User-entered percent complete changes to different value

Question:

When using a Percent Complete SmartColumn, I enter a percent complete value, e.g. 72%, and the value is then displayed as another value, e.g. 80%. Why is that and how can this be corrected?

Answer:

Short Answer...

On the Dates tab, choose More Settings.
Choose Hourly/Minute.
Check Allow Hourly Detail and Allow Minute Detail.
Use a Status symbol to drive Percent Complete SmartColumn values.

Long Answer...

If you do not use a status symbol for determining percent complete, then midnight is the default separator between days for determining a status date and thus the percent complete.

For example, if you have a 5-day task and you want to show 72% complete, then that is not possible because there is not a midnight divider between any of those days which would result in 72% complete. Milestones will display the nearest possible value, such as 60% or 80% in the last example.

Thus, it's best to turn on hourly (and sometime minute) detail and to use a status symbol, as described in the steps above.

If no status symbol is used, then the status date/time is derived by setting a date/time offset, which will cause the percent complete to change as the current date changes.