View the Reports and Graphs Export Table to see the best way to get SLIM-Suite reports and graphs into other applications.

There's a good fit between my total defect data and the plan but in the defects by category charts, the defect actuals for each category aren't tracking the plan very well. How can I fix this?

Chances are your defect category percentages need to be adjusted. To tune these percentages using your actual data, create a Multi-Metric Time Series Chart and insert a QSM Tracked Defects Category Total (Actual) metric for each defect category you're tracking:

My actual defect data points don't show up on the defect remaining and defect remaining/sloc reports and graphs.   Why not?

Before we can calculate and display the number of errors remaining, we must know the forecasted number of errors in the system.  Planned defects remaining is the difference between planned total defects and planned defects found at various points in time. Actual defects remaining are calculated by subtracting actual defects found from the forecasted total defects.

The Solution Panel says my peak staff value is 10.3, but the Average Staffing Rate charts and reports show a peak staff of 10.1. What is causing this inconsistency?

The theoretical Rayleigh curve used to derive the values on the Solution Panel is a smooth curve resulting in different staffing numbers at each point along the x-axis. In drawing the Average Staffing chart, this smooth theoretical curve is approximated by a series of discrete staffing rates (with one bar, or average staffing rate value, per month).

When I change the Person Hours per Person Month field in Accounting Options, there is no change to the total schedule and effort for the project.  How can I adjust the estimate to reflect overtime?

Sometimes the effort data points on my Life Cycle Sensitivity to PI graph have values that do not always increase (or decrease); e.g., there are small dips in the data.

What is the impact of selecting various phase staffing shapes? When should I deviate from the default Rayleigh pattern, and how is my estimate affected?

We have found that the default Rayleigh pattern is the staffing pattern that best matches the application of effort to the work to be performed but due to staffing constraints or different software management styles, you may decide that another staffing pattern fits your organization or project better.

In general, the various staffing shapes can be described as follows: 

Is there a limit on the number of projects that can be loaded into SLIM-MasterPlan?

There is no limit to the number of projects you can load into MasterPlan other than what is allowed by the graphics and memory capabilities of your PC. But if your MasterPlan workbook includes an unusually large number of projects it may be difficult to see all the projects clearly on graphs.

Here are some suggestions for MasterPlan files with a large number of projects: