Mistakes to avoid
Applying the earned value method to projects: benefits and pitfalls to avoid

The main pitfall commonly encountered is that the assumptions used to calculate the indicators are not taken into account. For example, an IPD close to 100% is a good thing in the middle of a project, but not necessarily at the end (it must be associated with the calendar drift observed), while a CFE well above the BAA is a disaster, provided you know what method was used to calculate it.

Used properly, this method is a real plus on projects, but if it's poorly implemented and misused, it's easy to make indicators say anything and everything.