SUM
SUM(list)
Adds up a list of numbers or durations, such as the durations of a task's predecessors. Blanks are skipped, and a list with nothing in it adds up to 0, not to blank, so a task with no predecessors gets 0.
Arguments
| Argument | What to give it |
|---|---|
| list | A column read from a set of rows, like Predecessors[Duration], or several single values: SUM([Duration], 5d). Numbers, durations, or amounts over time. |
Examples
Formula=SUM(Predecessors[Duration])
The working time of every predecessor of the task, added up.
Formula=SUM(FILTER(Upstream, Upstream[Status] <> "Complete")[Remaining duration])
The remaining work still to finish before this task can start: every unfinished task upstream of it.
Formula=SUM(Assignments[Budgeted units] * Assignments[Hourly rate])
The task's budget: each resource's hours times its rate, added up.
Formula on WBS rows=SUM(Tasks[Duration])
On a WBS row: the duration of every task in the node and below it.
Reach for something else when
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| How many rows there are, not their total | COUNT |
| The total of only some rows | SUM(FILTER(…)[…]): see FILTER |
| A total over time, week by week | SPREAD, then SUM the amounts |
| The mean, not the total | AVERAGE |
Common questions
Is there a SUMIF?
No. Filter the rows first, then add up the column: SUM(FILTER(All, All[Phase] = "Civil")[Duration]) is Excel's SUMIF. It reads the same way for every condition, including ones that compare with the row you're on.
Why does SUM give 0d and not 0?
The result has the type of what you added. A sum of durations is a duration, shown in working days. Wrap it in INDAYS or INHOURS for a plain number.
Can I add up a list of dates?
No: two dates don't add up to anything, so the editor refuses it.
The editor refuses this=SUM(Predecessors[Finish date])
For the latest of them use MAX, and for the time between two dates WORKDAYS.