To Complete Performance Index – TCPI is a tool that helps the project manager to estimate the budget required for the project completion.
It also calculates the efficiency required in the remaining allocated cost/budget to achieve a target estimate at the EAC completion. This budget could be the initially approved budget (BAC) or calculated (Estimate at Completion).
Before digging deep into TCPI, I request you first to read Earned Value Management.
Keep in mind that the TCPI formula will help you crack many questions in the PMP exam.
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How to Calculate TCPI?
TCPI can be calculated by dividing the remaining Work by the remaining cost.
TCPI = (Remaining Work) / (Remaining Funds)
The remaining Work can be calculated by subtracting the earned Value from the total budget.
Remaining Work = Total budget – Earned Value
Remaining Work = (BAC – EV)
There could be two different scenarios, under budget and over budget. The calculation for both these scenarios will be different.
Scenario I: Under Budget.
In this scenario, the remaining budget is calculated by subtracting the “actual cost incurred to date” from the “initial budget.”
Remaining funds = Budget at Completion – Actual Cost
Remaining funds = BAC – AC
Similarly, TCPI can be calculated by:
TCPI = (BAC – EV) / (BAC – AC)
Example of TCPI: Case I
You are working on a project to be completed in 48 months. The BAC of the project is 400,000 USD. 24 months have passed, 220,000 USD have been consumed with only 60% work completion. Find out the To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) for this project.
Given Data:
Budget at Completion (BAC) = 400,000 USD
Actual Cost (AC) =220,000 USD
Planned Value (PV) = 50% of 400,000 = 200,000 USD
Earned Value (EV) = 60% of 400,000
= 240,000 USD
Cost Performance Index (CPI) = EV / AC
= 240,000 / 220,000
= 1.09
As the cost performance index (CPI) is 1.09, greater than 1, you are under budget so the following formula will be used to calculate TCPI
TCPI = (BAC – EV) / (BAC – AC)
= (400,000 – 240,000) / (400,000 – 220,000)
= 160,000 / 180,000
= 0.89
This means that for the remaining part of the project, we need to continue with a CPI of 0.89 to complete the project within the given budget.
Scenario II: Over Budget
The remaining funds will be calculated by subtracting the actual cost to date from the Estimate at Completion in this scenario.
The remaining funds = Estimate at Completion – Actual Cost.
Total remaining funds = EAC – AC
The TCPI will give you the required cost-performance to complete the project with the newly calculated budget.
TCPI= (BAC – EV) / (EAC – AC)
Example of TCPI: Case-II
You are working on a project to be completed in 24 months. The project’s budget is 200,000 USD. 1 year has passed, and 120,000 USD has been consumed, but on closer analysis, you find out that only 40% of the Work has been completed so far. Find the To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) for this project.
Given Data:
Budget at Completion (BAC) = 200,000 USD
Actual Cost (AC) = 120,000 USD
Planned Value (PV) = 50% of 200,000Â = 100,000 USD
Earned Value (EV) = 40% of 200,000
= 80,000 USD
Cost Performance Index (CPI) = EV / AC
= 80,000 /120,000
= 0.67
Hence, the Cost Performance Index (CPI) = 0.67
So as the cost performance index (CPI) is 0.67, less than one, you are over budget. Now to calculate the new Estimate at Completion and use a formula based on the EAC.
Estimate at Completion (EAC) = BAC / CPI
= 200,000 / 0.67
= 298,507.5 USD
Hence, Estimate at Completion (EAC) = 149,253.73 USD
Now, TCPI = (BAC – EV) / (EAC – AC)
= (200,000 – 80,000) / (298,507.5 – 120,000)
=120,000 / 178,507.5 =0.67
TCPI = 0.67
This implies that we can continue with this CPI of 0.67 to complete the project within budget.
Real-World Example
Suppose you are a project manager for a project to paint 10,000 square feet in 20 days.
This means 500 square feet of paintwork is required per day.
Progress was reviewed after 10 days, and you find out that only 4,000 square feet of work have been done.
Now we are only left with 10 days in which 6,000 square feet of the paintwork is to be done (600 square feet per day).
This can be termed as TCPI for the next 10 days. So the CPI is a measuring tool for past performance, and TCPI is a measuring tool for future projects.
Wrap Up
So to summarize, we can say that To complete the performance index – TCPI is a handy forecasting tool to measure the actual efficiency of the project and what adjustments are required for a successful conclusion of the project within defined parameters.
FAQ’s
What is the relationship between TCPI & CPI?
CPI shows the current cost-efficiency of the project, whereas TCPI estimates future cost-efficiency
How is BAC calculated in project management?
BAC can be calculated from the following formula
TCPI = (BAC-EV)/ (BAC-AC)
FEATURED POSTS
Hi,
I am studying for my CAPM. I have a worksheet that another person made that calculates answers to the EVM formulas using data entered into other cells. No matter what I do, the CPI and TCPI for “over budget” answers always compute to the same. I noticed on your page that this is the case, as well. I’ve tried messing with the numbers but I always get the same result.
Have you noticed this?
Thanks!
Robin
It should not be like this. Can you share the your calculation? We will try to dig more.
I think the problem lies with the use of the revised EAC, which was a product of the over budget CPI of .67. Because the revised EAC was used doesn’t it make sense that the TCPI will equal the underperforming CPI of .67? The premise behind TCPI is to figure out what CPI you will need to achieve in order to complete on budget right? So we should be using the original budget minus the AC, which would give you a 1.5 TCPI. This makes more sense on a program that is “over budget” as you would need to be more efficient in execution to make up the difference, right?