If you selected Milestone Weights or Milestone Weights with % Complete for the EVM, you have the option of using the Autoweight Milestones function. The function automatically calculates weights for a WBS. After MPM calculates the weights, you can modify them manually. You can autoweight one or more WBS elements at the same time.
The Autoweight Milestones function calculates weights using the timephased budget (BCWS) and the BCWP Base Unit defined for a WBS element. If weights are already entered for a milestone, the calculated weights overwrite the existing weights.
When you autoweight the milestones for a WBS, you have two options.
Milestone Weights Applied to a Fraction of a Month — Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) in the Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP) base unit is applied proportionately to each milestone occurring in the month. Workdays between milestones are factored against available workdays in the month.
For example, assume there are two milestones for a WBS element: one on the 5th workday of the month, and one on the 20th workday of the month. The WBS element requires 100 hours of work. If there are 20 work days in the month, the first milestone would be assigned 25% ( 5 workdays = ¼ of total workdays = 25%) of the hours and the second milestone would be assigned 75% of the hours.
Milestone Weights Applied to a Whole Month — Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) in the Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP) base unit is applied equally among all milestones occurring in the month. BCWS is applied to the next month's milestones if there are no milestones in the month.
Using the same example above, assume there are two milestones for a WBS element: one on the 5th workday of the month, and one on the 20th workday of the month. The WBS element requires 100 hours of work. If there are 20 workdays in the month, the first and second milestones would each be assigned 50% of the hours.
To autoweight milestones for a WBS element, complete the following steps:
Select a WBS element. You can select more than one WBS element if you wish. If you edit one WBS element at a time, you have the opportunity to edit the assigned autoweights before they are saved. If you edit two or more WBSs at the same time, the autoweights assigned are saved automatically.
Click Tools » Autoweight. MPM displays the Autoweight dialog box.
Select one of the two options and click OK. If you applied the autoweight function to only one WBS, MPM leaves the WBS milestones in edit mode. You can save, change, or press Esc to cancel the weights assigned.