The following article looks at a common integration error that may be encountered when attempting to load status from a Microsoft Project XML file into Deltek Cobra.
[Error] Work Package 1.3 / ENG / 1.3.2.2 (Activity 1.3.2.1): Est. finish 04/02/2015 before status date.
The general theme of this error is that Cobra has found tasks in the Microsoft Project schedule that have a planned date or remaining work that falls behind the current status date in the Cobra project.
About the Error
The error typically looks like the following:
[Error] Work Package 1.3 / ENG / 1.3.2.2 (Activity 1.3.2.1): Est. finish 04/02/2015 before status date.
Other variations are show below.
[Error] Work Package 1.3 / ENG / 1.3.2.3 (Activity 1.3.4.1.3): Est. Start 04/01/2015 not later than Status date.
[Error] Milestone 1.1 / ENG / 1.1.4 / MS01 (Activity 1.1.4.1.7): Est. finish 04/03/2015 before status date.
In all cases Deltek Cobra is complaining that there is a planned date in the past, which of course can’t happen.
I see this error most frequently in new Cobra installations where the team are still trying to get their arms around the details one has to pay attention to when integrating a scheduling system with an earned value system. This particular error is indicative of the schedule not being fully updated. Any one of the following may be true for the schedule if this error is reported by Cobra:
- A task that was planned to start in the current period didn’t actually start, but is still sitting behind the status date.
- A task that was planned to finish in the current period didn’t actually finish, but is still sitting behind the status date.
- No process has been performed to move remaining work forward of the status date. This can be done manually or by using the Project Update feature.
- The status date has not been set correctly in Microsoft Project.
- A task has negative float on it due to a constraint and therefore its late dates are earlier than its early dates as shown in the figure below.
Finding the Culprits
Okay, so now you know what you’re looking for, how about I give you a few pointers on tracking these problems down in the schedule. The error message may not be as helpful as it looks without a little know-how.
Let’s break down the error message a little. The first part of the error message reads:
[Error] Work Package 1.3 / ENG / 1.3.2.2. So it’s telling us that one or more tasks mapped to the Work Package 1.3 / ENG / 1.3.2.2 has a date that is earlier than Cobra’s status date.
However, if there are multiple tasks mapped to this work package; that may not be specific enough. To help you pinpoint the actual task, the error message displays the task’s Outline Number in parentheses; e.g. (Activity 1.3.2.1). You can therefore open the Outline Number column in Microsoft Project to locate the task causing the trouble, as shown below.
In the above example, the task with outline number 1.3.2.1 has not started nor has it been moved to a revised planned start date that falls after the project status date. Also critical task 1.5 is in a similar state. Before this project can be integrated with Cobra, such tasks must be either completed, or rescheduled to their new earliest dates.
A Quick Fix
One sure way to prevent these types of errors during integration is to use the Update Project feature in Microsoft Project.
This feature allows you to move any remaining work to start after the current status date.
Many experienced schedulers prefer to walk through the schedule and manually look for outstanding tasks and apply status as needed. This is the preferred and recommended approach in most situations. However there is always a possibility that something was missed and this feature does allow you to automate the process of moving all incomplete, remaining or un-started work to a date later than the current status date.
The process steps may look something like the following:
- Move the Status Date to the end of the last day of the reporting period, e.g. 5/31/15.
- Enter all known status (actual dates, percent completes etc.) to tasks for the current reporting period.
- Run the Update Project feature on the entire project to sweep any incomplete work out into the future.
- Save the MPP file as an XML file ready for Cobra integration.
The Update Project step above has the effect of moving all the incomplete work out into the future. If the project has been built correctly with good network logic, the project dates will likely change throughout the schedule. This will provide early insight into the effect of delays on the major milestones and deliverables for the project. It will also drive the forecast dates for the project within Cobra providing even more useful trending and statistical analysis of the project’s performance.