Task progress can be tabulated in the activity table using the schedule % complete and activity % complete columns as well as being displayed on the Gantt chart. Let’s take a look.
The Gantt chart has a baseline bar (usually yellow), like a static ruler, to measure progress against the plan on the Gantt chart. Likewise, the activity table has a schedule % complete or plan column, i.e., tabulated plan data, to compare against the activity % complete or progress column, i.e., tabulated progress data. The Gantt chart baseline bars and current bars work well to provide an overall visual of progress. The actual plan and progress percentages in the activity table provide more definitive data insight.
This article juxtaposes the schedule % complete and activity % complete columns against the Gantt chart baseline and progress bars to demonstrate that these plan and progress data columns are complementary to the Gantt chart graphics.
Demonstration
Our demonstration project is displayed in Figure 1.Schedule
This schedule was progressed five weeks through February 4, 2029, which is, therefore, the data date, i.e., status date. For a primer on progressing the schedule and the data date, refer to the article at the following link:
The Gantt chart, Figure 2, provides a visual, as per the data date (vertical blue line), of the plan and progress: initial schedule plan (yellow bars), completed work or “actuals” (blue bars) and current plan (red and green bars). The activity table, Figure 2, is composed of deliverables or work breakdown structure (WBS) elements and the tasks required to produce these deliverables. The activity table has data values of the plan in the schedule % complete column and of the current progress in the activity % complete column. This provides numerical insight into the schedule plan and progress, in addition to the Gantt chart graphic depictions.
The Gantt chart makes for an efficient (or quick) judgment tool, while the activity table plan and progress columns are percentages on a 0 to 100 percentage scale and provide a more definitive numerical representation of schedule progress.
Together, the graphics and numeric values are complementary and provide a greater understanding of the schedule situation. Note that the computation of the schedule % complete is different for tasks versus deliverables. And activity % complete may vary for each task depending on how the scheduler is defining progress for each, choosing among the three percent complete types: duration, physical or units. Further, the activity % complete column does not have values at the deliverable level.
Schedule % Complete of Tasks:
Let us first consider the computation of task plan data or the schedule % complete of tasks. This is equivalent to the (yellow) baseline bars on the Gantt chart up to the data date. Percentages of the plan for each task in our demonstration schedule are displayed in the schedule % complete column in Figure 2.
The schedule % complete equation for tasks is as follows:
The percentages from this equation are for planned work as per the data date and are, again, displayed for each task in the schedule % complete column, Figure 2.
Activity % Complete Tasks:
Let us now address task progress and the determination of the activity % complete for each. The parallels of activity % complete on the Gantt chart are the actuals or completed work (blue) bars, critical remaining work (red) bars and remaining work with total float (green) bars. (Tasks with total float can delay an amount equivalent to the total float in days without postponing the schedule completion date.) Percentages of current progress for tasks are displayed in the activity % complete column in Figure 2. These task percentages are dependent on the percent complete type assigned to each task. The three percent complete types that can be assigned to each task are as follows:
- Duration % complete – represents elapsed duration and not necessarily accomplishment; here, progress and remaining duration are directly correlated. It is computed using the following equation:
If the completed work or duration % complete is known, the remaining duration is computed as follows:
Note that the duration percent complete type considers production as uniform for the task duration.
- Physical % complete – is not a formula but entered directly by a knowledgeable person assessing progress. It is an estimated assessment of work physically accomplished or steps completed. Steps are a systematic way to compute progress and are often assigned numerical weights as a portion of the task’s total work. Steps can be weighted or portioned based on differing factors, including duration, cost or even risk. Here, steps that are longer, higher cost, or at greater risk of delays would be assigned greater weights. Whether physical % complete is an estimated assessment or systematically computed from steps, this achievement is separated from a revised estimate of remaining duration to more accurately describe progress and the path forward. And it allows for nonuniform production or learning curves, e.g., the first half of the task required two days of work, while completion of the second half of the task only required one day of work. This is because the labor resources became more skilled and efficient (faster) in their work performance on the task. So, it more accurately models the physical reality of work done with a current estimate of remaining work.
- Units % complete – links the actual and remaining units to the activity % complete to provide a very precise assessment of effort expended, though not necessarily work accomplished. The formula is as follows:
Where
However, like the physical percent complete type, the remaining duration is a revised estimate. This percent complete type is also often used with the P6 time module, where team members upload their weekly work efforts directly into the P6 Professional schedule.
For a primer on defining schedule progress using the duration and physical percent complete types, refer to the article at the following link:
For an article demonstrating the units percent complete type, refer to the following link:
Our demonstration has two tasks that utilize steps, mobilize and substantial completion and, therefore, these two activities are designated the physical percent complete type. The physical % complete field values in Figure 2 are calculated from the proportion of completed activity steps. Again, if not using steps, schedulers would manually enter the physical % complete value. The activity % complete column for these two tasks inherits the values from the physical % complete column. All other tasks in our demonstration were the duration % complete type. The activity % complete column takes on the values from the duration % complete column for these other tasks assigned the duration percent complete type. The units percent complete type is not a part of our demonstration.
Schedule % Complete Deliverables:
The equation to compute the plan data or schedule % complete of work breakdown structure (WBS) elements, i.e., deliverables, in Figure 3 is as follows:
The Figure 3 Planned Value Cost (PV) and Budget at Completion (BAC) columns list the PV and BAC costs of each WBS element, i.e., deliverable. The PV is the planned expense per the data date. The BAC is the total cost of the project schedule.
Activity % Complete Deliverables:
As the activity percent complete column is based on a combination of duration, physical, and/or units percent complete types, it does not roll up or specify percentages at the deliverable level. The duration % complete type column, Figure 2, however, does.
Summary
The task table provides tabulated schedule plan values, schedule % complete in one column, and current progress values, activity % complete in another column. These schedule % complete and activity % complete columns provide a numerical assessment of schedule status to complement the same displayed visually on the Gantt chart.
The schedule % complete of tasks is computed from the data date, baseline start, and baseline finish values. The current progress of tasks, activity % complete, inherits its value from the percent complete type assigned to each task: duration, physical, or units. The schedule % complete of deliverables is computed from the PV and BAC costs. The activity % complete column does not show progress at the deliverable level; however, the duration % complete column does have current progress values listed for the deliverables. Thus, the Gantt chart and activity table are complementary visual and numerical representations of schedule progress.