To use progress recording

During project execution, you record the degree of completion of all or parts of the project. This progress information can form the basis for customer invoicing, or it can be just for cost control purposes.

Two ways exist to evaluate progress:

Physical progress.
Time-related progress.

Physical progress is the real or actual progress that you can determine with quantities completed. The progress can be seen by determining the work that is finished. For example, you want to build a road with a length of ten kilometers, one kilometer is finished, the progress is 10% or 1 kilometer. This progress type does not look at time, and is used for invoicing. You can invoice the production progress using the earned value, unit rate invoice method or progress invoice method.

The link between an earned value method and progress is the following:

Earned Value Method	Progress
Milestone	Milestone Reached
Start and End Percentage	Activity is finished
Percent Complete	Progress by Activity/ Cost Type
Level of Effort	No Progress (Planned Value = Earned Value)
Apportioned	No Progress (The progress is through the linked activity)

For elements, activities, and extensions you can record progress on three levels:

Element / activity / extensions.
Element / activity / extensions by cost type.
Element / activity / extensions by cost object or control code.

This level depends on the selection in the project definition.

If you define an element with the Elements (tpptc1100m000) session, use the Physical Progress check box to indicate whether or not you want to record progress for the element. If this check box is cleared, Project accumulates the progress data from the lower levels in the element structure and assigns it to the element.

If you define an activity with the Activities (tppss2100m000) session, use the Physical Progress Level field to indicate what kind of progress you want to record.

If you define an extension with the Extension (tpptc0110s000) session, use the Phys. Progress Registration field to indicate what kind of progress you want to record.

Time-related progress is always an estimation of the progress. You can manually enter this estimate in the Percent Complete field in the Activities (tppss2100m000) session or through the external scheduling package. Time-related progress can be used for planning. You can calculate the earned value and use it to trigger installments for invoicing, but you cannot invoice the progress except after generating physical progress with the Generate Physical Progress from Planning (tpppc1240m000) session.

Invoicing data for activities can only be used on activities of the Work Package and Project Cost Account type.