The Importance of Consistency

This post comments on a number of elements of Project Professional 2013:

• Finish Variance
• Resource Substitution Wizard

Finish Variance

If I describe a number, x, as being the difference between two number, A and B, then I take it to mean that:

x = A – B

Finish Variance is defined in Microsoft Project Professional as being the difference between the Baseline Finish date of a task or assignment and the current Finish date:

In my mind that implies that:

Finish Var = Baseline Finish – Finish

However, the bottom of the tool tip shows:

Which I would describe as the difference between the Finish date and the Baseline Finish for a task or assignment.

Which is it?

A quick check of a Gannt chart shows that it is, in fact the second option:

Finish Variance = Finish – Baseline Finish

Why does it matter?

It matters because it is important that everyone understands terms like this to mean the same thing. Does a positive finish variance mean that a task is ahead of schedule or behind schedule?

It is apparent from the Gantt chart above that a positive finish variance means that a task is behind schedule, and that a negative finish variance means that a task is ahead of schedule.

Its when questions around this sort of thing appear in tests and exams that it becomes important to remember the definition.

Finish Variance = Finish – Baseline Finish

If Finish Variance > 0 then task is delayed

Resource Substitution Wizard

In Project Professional 2010, connected to Project Server 2010, it was possible for project managers to assign resources to tasks and then specify whether that assignment was a Request or a Demand, depending on their view of which resources could carry out that task. Running the Resource Substitution Wizard would then attempt to level resources.

The Resource Substitution Wizard is no longer available in Project Professional 2013, so one would assume that there would be no need to be able to specify a Request or Demand field for resource assignments. However, if we look at a Task Form this is exactly what we see:

The assignment of a named resource (e.g. Chris, or PM2) can be set to Request or Demand. However, the assignment of the generic Business Analyst can only be left blank.

It seems that selecting any of the options under the R/D column has effect on anything in Project Server 2013.