Since they provide an easy-to-understand graphical representation of important project dates, barcharts are widely used by many organizations to communicate information about the project schedule. A barchart is a type of horizontal bar graph that you use to plan and track projects. Because it combines a traditional Gantt-style barchart with a spreadsheet, a barchart view provides a convenient way to view activity start and end dates, durations, and how activities relate to one another.
The Change Details Barchart displays summary information for control accounts and work packages, and scheduling information for activities based on data in the Change Details grid. The descriptions display to the right of each bar. The barchart automatically updates when data is edited; however, it will revert to the original information upon exiting the view if you do not save the change.
The date calculations are based on the calendar from the planning tool.
When Open Plan is the planning tool, the calendar defined on the Open Plan Project Properties Files tab is used for all date calculations. If no calendar is assigned to a project, Open Plan assumes that work can be scheduled using a 40-hour workweek (8 hours per day, 5 days per week, and no holidays).
When Microsoft Project is the planning tool, the Standard calendar is used for all date calculations. The Standard calendar reflects a traditional work schedule; Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., with an hour off for break.
When PM Compass calculates duration, it takes into account the non-working days and holidays in the calendar. For example, you have a calendar with a regular 5-day work week. You add an activity that starts on a Thursday with a 3-day duration. The activity bar on the barchart begins on Thursday and ends on Monday because it doesn't include Saturday and Sunday in the 3-day calculation.
The baseline bar represents the baseline start to baseline finish dates from the baseline listed in the Budget Baseline grid column on the project Schedule Integration tab.
When you start entering a change, the bars move to the requested dates. When the change class is a budget class, the work package and control account bars move to the requested baseline dates. There are no requested baseline dates at the activity level so the activity baseline bar remains at the current baseline dates. After the change returns from the scheduler, the activity baseline bars represent the change baseline dates.
The Budget Start/Finish date columns in the Change Details grid display the requested dates. You can see the current dates on the Change Details View General tab.
The forecast bar displays as follows:
If the control account/work package/activity hasn't started, the forecast bar represents forecast start to forecast finish.
If the control account/work package/activity is in progress, the forecast bar represents actual start to forecast finish. The bar does not change when progress is submitted.
If the control account/work package/activity is finished, the forecast bar represents actual start to actual finish.
When you start entering a change, the bars move to the requested dates. When the change class is a forecast class, the forecast bars move to the requested forecast dates.
The Forecast Start/Finish date columns in the Change Details grid display the requested dates. You can see the current dates on the Change Details View General tab.
An activity progress bar displays on an activity forecast bar.
When the activity is in-progress, the progress bar represents Actual Start to Time Now (today).
When the activity is completed, the progress bar represents Actual Start to Actual Finish.
An Earned Value (EV) progress bar displays on a work package baseline bar and represents Start Date to Finish Date. It indicates whether you are ahead of or behind schedule. If the EV progress bar is beyond Time Now (today), you are ahead of schedule.
EV progress bars are calculated using the following formula: Baseline Start + ((Baseline Finish - Baseline Start) * BCWP/BAC). For example, if the difference between the Baseline Start and Baseline Finish is 10 days, and Physical % Complete is 50% (or BCWP/BAC = .5), the progress bar is drawn to a date that is 5 days after the Baseline Start.
Relationship lines are always drawn to the forecast bars for a Baseline Change Request or a Contract Change Request.
The red dashed line represents today (Time Now) and is the current period end date. If the change is started 3 months earlier, the red line displays at the current period end date.
The external activities display as small thin bars for forecast dates. They display to show why an activity that is part of the change is being delayed. They do not have baseline bars and do not indicate critical or in progress.
The barchart bar colors are based on the bar set that is selected on the Schedule Integration tab of the Project Details view.
When you hover over a bar, the tooltip displays the description, the forecast start and finish dates, and the duration of the activity.
Use the vertical and horizontal splitter bars to view more/less data in each area of the Change Details View.
Click and drag the background left or right to navigate along the barchart timeline.
Use the vertical scroll bar on the right side of the barchart to view additional rows. The vertical scroll bar is only visible if there are too many rows to display in the window.
Expand or collapse the Control Account/Work Package rows in the Change Details grid to view or hide corresponding bars in the barchart.
You can adjust the barchart time scale to different time units by using your mouse wheel. The date scale can be set for units as small as 15 minutes or as large as one year. Click in the barchart and scroll your mouse wheel forward to scale down to smaller units or backward to scale up to larger date units.
Delay the start of an activity
Change the duration of an activity