http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2002/11/20/52/ The magazine for the project age Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:45:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2002/11/20/52/#comment-415 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2002/11/20/52/#comment-415 I have used EV to ensure that the project team is making real progress. Often, a team can stay near schedule by working overtime. They may complete easy tasks early. They may be slightly behind on a very large task. All of these things would yield a visible effect in earned value. And MS Project can calculate the EV numbers, you simply have to copy them out and paste them into a spreadsheet every now and then. So the cost does not have to be very high. However, I would probably never want to HAVE to deliver EV on a periodic basis. I prefer to use it when I think I should and then stop once I feel I have a handle on the major areas. But since software project costs are primarily labor, variance reports are often just as good. You schedule is still your schedule and your cost is hours worked vs. hours estimated. So EV calculations are not really needed, but you still get the basic measurements that the EV method intended to be used to monitor project progress. I have used EV to ensure that the project team is making real progress. Often, a team can stay near schedule by working overtime. They may complete easy tasks early. They may be slightly behind on a very large task. All of these things would yield a visible effect in earned value. And MS Project can calculate the EV numbers, you simply have to copy them out and paste them into a spreadsheet every now and then. So the cost does not have to be very high. However, I would probably never want to HAVE to deliver EV on a periodic basis. I prefer to use it when I think I should and then stop once I feel I have a handle on the major areas. But since software project costs are primarily labor, variance reports are often just as good. You schedule is still your schedule and your cost is hours worked vs. hours estimated. So EV calculations are not really needed, but you still get the basic measurements that the EV method intended to be used to monitor project progress.

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