Cost/Schedule Overlay

Use the cost/schedule overlay to view how costs are affected by schedule uncertainty.

When you have a cost schedule overlay, the Min/Most Likely/Max % columns are populated with the schedule Risk results. If there is no data, the fields are set to 100%. When you manually edit the Min/Most Likely/Max Schedule Overlay columns, it affects the cost risk. You can see the effect in the Min/Most Likely/Max Schedule Overlay Cost columns.

For example, after running Risk analysis with a schedule overlay, the Min Cost is $900,000 and the Min Schedule Overlay is 100%. You change the Min Schedule Overlay to 125%. Acumen displays the amount that you might expect the cost to be in the Min Schedule Overlay Cost column. This is calculated by multiplying Min Cost by Min Schedule Overlay ($900,000*125%=$1,125,000).

Export Data to Microsoft Excel

Along with the Min, Most Likely, and Max Overlay columns, Acumen exports the three new columns to Microsoft Excel (Import / Publish > Microsoft Excel > Export Activity Uncertainty).

The Min/Most Likely/Max Schedule Overlay Cost columns are not included when you perform an Import from Microsoft Excel because their data is calculated in Acumen.

Specify How the Schedule Contribution Should be Calculated

Use the new Use Dynamic Schedule Results option to determine how the cost risk calculates the schedule contribution. If enabled (the default setting), Acumen will run schedule risk against all overlaid projects to calculate the contribution to the cost project. If disabled, the cost risk will use the Min/Most Likely/Max Schedule Overlay to calculate the schedule contribution.

You can access the Use Dynamic Schedule Results option in the Analysis menu group when viewing a cost risk model by clicking the Run Risk Analysis down arrow. The option is at the bottom of the menu under Cost/Schedule Integration.

When you initially create a cost estimate with overlay (Risk Models > Create Cost Estimate > Generate from Schedule > Generate with Overlay) Acumen runs Risk Analysis on the selected schedule (or uses cached data if schedule Risk Analysis has already been performed) and uses those numbers in the Min/Most Likely/Max columns for the cost estimate. After the process is complete, and if you have cleared the Use Dynamic Schedule Results check box, you can make changes to the Min/Most Likely/Max Schedule Overlay columns and see the results in the Schedule Overlay Cost columns.

If you decide that you want to revert to the original schedule risk overlay data that was in the columns after the Risk Analysis was run, you can click the new Refresh Overlays icon in the Analysis menu group to reset all of the Overlay columns. You can also use this option to update the schedule risk overlay data from the last schedule risk results.

Min/Most Likely/Max Overlay Column Initial Values

If you create a cost estimate using the Create Cost Estimate feature, Acumen runs Risk Analysis on the schedule and uses the results to populate the Min/Most Likely/Max Overlay columns.

If you manually assign an overlay activity, Acumen calculates the value for all three columns each time you manually assign the overlay.

Tooltips

The activity Schedule Overlay column displays additional tooltip information when you hover over a cell:

• When you overlay with an activity, the tooltip displays the cost estimate ID and description, the overlaid activity ID and description, and the project to which the activity is associated.
• When you overlay with a WBS, the tooltip displays the cost estimate ID and description, the overlaid WBS ID and description, and the project to which the WBS is associated.
• When you overlay with a project or scenario, the tooltip displays the cost estimate ID and description and the project ID and description