Forensics Tab

The Acumen Forensic Analyzer provides a flexible means of comparing differences and pinpointing changes made to two or more schedules, cost estimates, or risk models.

Forensic analysis can be used for:
  • Ongoing project surveillance
  • Schedule import/export integrity support
  • Contractor performance tracking
  • Claims avoidance/evaluation
  • Expert witness testimony

You can compare:

  • Updated revisions of schedules (for example, monthly updates).
  • Differences between, for example, contractual baseline schedules and as-builts during dispute resolution or lessons learned exercises.
  • Differences (and integrity) in the same schedule developed on different platforms (for example, MS Project and Primavera).

You can run an unlimited number of forensic checks in the analysis including changes to code and user-defined fields. You can add, sort, and group results and publish to an MS Excel file.

Available analytics include:

  • Added or removed activities
  • Changed activity status
  • Changed calendar definitions
  • Modified logic links
  • Added or changed constraints
  • Updated or changed resources and resource assignments
  • Updated activity costs
  • Updated progress and earned value
  • Changed critical/longest path activities
  • Added or modified activity attributes (for example, activity type, status, % complete, actual duration, remaining cost, risk)

Absolute and percentage variances are shown for each of the comparison snapshots (compared to the base schedule being compared against).

Microsoft Project Files

For Microsoft Project files, you can use the Activity Comparison field on the Platforms tab of the Deltek Acumen Options dialog box to specify the field that Forensics should use to uniquely identify an activity. The options are: UniqueID, ID, Guid, and WBS.

Project / Snapshot Forensic Analysis

Acumen automatically runs a forensic analysis and displays the results on the Forensics tab for every project / snapshot that is imported. Acumen uses the fields selected on the Fields tab for comparison.

Multiple Analysis Runs

When you create a new forensic analysis, the analysis is listed in the Analysis pane on the left of the window. Each additional analysis that you run is added to that pane. The analysis list is not saved and is only available until you close the workbook.

Getting Started with a Forensic Analysis

After you import two or more projects into Acumen, click Create Analysis on the Forensics tab to start the Analysis wizard and perform a forensic analysis.

Related Topics:

  • Forensics Tab procedures
    Use these procedures when working with the Forensics tab.
  • Ribbon Commands on the Forensics Tab
    Use the ribbon commands to perform such tasks as add additional fields, create a SmartGantt filter, and publish (export) the results.
  • Forensic Analysis Wizard
    This wizard guides you through setting up a forensic analysis.
  • Viewing the Forensic Analysis Results
    After running a forensic analysis, each field listed in the General, Inputs, and Outputs menu groups of the Forensics tab displays a number in parenthesis. This indicates the number of variances relating to that specific analysis.
  • Calendar Definition Forensics
    The calendar forensic analysis integrates multiple versions of a schedule, identifying changes to the calendar definition.
  • Forensic Analysis Report
    The forensic analysis report is generated as a Microsoft Excel file. A separate tab is automatically created in the Excel workbook for each forensic check.
Related Reference