Recording project progress
You can record the quantum of completion of all or parts of the project during the progress of the project. This progress information can be used for customer invoicing, or cost control purposes.
You can evaluate progress of a project in these ways:
- Physical progress
- Time-related progress
Physical progress is the real or actual progress that you can determine based on quantities consumed or the work that is finished. For example, you want to build a road with a length of ten kilometers and one kilometer is finished. The progress is 10% or 1 kilometer. This progress type does not consider time and can be used for Invoicing. You can invoice the production progress using the earned value, the unit rate invoice method or the progress invoice method.
This table explains the relation between an earned value method and the progress of a project:
| Earned Value Method | Progress |
|---|---|
| Milestone | Milestone is reached |
| Start and End Percentage | Activity is finished. Percentages are assigned to the start and end of the activities. |
| Percent Complete | Progress is measured based on Activity/ Cost Type |
| Level of Effort | No Progress (Planned Value = Earned Value) |
| Apportioned | Progress is indirect (The progress is through the linked activity) |
You can record the progress for elements, activities, and extensions on these levels:
- Element / activity / extensions
- Element / activity / extensions by cost type
- Element / activity / extensions by cost object or control code
The level at which the progress is recorded for elements, activities or extension depends on these scenarios:
- If an element is defined in the Elements (tpptc1100m000) session, you can use the Physical Progress check box to indicate if the progress for the element must be recorded. If this check box is cleared, the Project accumulates the progress data from the lower levels in the element structure and assigns the data to the top element.
- If an activity is defined in the Activities (tppss2100m000) session, you can use the Physical Progress Level field to indicate the kind of progress to be recorded.
- If an extension is defined the Extension (tpptc0110s000) session, you can use the Phys. Progress Registration field to indicate the kind of progress to be recorded.
Time-related progress is always an estimation of the progress. You can manually specify the estimate in the Percent Complete field of 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 this value to trigger installments for invoicing. However, you can invoice the progress only after generating the physical progress using the Generate Physical Progress from Planning (tpppc1240m000) session.
The Invoicing data can be used only for activities with the Activity Type field set to Work Package or Control Account in the Activities (tppss2100m000) session.