The Check Schedule Report analyzes the schedules of open projects allowing you assess project heath metrics. You can specify your own target percentages for each report parameter.
The Check Schedule Report looks for warning signs of potential issues:
Inflexibility and Inefficiency
Inflexibility and inefficiency in a schedule can cause unnecessary project overruns.
Inflexibility occurs when too many activities are constrained or activities are not linked by schedule logic to reasonable predecessors or successors.
A schedule might be inefficient if some activities have very long durations, lags, or float. For example, if an activity has a very long duration its successors might be unnecessarily prevented from starting work, whereas breaking the activity down into several shorter activities might provide for more parallel working. When a relationship has a long lag or a large amount of float, it might be that the schedule would be more efficient if the activities were joined with different activities.
The following checks can help you to identify inflexibility and inefficiency in a schedule:
- Logic - Activities missing predecessors or successors
- Hard Constraints - Constraints that prevent activities being moved
- Soft Constraints - Constraints that do not prevent activities being moved
- Large Durations - Activities that have a remaining duration greater than x
- Long Lags - Relationships with a lag duration greater than x
- Large Float - Activities with total float greater than x
- Relationship Types - The majority of relationships should be Finish to Start
- Lags - Relationships with a positive lag duration
Inaccuracy
Accuracy in a schedule relies on progress being reported accurately and costs being assigned appropriately.
The following checks can help you identify potential inaccuracy in a schedule:
- Negative Lags - Relationships with a lag duration of less than 0
- Invalid Progress Dates - Activities with invalid progress dates
- Resource / Cost - Activities that do not have an expense or a resource assigned
Lateness
If work is running late, it might be possible to take corrective action by adjusting the schedule. Alternatively it might be necessary to manage expectations of stakeholders.
The following checks can help you identify lateness in the schedule:
- Late Activities - Activities scheduled to finish later than the project baseline
- BEI - Baseline Execution Index
- Negative Float - Activities with a total float less than 0