items in primavera p6that should be reviewed

7/28/2019 Items in Primavera P6that Should Be Reviewed

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First Step in Schedule Development withPrimavera P6: PlanPosted onJune 14, 2012byHill-PCI Group

Understand Contract and Specification Requirements

It is important for the Planner / Scheduler to understand the contract and specification requirements for

schedule updates. These documents should outline frequency of updates, procedures for updates versus

revisions, earned value requirements, cost and/or resource status requirements, and change

management procedures. These documents may also require specific software to be used.

Determine Update Frequency

In order to effectively record and measure project progress consideration should be taken as to regularity

of updates. Internal company policy, project budgeting constraints, and application usage are factors in

establishing schedule update occurrence.

Maintaining more frequent records (i.e. weekly) of previous as-built data (based on the required periodic

performance updates) establishes greater accuracy of as-built documentation, promotes timely issues

resolution/mitigation, enhances the users skills in both application and management of the project

schedule, and provides a starting point to which the user can return should errors be made in the update

process.

Regardless of update frequency, an established time of week/month enhances the use of P6

functionality using Layouts and Reporting tools as well as predefined filters based on standard rolling

dates and the schedules Data Date.

Establish Baseline / Contract Schedule

Prior to starting the update process a Baseline or Contract Schedule must be developed and established.

The primary outcome of the schedule development process is an as -planned schedule model that

becomes the schedule control baseline for project control plan implementation. [1]

The term, Baseline typically refers to the accepted as-planned schedule submitted at project inception.

Primavera defines a baseline as a snapshot of the project plan against which the projects cost,

schedule, and performance can be measured.A baseline can be the projects as-planned schedule, a

statused or periodic as-built schedule, a what-if scenario, a time impact analysis, etc. (For users familiar

with Primavera P3, targets are synonymous with baselines in Primavera P6.)

Primavera P6 allows for the creation of infinite baselines for comparison to the current schedule and

gives each user the ability to assign up to three baselines to the current schedule for data comparisons.

The maximum number of baselines per project is established by the Administrator (Admin, Preferences,

Data Limits); this setting is Global and applies to all projects in the database. The Administrator can also

provide users the right to copy a specified number of baselines when copying the project.
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Assign Responsibility to each activity

One aspect of planning includes assigning specific roles and responsibilities for measuring the progress

and performance of each work package [1]. During the schedule development process, the Planner /

Scheduler should assign responsibility to each activity in the schedule. In Primavera P6, this is easily

accomplished through the use of an Activity Code (i.e. Responsibility). Using a responsibility Activity Code

allows the scheduler to breakdown activity progress by the trade or crew or individual performing or

responsible for the work. Each responsible party can (through the use of filters and layouts) review a

report of work progress and effectively plan for near term activities. The scheduler can also more easily

identify potential issues and mitigate risks based on performance factors.

Activity Codes may be Global (across the Enterprise) or Project (Specific to the individual project). It is

recommended to use project specific activity codes to avoid corruption of any other Projects in the

Enterprise database. Only one Activity Code value can be assigned to an activity (i.e. one responsibility

per activity).

Another option of tracking responsibility is to assign a Resource to each activity based on trade or crew orindividual (as shown in Figure 1); however it must be noted that Resources are always Global. Unlike

Activity Code values, multiple resources can be assigned to an activity.

It should be noted that an activity listing grouped by Activity Code (View menu, Group and Sort by) is an

option in the Activity window. However, grouping by Resources is not as functional in the Activity window

but available in the Assignments window.

Provide training

The Planner / Scheduler should provide training to each responsible party to ensure all parties

understand their role in the update process. Training should include details on how to update the

schedule, how to review the schedule, and how to add fragnets for change management. The schedule

basis should also include a description of how project control performance will be measured and
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assessed in respect to the schedule including rules for earning progress and the procedures for

evaluating progress and forecasting remaining durations. [1]

Training should provide an understanding of the update reports (i.e. short interval schedules based on

previous update) and what information is required of each individual to complete these reports (i.e.

activity remaining duration/percent complete and impacts and mitigation).

Gather data

The first step in the update process, prior to any data input, is to gather the data. The Planner / Scheduler

should provide the update report or layout to the team and responsible parties at regularly scheduled

intervals based on the frequency of the update process. Suggested information to provide in the update

report or layout is: Activity ID, Activity Name, Original Duration, Remaining Duration, Total Float, Start,

Finish, Actual Start, Actual Finish, Blank column for remarks. It is also helpful to include columns for

Predecessor and Successors.

