What is the difference between using % complete and % work complete columns?

What is the difference between using % complete and % work complete columns? What are the major impacts and limitations of using each?

A)

%Complete is a duration based measure of complete. A 10 day task is 60% complete on day 6.

%Work Complete claims against the amount of work loaded into a task. If the work is level loaded (same number of hours/day) then %Complete and %Work Complete essentially accomplish the same thing.

Here is a more complex example. Two workers are assigned to a 10 day task. The work is loaded as 8 hours/day for the first week and 1 hour/day for the second week. Total work is 45 hours. for convenience Worker1 works the first week, Worker2 works the second week. On day 6 the task is 60% Complete for duration, but is 41/45 (91%) Work Complete, assuming only one worker per day on the task.

Try this, do some research on Physical%Complete as well. It relates a little more to the value produced. For our example above, suppose we assign two workers to the task. The first week Worker1 works at $30/hour for 40 hours. The following week Worker2 is a consultant at $125/hr and he works the second week (alone). The total value of the task is 10 days, 45 hours, $1825 (40*30+5*125). On day 6, assuming everyone accomplished what they are supposed to: Physical%Complete goes to ($1200+$125)/$1825 = 73% . To use this technique you need costed resources and a baseline. I know this was beyond your question, so post back if you need additional guidance. --