microsoft project 2010

Question

When I update the actual finish date in MS project 2010,  I often get a message saying

"The actual finish date is before some of the previous entered timephased actual work value.  if continue with this operation, project will truncate some of the previously entered timephased actual work value." 

I did two things trying to resolve the issue, none worked !

1. Clicking on the "Continue" button changed the task to be a milestone. 
2. Changing the % completion to 100 instead of updating the actual finish date pushed to actual finish date to an unpreditable date

I thought the actual finish date was designed to capture the actual finish date,  didn't expect it had so many built-in contrains.

What did I do wrong and how to fix this problem?  Any suggestion and insight are appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi Nancy,

Let's stop the guesswork. Send me the file:

jandemesATprom-ade.be

Baselines never create or modify actual work. The suden appearance of 2013 mey be caused by a fiscal year setting; best is a have a look.

Greetings,

Answer 2

Hi Nancy,

You have to know that true e-mail addresses when written in a post are automatically removed for the sake of proivacy.

One way to go around this limitation is by replacing the @ character in the e-mail address by AT (because in plain English this character is read as AT-sign).

So now the reverse, replace AT by @ and you read my e-mail address.

Expecting your mail!

Answer 3

Hi Jan, 

Very much appreciate you can take a look of my project file.  Where should I send it? 

Not sure how to use jandemesATprom-ade.be.  Please advice. 

Thank you again.

Nancy

Answer 4

Hi Jan, thanks you for your reply.

Can you help me clarify another thing below -

The only change I made from the original baselined plan was added some new tasks and their predecesors, then baselined the plan again. 

Could that be the cause?  I just don't see how I could entered actual work at a date that is later than the finish date,  all my project tasks are driven by the predecesors. 

In the task usage view, I see even weird dates in the right side of the calendar like window,  the tasks in question are fall into year 2013, I have no idea where that is coming from. My project end date is October 2012. 

Below is an example:  an 8 hour task run from 8/6 to 8/14 under auto schedule.  

Task Name	Work	Duration	Start	Finish
Modify Costco Fix	8 hrs	1 day	Mon 8/6/12	Tue 8/14/12

Answer 5

Hi,

You have entered some actual work at a date that is later than what you consider to be the actual finish date, which is impossible. In Task Usage view, find the actual work which is (probably erroneously) entered beyond the real actual finish date - it's not hard to find where, you call it the "unpredictable" date , whereas you entered it yourself!!

There can be no (actual) work beyond the actual finish date. It's either or.

Greetings,