Percent completion values for project tracking

Based on whether a project is effort-based or duration-based, you can use the %EC (percent effort complete), %DC (percent duration complete) and %C (percent complete) values to track progress on the project and its work items.

Effort-based projects

Effort-based projects are tracked based on the percentage effort complete (%EC) and the percent complete (%C) value for the work items. %DC is not applicable for effort-based projects.

%EC calculation

The %EC value for an activity is calculated based on the timesheet hours that are reported by the resources who are assigned to the activity. For %EC to be calculated and displayed, the following preconditions must exist:
  • A resource must be assigned to the work item.
  • The assigned resource must have entered effort for the work item in the timesheet.

%EC is calculated as:

Actual hours (effort) entered for the activity / Planned hours (effort) for the activity * 100

%C

The %C value allows team members to provide their judgment on the actual state of the task progress and completion, overriding the calculated %EC value. By default, %C is blank, unless entered in the timesheet.

Example

For example, a resource is assigned to a project activity for 40 hours. In the first week, the resource reports 20 hours of work against the task in the timesheet. The percentage effort complete (%EC) for the task is calculated as 50%. However, if the resource feels that on expending 50% of the estimated effort on the task, the task is 75% complete, and might require less than the remaining hours to complete, they can update the %C value in the timesheet to 75%.

%EC rollup: For work items that have child work items, and for projects, the %EC value is calculated from the rolled-up schedule values of the child work items.
Note: %EC is not rolled up to programs.

%C values are displayed only for the leaf-level work items, and are not rolled up.

For work items that have child work items: the %EC value is calculated from the rolled-up schedule values of the child work items, aggregated with the schedule values, if any, for the parent work item.

For projects: the %EC value is calculated from the rolled-up schedule values of the work items belonging to the project and its subprojects, if any.

Table 1. Rollup of %EC value in effort-based projects
Field Context Formula
%EC Any parent work item Sum of the actual hours entered for the child work items and the parent work item / Sum of the planned hours for the child work items and the parent work item * 100
%EC Project Sum of the actual hours entered for the child work items / Sum of the planned hours for the child work items * 100

Duration-based projects

Duration-based projects are tracked based on the percent duration complete (%DC) and percent complete (%C) value for the work items. %EC is not applicable for duration-based projects.

%DC

Team members who are assigned to work items, can enter the %DC in the Schedule Gantt viewlet for their work items, based on the elapsed planned duration of the activity.

Example

If a work item is planned for a duration of 10 days, then after 4 days of work since the actual start date, the team member assigned to the task can update the %DC to 40.

Note: %DC can only be entered for leaf level work items, and is not rolled up to the parent work items, project, or program.

%C

The %C value allows team members to provide their judgment on the actual state of the task completion. By default, %C is blank, unless entered in the timesheet. Based on the %C value entered, project managers have the option to replan the work by extending or reducing the work item duration.

Example

For example, a task is planned to complete in four days with a start date of March 1. At the close of business on March 3, three days are elapsed since the start date of the task. Assuming that the three days are working days in the project calendar, the team member calculates enters the %DC as 75%. If a resource feels that on completion of 75% of the planned duration on the task, the task is only 50% complete, and may require additional time to complete, they can update the %C value in the timesheet to 50%.

Note: %C can only be entered for leaf level work items, and is not rolled up to the parent work items, project, or program.

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