Update Percent Complete Across Projects
Keeping percent complete accurate is critical for reliable WIP, forecasting, and profitability. This action allows you to bulk-update percent complete across multiple projects using actual billing value from time posted—rather than relying solely on manual estimates.
This article walks through how the update works, when it applies changes, and what to do when values don’t update as expected.
What This Action Does
The Update % Complete action recalculates percent complete for active phases using: • Billing value of accrued time (hours × billing rate) • Compared against the phase fee amount
It then rolls those updated phase percentages up to the project level.
Important constraint: The system will only update a phase if the calculated percent complete is greater than the current value. It will not reduce a percentage.
How to Update Percent Complete (Bulk Action)
Go to the Projects List
Select the projects you want to update
Click Actions
Choose Update % Complete
Confirm the update
Once executed:
Active phases are recalculated
Updated phase values roll up to the project
Projects reflect a new overall percent complete (if applicable)
How Percent Complete Is Calculated
For fixed fee phases, the system uses:
Billing Value ÷ Fee Amount = Percent Complete
Example logic:
$2,115 of billing value earned
$10,000 phase fee
→ 21.15% complete (system-calculated)
That phase percentage is then weighted based on its share of the total project.
Why Some Projects Don’t Update
If a project doesn’t update, it’s usually due to one of these conditions:
Percent Complete Is Already Higher
The system will not overwrite a higher manual estimate
This prevents regressions in project progress
Phase Percent-of-Project Is Not Set
Each phase must have a defined % of total project
If missing, the system cannot properly roll up values
No Billable Activity Yet
If no time has been posted, there’s no billing value to calculate from
Fixing a Project That Didn’t Update
If a project fails to update:
Open the project
Go to Phases
Ensure each phase has a valid % of total project
Save changes
Re-run Update % Complete
Once phase weights are defined, the system can calculate and apply updates correctly.
Manual vs. Automatic Percent Complete
You have two approaches:
Manual (Recommended for Accuracy)
PM evaluates actual progress (drawings, deliverables, milestones)
Sets percent complete directly
Automatic (Fast, Data-Driven)
The system calculates based on the earned value
Useful for:
Bulk updates
Sanity checks
Early-stage estimates
Reality: The system calculation is precise—but not always accurate. It reflects earned value, not necessarily true completion.
What This Means for Your Reporting
Accurate percent complete directly impacts:
WIP calculations (earned value for fixed fee)
Project profitability • Revenue recognition (accrual view)
Forecasting and burn analysis
If the percent complete is off, everything downstream is distorted.
Recommended Usage
Use bulk update to establish a baseline
Have PMs review and adjust where needed
Ensure phase structure (% of project) is always defined
Re-run updates periodically during billing cycles
Bottom Line
This feature gives you a fast, consistent way to align percent complete with actual work performed. But it’s not a replacement for judgment—it’s a starting point.
Use it to eliminate guesswork, not to avoid thinking.