“How complete is this task?”
It is the most common question in project management, and unfortunately, it often gets the most subjective answer. We’ve all heard updates like, “We are about 80% done,” based purely on a gut feeling or the time spent. But in complex capital projects, time spent does not always equal work done.
To solve this, Frontrol is introducing a powerful enhancement to the PACE Deliverables Management module: Quantity-Based Progress Reporting.
Moving Beyond “Duration” and “Cost”
Standard scheduling tools often calculate progress based on duration (time elapsed) or cost (budget spent). While useful, these metrics can be misleading. You might have burned 90% of your hours but only completed 50% of the actual output.
The new update in PACE allows you to define deliverables based on tangible Rates and Quantities, shifting the focus from “How long have we worked?” to “What have we actually produced?”
How It Works: The “Count” that Counts
With this new feature, you can now define specific output units for any deliverable linked to a task or phase.
- Define the Metric: Set the total planned quantity for a deliverable. This could be 50 Design Drawings, 12 Site Surveys, 500 Meters of Piping, or 20 Technical Specifications.
- Simple Reporting: Your team doesn’t need to guess percentages. They simply report the actuals: “We finished 5 drawings today.”
- Automated Accuracy: PACE automatically calculates the percentage complete for that deliverable based on the quantity reported (e.g., 5 out of 50 drawings = 10%).
The “Roll-Up” Effect: From Micro to Macro
The real magic happens in how this data influences your overall schedule.
- Deliverable to Task: If a specific construction task has three distinct deliverables (e.g., Survey, Excavation, Pouring), the progress of the task is determined objectively by the weighted progress of these deliverables. No more manual overriding of task percentages.
- Element Level Granularity: For maximum precision, you can track progress down to the “Deliverable Element” level.
- Phase Gate Control: PACE ensures discipline through our validation engine. You cannot mark a task or a Project Phase as “Complete” until every linked deliverable is 100% finished. This prevents the dangerous habit of closing out phases with loose ends.
Why This Matters for Project Managers
By tying progress to actual physical or document quantities, you remove the subjectivity.
- For Planners: You get a defensible, audit-ready schedule status.
- For Management: You get a realistic view of project health, unmasked by optimism bias.
With PACE’s Quantity-Based Deliverables, you aren’t just tracking time; you are tracking results.
Ready to tighten your project controls? Log in to PACE to configure your new deliverables or visit www.frontrol.com for a demo.
