MS Project - actual vs planned vs delivery

[mw2011]

I am new to MS Project. I have simple scenario and want to know how to accomplish in MS Project 2010.

Scenario Example:
Estimate delivery = 5 days
Estimate work effort = 2 days (ie 16 hours spread across 5 days)
Actual work effort = 12 hours

**What I want achieve:
1. Keep track of the progress ie actual work effort (for resource monitoring)
2. Track the billable amount to client = 2 days vs actual effort (incase we underestimate)
3. Keep track of the delivery time, to ensure we meet delivery time, although we have 3 days buffer.

[Actionguy]

You can create an autoscheduled task with 5 days duration. (Project will calculate the end date). Set a deadline equal to your "buffer". Temporarily set the task as fixed duration.

Create a resource or resources and set their rates. The challenge is which rate to use -- the rate you charge the client or the internal rate what it costs you. You can use rate tables but you can only apply one rate per assignment at a time.

With the task as fixed duration -- assign the resource and specify 16 hours of work. Project will calculate the assignment units (visible in the Peak Units field added to the Task Usage view) and spread the 16 hours of work evenly across the 5 day duration.

Save a baseline.

Track the actual work which will calculate the variance between what you thought (16 hours) and what is recorded. Tracking will enable you to also project new end dates (remaining work) as well as be alerted when you pass a deadline.

Project is not particularly good for a "billing" product. I would keep an Excel spreadsheet to record billing data.

[mw2011]

Thanks, that's great help!

What if I also have subtasks? can I distribute the number of hours defined in the main tasks to the subtasks evenly?

Example:
Main Task Estimate work hours = 2
There are 4 subtasks attached to it.

Can project auto calculate the subtasks to 30mins each? If so, how can I set this?

[Actionguy]

You're welcome.

As to the new question - no, I'm afraid it actually works in reverse. The summary tasks ("Main Task" in your example) will add up all of the work from the subtasks. Summary tasks should not have resources assigned to them -- so plan from the lower level up.