Progress tracking compares what is built (or spent) against the plan for schedule and budget control.

Scope (progress tracking & reporting)

This page covers physical % complete, earned value concepts, and how reporting ties the schedule and cost baselines to what happens on site. In South Africa, contracts and employer instructions define measurement, payment, and reporting formats (often monthly). The calculator gives a simple done ÷ total percentage—real control uses period curves, variances, and control tools.

Reporting period check (concept)

  1. Agree the measurement rule for “done” (quantity installed, value earned, or milestone).
  2. Record planned vs actual for the same period and the same WBS line.
  3. Compute variance (schedule and cost) and explain drivers (weather, approvals, resources).
  4. Update forecast (EAC / completion date) if the trend is not recoverable on paper.

Construction / Project Engineering — Progress Tracking & Reporting

Measure physical and financial progress against the baseline schedule and budget.

Introduction

Progress tracking answers whether the project is where it should be at a given date: physically, financially, or both. Reporting packages that answer for the employer, funders, and the project team—often with S-curves, tabular period data, and photographs. Earned value management (EVM) links scope, schedule, and cost so variances are visible early.

Earned value chart illustrating TCPI, EAC, and ETC scenarios
Earned value curves illustrate TCPI, EAC, and ETC under different assumptions—core to integrated progress control. CC BY-SA 4.0 — Commons
Pie chart diagram
Charts and splits (e.g. scope or period breakdown) support dashboards and stakeholder summaries. CC BY-SA 4.0 — Commons

What progress tracking delivers

  • Variance visibility — schedule slip and cost overrun vs baseline, by WBS or package.
  • Forecast realism — EAC and completion date based on trends, not hope.
  • Payment alignment — measured work tied to certificates and cash flow.
  • Claims discipline — contemporaneous records if disruption or delay is disputed.

Earned value basics

BCWS (planned value), BCWP (earned value), and ACWP (actual cost) let you compute CPI and SPI. The simple calculator below is physical % complete only; full EVM uses currency and time-phased baselines from your cost loaded schedule.

Physical % complete ≈ (quantity done ÷ quantity total) × 100%

Contracts and reporting (South Africa)

Align reporting with the contract data, payment terms, and any employer’s or principal agent’s templates. JBCC and NEC families (where used) have different terminology for notices, programmes, and compensation events—use the definitions in your agreement. Keep records that support both monthly reporting and potential dispute timelines.

Examples in practice

  • Earthworks: m³ placed vs planned m³ per month; reconcile survey and truck counts.
  • Structure: floor area cast vs programme; link to formwork cycles and concrete supply.
  • MEP: workface cleared vs services installed; coordination milestones in the schedule.
  • Finishes: rooms signed off vs area in BoQ; snag lists vs practical completion.

Calculator — percent complete

Enter done and total in the same units (e.g. m², units, or a single line’s scope). Output is physical % complete.

% = (done ÷ total) × 100%

Physical completion

Physical percent complete = (quantity done ÷ total quantity) × 100%.

Key terms

Earned value
Budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) compared to planned and actual.
BCWS / BCWP
Planned value vs earned value for the same cut-off date.

Software and progress control

Scheduling, cost, and field tools often share a single baseline. Examples (official sites):

No product endorsement—use what your contract and employer mandate; exports and audit trails matter for claims.

Diagram sources

Educational figures. Files in Images/progress-tracking-reporting/ were downloaded from Wikimedia Commons into this repo (not copied from other topic folders). Confirm licence on each Commons file page before reuse.