Knowing how to update your schedule in Microsoft Project is essential to accurately tracking your schedule progress. Here we look at the major steps to updating your Microsoft Project 2013 schedule based upon the progress of your tasks. While it features the 2013 version, this is also relevant to earlier versions of Microsoft Project.
In Figure 1, we have a project schedule that has been updated through February 16th, 2015.
Figure 1
The red line is the status date. The percentage complete is displayed to the left of the bars. Note the green bars are the 100% complete tasks, the red bars are critical tasks, and the blue bars are non-critical tasks. Further, the gray bars are the baseline.
One approach to updating the project schedule is to first update individual tasks, and then update the entire project by rescheduling uncompleted work to start after the status date. This is the first method used in this article. We first highlight the Dig Cable Trench task, and then select the Task tab, Schedule ribbon group, and 100% icon to label this task as 100% complete, Figure 2.
Figure 2
Next, we highlight the Erect Steel Structures task and set it to 75% complete, Figure 3.
Figure 3
Finally, install Fence is set to 100% complete, Figure 4.
Figure 4
Now change the status date, Figure 5.
Figure 5
Set the status date to Monday, February 23nd, 2015, Figure 6.
Figure 6
Next, as displayed in Figure 7, select the Project tab, Status ribbon group, and Update Project icon.
Figure 7
In the resulting Update Project dialog set it to reschedule uncompleted work to start after Monday, 2/23/15, for the Entire project, Figure 8.
Figure 8
The resulting updated schedule is displayed in Figure 9.
Figure 9
Now we want to set all scheduled work complete through March 2nd, 2015. Let’s first change the status date, Figure 10 and Figure 11.
Figure 10
Figure 11
Now, again, select the Project tab, Status ribbon group, and Update Project icon. In the resulting Update Project dialog select Update work as complete through Mon 3/2/15. Select Set 0% – 100% complete, and for the Entire project, Figure 12.
Figure 12
The resulting updated schedule is displayed in Figure 13.
Figure 13
The last way to easily update the schedule is to use the mark on track feature. First set the status date to March 9th, 2015, Figure 14.
Figure 14
Next, highlight all the tasks you want to update. Select the Task tab, Schedule ribbon group, Mark on Track drop down menu, and Mark on Track, Figure 15.
Figure 15
This will mark all the selected tasks as being on schedule up through the status date, Figure 16.
Figure 16
Note that Install Equipment is 100% complete and Install Bus and Jumpers is 75% complete. Lay Control Cable critical task was originally scheduled to start before March 9th, but the task slipped due to a delay along the critical path. It is now scheduled to start after March 9th, which is why it was not included in the Mark on Track update.
Summary
One method of updating the schedule is to update individual task progress, and then reschedule all the uncompleted tasks to start after the status date. The second approach is to simply update work as complete through the status date.
You can also use the Mark on Track option, but note that it will mark the schedule as being on track from the last slippage point. These are just some of the numerous ways to update schedule progress in Microsoft Project 2013.