Understanding Project Visual Health Indicators

Projects rarely proceed as per plan. Real world situations may change a project’s schedule, and the projects may even get delayed. Celoxis provides visual, traffic signal like indicators to indicate schedule and cost health of a project. A quick glance at the visual health indicators can alert a manager to take corrective action before a setback occurs. 

Schedule Health

As team members update the progress of their tasks, Celoxis auto calculates the projected finish date of the project. The visual health indicators are displayed by comparing the projected finish date with the Finish (Est). 

Signal	When
	Projected Finish Date is less than or equal to the Project's planned Finish i.e Finish (Est). [ Projected Finish <= Finish (Est) ]
	Projected Date exceeds the Finish (Est). [ Projected Finish > Finish (Est) AND Present date < Finish (Est) ]
	Present date has exceeded the project Finish (Est). [ Present date > Finish (Est) AND Project % Complete < 100% ]
	Project has not yet started, and the project start date is in Future.
	Project is in "Planning" or "Closure" stage.

For instance, if project ‘A’ takes ten days to complete, then after three days’ work, it should be 30% complete, but the actual % complete is only 20%. The reason might be because of reasons like unavailability of resources, or other issues. As a result, the project will be delayed from the date of completion, and it would be at risk. In such a situation, Celoxis displays the signal indicating that the project is At Risk. If a project misses its deadline, then Celoxis shows the signal stating that the project is Overdue. You can check with the team members of the probable reasons for the delays and take appropriate actions accordingly.

Budget Health

Based on the project % complete and the actual cost incurred, the projected cost is derived. Thi projected cost is then compared with the budget or Cost(Est) if budget is not specified, based on which Celoxis displays the visual (Budget) health indicators.

Signal	When
	Projected cost is less than or equal to the budget [ Projected Cost <= Budget OR Cost (Est) if Budget is not specified]
	Projected cost has exceeded the budget. [ Projected Cost > Budget AND Actual Cost < Budget OR Cost (Est) if Budget is not specified]]
	Actual cost is more than the budget. [ Actual Cost > Budget OR Cost (Est) if Budget is not specified]

For instance, your budget for a project is $1000. Now, when you spend $1000 on the project, ideally your project should have been 100% completed or when you have spent $500, your project should be 50% completed, and then in this situation, Celoxis displays the signal indicating that your project is "On Budget". But if you have spent $600, and your project is only 50% completed, that means by the time your project is 100% complete, you would have spent $1200 at the current rate of spending. In such a situation, Celoxis displays the signal indicating that your project is At Risk. However, if your project is only 80% completed, and you have already spent $1000, then, in such a situation, Celoxis displays the signal indicating that the project is "Over Budget." You can check with your team members of the probable reasons for the delays and take appropriate actions accordingly.