very helpful. I have a question, I see on your Resource Cost Sheet, ABC Plumbing is showing $0 actual cost but it has been assigned to Rough in Plumbing on item 10, does the actual cost for a cost resource update automatically or you do it differently? Many thanks.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Calvin, It should update when you put it as complete in the tracking Gantt unless you change the cost then the new cost will show. I always say to studenrts true it with a few activities and experiment and see how it behaves eg update check then undo change cost update and check …. Make sure you check in the cost, tracking and resource cost screens. Have a great day!

[@markpalm672]

Great Tom. Could you pls clarify the meaning of %complete? It has to do purely with time (e.g. days compared to baselined duration of activity) or means the accomplished earned value of works (money)until the status date? And what is the meaning of %physical completion column?(shown empty in 13:00 next to % compl.)Thanks for your patience!

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Mark, percent completion is based on duration eg 60 percent complete of a twenty day activity is 12 days. Physical percent complete looks at what is installed or done 300 blocks of a thousand blocks is 30 percent physical completed even if it is day 6 of 10 days

[@darrengodden]

Hi Tom, at 12.00 minute mark approx. you talk to manually updating the Duration field in the Tracking Gantt view. Is updating the Duration field, the same as updating the Actual duration field, or should I only use duration field? In my testing if I update Actual Duration field it also updates Duration field, but when I update Duration field it did not update Actual Duration field. Thank you.

[@TomStephensontraining]

It really is a preference thing, i often like to adjust and review before i mark as complete. Also if it crosses the status date i mark on track after extending the duration. Nothing wrong with using actual duration at other times

[@milner267]

Thanks, Tom. A question, though... when selecting the earned Value view... I see columns such as Earned Value and Actual Cost generated, but yet, Planned value/BCWS still appears zeros. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Milner, are your resources that you are monitoring listed as work with an hourly rate?

[@milner267]

Hey Tom. No, I had them set for cost resources.

[@paulfallon45]

Hi Tom Can you help, I have been working on my schedule for quite a while now prior to the commencement of the Job it is a full house renovation I had only managed to assign 2/3rds of the resources prior to setting the base line last week, the schedule hasn’t been updated yet after over a week of progress on site, I had continued to assign more resources to the schedule over the weekend ,but have noticed that there is considerable sum of money showing in the variance column ‘ I am assuming that this is a consequence of me adding more resources after setting of the base line ‘ My question is should I set a new base line after I have finished the the full assignment of all the recourses

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Paul, you can clear the baseline under the project tab go toset baseline and then select clear baseline now reset the baseline and it includes all the changes resource costs that you made. Then you can update it. Always save a backup file that you can go back to.

[@paulfallon45]

@@TomStephensontraining Thanks again Tom that has worked a treat

[@douglasdanje5224]

What about updating a plan with LOE activities please

[@TomStephensontraining]

I have one under my ms project playlist for hammock activities same thing. I plan to do another one though

[@ig7061]

Hello Dear Tom. recourse on a summary task (PM) is not worked when you tracking the project. I assigned PM on a Summary Task but it is not calculated and still shows in variance column

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi IG, It should show on the variance but will also include any variances on anything below the summary task. If you want to see the variance on onlt the PM go to the resource sheet and right click on the square icon box in the resource sheet select cost and it will show the variance of each individual resource

[@ig7061]

@@TomStephensontraining thank you