Milestone and Submilestone Schedule Status
Use
The milestone's schedule status shows whether the milestone is behind schedule, on schedule, or ahead of schedule, and also controls the status of the initiative. The schedule status appears as a colored figure in the Milestone and Submilestone table and as a colored clock in the Fishbone Diagram. The schedule status is also plotted in the Prioritization Matrix.
A milestone's schedule status is determined differently based on whether using a rule-based status or overriding the status. If a milestone is defined with a rule-based status, its schedule status is determined based on these rules:
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If the milestone is completed (has an actual end date), the actual end date is compared to the target date. If the actual end date is after the target date, the status is behind schedule (red). If the actual end date is before the target date, the status is ahead of schedule (green). If the actual end date is the same as the target date, the status is on time (yellow).
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If the milestone is active (has no actual end date), the target date is compared to today's date. If the target date is later than today's date, the status is on time (yellow). If the target date is today or later, then the status is behind schedule (red).
If you override the rule-based status, you can specify your own subjective status for this milestone or submilestone. For example, if you have a milestone with a target date that is a week away, but you know you are behind schedule, you can override the status to whatever status you choose.