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Update Status

Location on ribbon: Tab DVD Cons → Group Schedule

Command ID: btnUpdateStatus

License required

This command needs an active DVDAddin account (Standard or PRO). It is fully available during the trial period.

What it does

Adds five status-analysis columns to the active schedule sheet, complete with formulas and conditional formatting: PV (Planned Value based on TODAY()), SV (Schedule Variance = EV − PV), SPI (EV ÷ PV), Δ Finish (days late + / early −) and Status (emoji badge: 🚀 not started, ⏳ in progress, 🟢 on time, 🟡 slightly late, 🔴 badly late).

It is the fastest way to answer "are we behind or on programme?" in a site meeting without building a separate dashboard. Run it before each weekly or monthly report.

How to use

  1. Select the schedule sheet you want to assess (it must already have Duration / Start / Finish / % complete — if not, run Gantt Chart first).
  2. Go to the DVD Cons tab → Schedule group → click Update Status.
  3. The command runs immediately; there is no input dialog. The add-in inspects the sheet, adds any missing columns and fills the formulas down the whole data range.
  4. Read the result message:
    • First run: ✓ Added N new columns (…) + updated status for M rows.
    • Later runs: ✓ Refreshed status for M rows (columns already present).
    • If the sheet cannot be processed, a warning dialog explains why and nothing is changed.
  5. The five new columns appear at the end of the table, with SV / SPI / Status already colour-coded by threshold.

Example

Schedule for the Site office building package, cut off at 22 August.

TaskStartFinish% done→ SV→ SPI→ Δ Finish→ Status
Level 3 slab concrete01/0815/08100%01.000🟢
Level 2 blockwork05/0825/0845%−0.30.80+6🔴
Aluminium/glass doors20/0810/090%🚀

One glance at the Status column shows that Level 2 blockwork is the bottleneck to raise in the meeting.

Notes

  • The command is idempotent: run it as often as you like — later runs refresh the values instead of duplicating columns.
  • The active sheet must be a valid schedule worksheet; on a chart sheet or an empty sheet the command warns and stops.
  • PV and Status are driven by TODAY(), so reopening the file on a different day changes the values with the system date.
  • Adding the columns and the conditional formatting cannot be undone with Ctrl+Z.
  • SV and SPI need real % complete values; rows with no progress entered will not produce a meaningful index.
  • Gantt Chart — create or normalise the schedule sheet before running this.
  • Schedule Recovery — once you see the slippage, build a recovery plan.
  • Auto Calc — make sure dates are recalculated before assessing status.
  • Constraints — pin contractual milestones so Δ Finish reflects the real commitment.

Released under DVDAddin License.