In earned value analysis, the Estimate at Completion (EAC) is your forecast of the final project price tag, built on how the project has performed so far. More than just a number, it gives project managers a critical glimpse into what the total cost will likely be when the dust settles. The Bigger Picture The... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
The real benefit of the earned value method is in the early warning signal it provides. In my previous life at a large engineering company, I saw many project managers get to a monthly billing cycle before they realized the project was behind, and even then they would rationalize it by deciding their project team was... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
In project management, getting an early indication of problems is the silver bullet that allows the project manager to correct the problems before they start. The Schedule Performance Index, usually abbreviated as SPI, is one of the fundamental outputs of the Earned Value Management System. It tells the project manager how far ahead or behind... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Project success is often distilled into simple metrics like meeting budget or schedule, a single pass/fail criteria measured at a single point in time. But these outcomes are rarely fixed targets. In fact, they are often in fail territory for long periods of time prior to entering pass territory for the critical moment. Indeed, there... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Want to unlock the secret to delivering projects on time and within budget? Earned Value Management (EVM) might just be your key. This powerful project control technique gives project managers a clear, data-driven snapshot of where a project stands—tracking both budget and schedule performance in real time. But more than that, it forecasts how those... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
If there's one most important skill for a project manager, it would be staying within budget and schedule. It is not an understatement to say that if you master this one thing, most other things will likely fall into place. And the magic ingredient to doing this well is called earned value management (EVM). EVM is... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Earned Value is a method used by project managers to calculate the current project status and predict future project performance. In this post we will outline each earned value formula. Planned Value (PV) Earned Value (EV) Actual Cost (AC) Schedule Variance (SV) Schedule Performance Index (SPI) Cost Variance (CV) Cost Performance Index (CPI) Budget at... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer