Others

How to Create Planned Cumulative Percent Complete in Microsoft Project

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to generate a time-phased Planned Cumulative Percent Complete graph or field in Microsoft Project.

How to Create Planned Cumulative Percent Complete in Microsoft Project

Product: Microsoft Project
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Tracking planned versus actual progress over time across multiple project reporting dates.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Project lacks a default Planned Cumulative Percent Complete field, and custom fields cannot calculate or display time-phased data.

Before you start

Ensure you have an original baseline or an archived version of your project saved before any actual progress was recorded.

Solution 1Recommended

Calculate Planned Curve Using Baseline and Task Usage View

Use an original baseline project file to simulate planned progress by adjusting the status dates and viewing the Cumulative % Complete.

Because custom fields in Microsoft Project are not time-phased, they cannot be used to graph distributed values over time. The best workaround is to simulate the planned progress using an unstarted baseline project.

Open the Baseline Project

Open an archived or baseline version of your Microsoft Project file that has zero actual progress recorded.

Update Status Date

Navigate to the Project tab and set the project status date to your first reporting date.

Mark Tasks on Track

Select all applicable tasks and use the 'Mark on Track' function to simulate that the project has progressed exactly as planned up to the status date.

View Task Usage

Switch to the Task Usage view. Right-click the time-phased grid on the right, select 'Detail Styles', and add 'Cumulative % Complete' to the display.

Export and Repeat

Export the time-phased values for your planned curve. Move the status date forward by one reporting period (e.g., one week) and repeat the process to build your full planned progress curve.

Calculate Planned Curve Using Baseline and Task Usage View

Exporting for Comparison: Once you have the time-phased planned data, you can export it to a spreadsheet program to compare and graph it against your actual project progress.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Graph Your Project Data with WPS Office

Microsoft Project handles complex scheduling, but graphing your time-phased exports is often easier in a spreadsheet. WPS Office is a free, lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office that perfectly handles Excel data exports for building project charts.

1. Export Project Data: Save your time-phased Microsoft Project data as an Excel file or copy the grid data.
2. Open with WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your exported project data file.
3. Insert a Line Chart: Select your planned and actual percent complete columns, go to the Insert tab, and choose a Line Chart to easily visualize your project progress.

Create custom project progress charts quickly and easily.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats for seamless project data export.Free, lightweight, and features a familiar user interface with no steep learning curve.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I use a custom field for Planned Cumulative Percent Complete?

Custom fields in Microsoft Project are not time-phased. They calculate a single static value for a task rather than distributing that value across a timeline, which is necessary for creating a cumulative curve.

How do I add Cumulative % Complete to the Task Usage view?

Open the Task Usage view, right-click on the time-phased grid area on the right side of the screen, select 'Detail Styles', find 'Cumulative % Complete' in the list, and add it to the 'Show these fields' box.

How do I compare the planned cumulative percent with my actual progress?

Export the planned cumulative percentages generated from your baseline file into a spreadsheet program. Then, export the actual cumulative progress from your live project file and plot both datasets on a line chart to easily compare them.

Office Quick Solutions