Comments on: Percentage of Completion - Is It Meaningful?

By: Satya Narayan Dash

Satya Narayan Dash — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:26:46 +0000

Thanks Uttam.

By: Uttam Kumar Singh

Uttam Kumar Singh — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:56:32 +0000

This is a realy nice article which need to be followed.

By: Satya Narayan Dash

Satya Narayan Dash — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:06:44 +0000

Glen,

Thats a wonderful feeback and insight on Aerospace and Defence sectors. And it should be very credible form of tracking there - considering the money involved.

In software, now a days, project management evangelists are moving from Waterfall to Iterative to Agile/Extreme/RAD development. Here, the outcome is absolute. As you have said: it becomes - either you have done it or you have not.

I agree on the tangible evidence part, which may be challenging in some domain. However, in software, proof of your feature/deliverable (and hence evidence) comes in an automated weekly/daily build. And the motto - “Release Early and Release Often”, initially from the Open Source environment, is now finding its way into new management methodologies.

Nevertheless, to check whether the feature is really working, the Project Manager must be technically sound - which does not happen often in software (unless the manager is truly interested in the product or service). Exceptions are there in software product companies.

By: Glen B. Alleman

Glen B. Alleman — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:42:15 +0000

Satya,
The challenge is the measure progress as “physical percent complete” in terms tangible evidence. In the aerospace and defense business, using EV, engineer opinion is not allowed. Nor should it be here. Only tangible outcomes are used as measures of progress. In most cases these are 0%/100% measures - either you’re done or you’re not.
The key is to size the durations of the measures of progress on the sweet spot.
Ask “howlong are you willing to wait before you find out you’re late?” Then make the 0/100 measurement points sufficiently fine grained to allow for cacth up processes - usually 1/4 the total time.

Glen B. Alleman
VP, Program Planning and Controls

By: Satya Narayan Dash

Satya Narayan Dash — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:30:09 +0000

Thanks Tim. That is also an innovative approach. In fact, if you have a group of committed developers, your approach is the best.

In fact, I employ some more if EVM does not fit in. I’ll address them in my next piece.

By: Tim Bidlack

Tim Bidlack — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:40:18 +0000

I am a big fan of #3. Earned value is definitely the best approach.

Without the ability to do EVM I would suggest that you keep it simple and follow a couple of rules:

1. break the project down until all tasks are less than a week to complete.

2. use binary percentage complete. it is 0% complete until it is 100% complete. this takes the debate out of it and avoids the 99% complete symptom.

Tim