BCWS

BCWS (Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled) is a key concept in project management, specifically in Earned Value Management (EVM).

BCWS (Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled)

Definition

BCWS represents the planned value of a task or project at a specific point in time. It answers the question:

“According to the schedule, how much of the budgeted cost should have been spent up to today?”

It is calculated based on the task duration (Date From – Date To) and the date on which the system runs the "BCWS Calculate” function.

Example: Simple Project

• Start Date: 1 January

• End Date: 30 January (30 days)

• If you press Selling Calculate on 15 January:

  • Days passed = 15

  • Duration = 30

  • BCWS = 15 ÷ 30 = 50%

This means: halfway through the scheduled time, BCWS shows 50%.

Example from the Board (Foundation Concrete)

• Task: 01.01.03.A Foundation Concrete

• Start Date: 1 April 2025

• End Date: 30 June 2025

• Duration: 91 days

The BCWS shown = 24.18%

Back-calculation of the date:

24.18%×91≈22 days passed

• 22 days after 1 April 2025 = 22 April 2025

Why BCWS Helps

BCWS provides a time-based benchmark for progress. It shows how far along a task should be according to the schedule, regardless of actual work done. By comparing BCWS with actual progress (Done %), teams can immediately see if a task is ahead, on track, or behind schedule, making it a simple but powerful tool for tracking project performance.