Hi,

in this Post I’ll show you how to use graphical Indicators in MS PROJECT 2010. Here is The Scenario:

• I have may Project Baseline (and this is my Project Plan)
• I am tracking the Project Progress
• If my Actual Task Costs are aligned with my Baseline Costs I want to see Green Light in My Gantt Chart View (Entry Table)
• If my Actual Task Costs are exceeding my Baseline Costs up to $1.000, I want to see Yellow Light in My Gantt Chart View (Entry Table)
• If my Actual Task Costs are exceeding my Baseline Costs more than to $1.000, I want to see Red Light in My Gantt Chart View (Entry Table)

Here is my Project:

and My Resources:

Now I will save a Baseline:

and:

when I apply the Cost Table I will get:

Now, I am going to create Custom Field for Graphical indicator:

and then:

I will click at Formula button again, and I will get:

Now I will choose the minus sign, and Actual Cost, and then Baseline Cost:

and I will get:

I get a warning message, and I will click OK on that:

Now for this field I will arrange Graphical Indicator:

and then:

When I click on Image I will choose a Green Light:

no I will finish remaining two rows:

OK! Now I will put this Custom Field to the Entry table:

and then:

and:

Let’s look at the Gantt Chart View:

Since I didn’t enter any “Actuals” All Task are Green!

Now I will make Task1 as 100% Complete:

Since everything went fine with Task1 Graphical Indicator remains Green!

I will say that it was spent 18 hours for the Task 2:

and:

and I will get:

Task 2 has a Baseline Cost: 2 days * 8 hours per day * $200 per hour = $3.200. Actual cost = 18 hours * $200 per hour = $3.600. Since Actual Cost – Baseline cost = $3.600 – $ 3.200 = $400, and it is less or equal to $1.000, the Yellow indicator appears!

On the same way, I will say that it was spent 5 days for the Task 3, and after that I will get:

Task 2 has a Baseline Cost: 3 days * 8 hours per day * $300 per hour = $7.200. Actual cost = 5 days * 8 hours per day * $300 per hour = $12.600. Since Actual Cost – Baseline cost = $12.000 – $ 7.200 = $4.800, and it is greater then $1.000, the Red indicator appears!

You can see costs (Baseline, Actual, and Variance) in Cost Table:

That’s it!

Regards!

P.S. If you have interest about Project Management Training in Zagreb Croatia here are some information:

We invite you to join us in training “Project Management and Risk Management Workshop” which will be held by Nenad Trajkovski, ESKA d.o.o., 26 – 30.03.2012. at hotel Antunović, Zagreb.

Training carries 40 PDUs/contact hours.

Date: 26 – 30.03.2012.
Location: Hotel Antunović, Zagreb
Price:
Regular Price: 6.900,00 kn + VAT
For 3 or more attendees from same company: 6.200,00 kn + VAT
Early Bird (valid until 26.02.2012.): 6.000,00 kn + VAT
For 3 or more attendees from same company: 5.800,00 kn + VAT
The price includes training fee, accompanying training materials, lunch and refreshment breaks during the training.
After applying for participation, the company ESKA d.o.o. will send to registered participants invoice for registration fee.

For further information and registration please contact us at ana@eska.hr.

Agenda:
Project Management
The training will introduce the world’s best-known project management methodology PMBOK – Project Management Body of Knowledge, and in a clear and accessible way explain what is process group (Initiation of the project, project planning, project execution, monitoring and control of the project and the closure of the project), and nine knowledge areas: Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communication, Risk, Procurement,  Integration Project.

Project Management Workshop
In this part of the training you will learn the following:
How, in practice, leading the project?
What should I watch?
What documents are required?
How do they look?
How to create?
What are you doing?

Through training we will conduct a small imaginary project. We will pass through all phases of the project:
Initiation of the project;
Project Planning;
The execution of the project;
Monitoring and control of the project;
Closing the project.

Risk Management
Risk management is one of the most important parts of project management. In this part of training we will in detail pass through all phases of managing the risks, with exercises in each area.
Through training we will conduct a small imaginary project. We will pass through the most important things such as:
Introduction to risk and their definitions, what will be included in risk management, risk management planning, risk identification, qualitative risk analysis, quantitative risk analysis, risk response plan, monitoring and risk control.
Please, find detailed information in attached document.

Sincerely,
Eska d.o.o.