Project — Plan × Actual
The Project — Plan × Actual report provides a project-level comparison of planned working hours versus actual hours logged across one or more projects. It helps teams understand how closely project execution aligns with the original time estimates and resource planning.
What This Report Shows
For each project, the report presents a consolidated view of effort and utilization, including:
- Total planned working hours
- Total actual hours logged
- Variance percentage showing the difference between planned and actual effort
Understanding Project Variance
The variance percentage provides insight into how accurately the project was estimated.
- Negative variance: Indicates underutilization or incomplete execution compared to the original plan
- Positive variance: Indicates that the project required more effort than initially planned
These indicators help teams identify early signs of schedule or effort risks.
Benefits of the Project — Plan × Actual Report
Reviewing this report regularly enables teams to improve planning accuracy and maintain better control over project execution.
- Evaluate project-level estimation accuracy
- Monitor overall project progress and effort trends
- Identify potential risks and overruns early
- Support data-driven decision-making
When to Use This Report
This report is especially valuable for:
- Project managers tracking delivery against plans
- QA leads monitoring testing effort at the project level
- Portfolio and multi-project reviews
- Improving forecasting and future project planning
By analyzing plan versus actual data at the project level, teams can rebalance workloads, refine estimates, and make informed decisions to keep projects on track.
