From the course: Project Management Foundations

How to gather data

From the course: Project Management Foundations

How to gather data

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- [Narrator] While work is underway, you need to track how things are going, what's been done, what's left to do, how long it took, and what it cost. Schedule and budget usually top the list. So data, like actual dates, hours worked, and money spent are givens. The first thing you need to track progress is when tasks actually start. If tasks don't start when they're supposed to, a delay in the project finish could be on the horizon. While tasks are underway, get actual work hours or actual duration. Tracking hours is a little more effort, but it pays off with a more accurate picture of progress and labor costs. You also need to know how much work or duration is still left to complete. That way, you know how much longer tasks will take and whether your original estimate was on target. That's everything you need to track labor costs. Don't forget to gather other actual costs like travel, fees, and training. If you can, set up an automated way to get the data you need through email, an online form, or an enterprise reporting tool. It will free up time you can use to handle more important project management duties. Progress data tells you where your project stands and whether you need to wrangle your project back on track. For practice, create a form to collect data for the hospital scheduling project.

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