One should update project schedule so as to maintain, record progress and keep on track.

Updating schedules can be either done by directly applying actuals or by using the timesheet updates from the project reporter module.

Once you are done with the updating of actual progress dates and % progress, you can schedule the project so as to see the impact of the delayed progress.

Remember to always update your schedule regularly so as to keep yourself updated. While updating, you will notice that the actual durations vary from the original durations, there may be additional modifications compared to baselines as well.

Scheduling Methodology:

1. Firstly, identify the types of data to collect relating to activities and resources. Always collect actual dates and remaining durations/resources.

2. Determine how the said data shall be collected. Standardize the method of collecting the data.

3. Determine how often the data should be collected and updated.

4. Analyze and communicate the data: Once you update the schedule, analyze the results and communicate to the teams accordingly on the impacts

Methods of Updating:

Schedules can be updated in various methods, you can use the combination of methods as well. When you only need to estimate progress, you can choose the “auto compute actuals”. This method can be applied only when the schedule is on track, all the activities are performed as per the schedule.

Before you choose the method for updating, the update process should be in the following order:

1. Establish a Scheduling philosophy, which includes the method to choose, filters, percent types, duration types

2. Create a Latest baseline, if not available

3. Record progress on activities from the data that has been collected or record automatically

4. Apply project actuals by entering the actual dates/resource units and remaining durations /resources left

5. Schedule the project and also level the resources

6. Once you are done, to analyze the results, compare the schedule with the baseline and identify variances to report the impact of scheduling

7. Prepare reports in various formats for understanding and analyzing.

8. Publish and communicate the schedule update report to stakeholders

4.4.1 Updating Progress using Spotlight:

If activities are progressing on schedule and you may want to estimate progress for all activities by simply updating the activities that fall behind the new data date. By updating these activities, the impact shall be automatically shown when you schedule the project

This is the most convenient way to update the project .The Project Management module estimates progress only for those activities that were supposed to take place. Remember to review all incomplete activities to make sure that their remaining durations, actual dates, and percent complete values are realistic

Spotlight feature: Choose View, Progress Spotlight, or click the Progress Spotlight icon to highlight the time period from the previous data date.

To increase/decrease the highlighted spotlight area, drag the data date line to the right or the left. Click the data-date line, it changes to an arrow, drag the line to the right until you reach the new data date. Then the PM module spotlights the activities between the last data date and the new data date.

To estimate the progress of the spotlighted activities:

Once you are done with the spotlighting of the activities falling during the desired time period, Choose Tools, Update Progress.

Select a new data date if the one shown is not correct. Select the options to choose to update all activities scheduled to work during the current update period or only selected activities. And then click Apply.

Then the P6 PM module estimates percent completion values and remaining durations for activities that are not finished as on data date and sets dates to actual dates if they fall before the new data date. Module also updates resource assignments based on each activity’s revised percent complete and remaining durations.

Note to remember: If you select activities that do not fall within the update period, those activities will show no progress, when to estimate the project progress. When spotlighting activities, you can only estimate progress—percent complete, remaining duration, and so on—for activities that are within the update period. If you manually update a spotlighted activity then run Update Progress, the module will overwrite your manual changes.

Here is the detailed Video tutorial for better understanding

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