% complete in Microsoft Project: what it really measures

Microsoft Project offers several percentages, and they do not say the same thing. The most used, % complete, is also the most misunderstood.

% complete measures duration

% complete shows the share of the planned duration that has elapsed. A three-week task with two weeks gone shows 67%, whether or not the work has progressed.

% work complete measures hours

% work complete compares hours done with hours planned. On our prototype, 28 of 40 hours are done: 70%. It is closer to reality, but it assumes the initial estimate was right.

Remaining work tells the truth

The only truly useful information is what the person doing the work gives: how many hours are left. Here, 12 hours. If they announced 20 hours, both percentages would stay the same, and the delay would go unnoticed.

Key points

• % complete: elapsed time, not work done;
• % work complete: hours done, based on the initial estimate;
• remaining work: the up-to-date estimate, the only one that says whether the task will hold.

The More With Project virtual coach helps spot tasks whose entered progress is inconsistent with their dates.