A useful feature in Primavera P6 is the Progress Spotlight Option in the Activities window. By selecting

Progress Spotlight, the schedule layout is highlighted to a specific time period (based on the Timescale

minimum time increment. For monthly updates, it is useful to highlight two months; for weekly updates, it

is useful to highlight two weeks (as shown in Figure 2). This will provide the Planner / Scheduler with data

for one time-period of actual dates plus one time-period of forecasted dates / logic.

Each of the

responsible parties should fill out their respective scope of work on the update sheet. In the Activities

window, the layout can be sorted by responsible party using Group, Sort options (located under the View
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menu) and selecting the appropriate Responsibility activity code. In the Activity Assignments view, the

layout can be sorted by resource using Group, Sort options.

Hold a Job site visit / update meeting and validate data

It is extremely important to hold an update meeting, preferably at the jobsite to review and validate thedates and documentation given. This walk through should be conducted prior to or during the update

process to validate information provided by the responsible parties. those with project control

responsibility should spot check the work progress and performance measurements to some extent (i.e.,

informal work sampling, questioning responsible leaders, etc.) to ensure that the data being received and

reviewed are reliable, appropriate, and understood. [1] The Planner / Scheduler should walk the project

site to ensure the dates provided match progress in the field and clarify any questions they may have with

the responsible team member(s).

A risk to be aware of with progress measurements and schedules for payment based on progress is that

contractors responsible for work packages can benefit financially by over-reporting progress and/or

assigning too much money for payment for work that is performed early in the project. [1]

Any critical slippage should be noted and plans (if applicable) of mitigation should be documented.

Understand Primavera P6 settings that affect updates

With the data in hand and validated, the Planner / Scheduler is now ready to update the schedule in

P6. At this point it is important to have an understanding of the various software settings. These

settings include security access settings, percent complete types, duration types, calculation settings,

resource settings, multiple projects, layouts (reports), and filters.

Security access settings

At implementation, information security mechanisms must be established to control who may enter,

change, delete, view, or otherwise use data and information in and from the database. In addition, the

interaction/interface of owner, supplier, and contractor systems must be considered and resolved. [1]

Based on the Organizational Breakdown Structure (the hierarchical structure used to establish project

responsibility/security) read/write access can be defined down to the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

level. Security settings are established by the Administrator (Admin, Security Profiles).

Percent complete types

Activity progress is measured based on an activitys remaining duration and/or its percent complete. By

default P6 calculates one from the other using the Duration percent option or (Original Duration

Remaining Duration)/Original Duration. However based on project type and/or contract restrictions an

activitys duration may not be allowed to calculate theactivitys percent complete. In these cases, P6

provides the option of Physical percent or manually entered percentage of work complete. These settings

should be defined as default to all activities at the project level (Project Details, Defaults tab).


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Defining the activity percent complete type determines the role of percent complete at the activity level.

Duration percent complete direct correlation/calculation with Original and Remaining Durations. Units percent complete direct correlation/calculation with Budgeted and Actual Units. Physical percent complete no correlation with either Original and Remaining Durations nor

Budgeted and Actual Units.

Regardless of the percent complete type, P6 assigns 100% complete when an activity has an assigned

Actual Finish date.

Duration types

Typically, a project can be subdivided into four phases: Initial Phase, Planning Phase, Execution Phase,

and Closeout Phase. The level of incorporating estimated work durations based on production factors

may change dependent on the phase of the project. As scope of work is being defined, production rates

and durations are estimated. Duration can then be based on these estimates. However, once the scope

has been clearly defined and the project duration established, production rates are typically monitored in

order to maintain successful project completion.

Defining the activity Duration type determines the use of production rates and how they affect progressed

durations. There are three Duration Types to consider:

Fixed Units and Duration established Budgeted Units and Duration calculate the Units/Timeproduction rate. Typically used after contract award and during execution phases.

Fixed Units/Time and Duration established Units/Time production rates and Duration calculatethe projected Budgeted Units. This Duration Type is used when established Budgeted Quantitiesare not assigned but are secondary to the Duration and the Production Rate (i.e. Time andMaterial Schedule).

The last two Duration Types are typically used during the Initial Phase or constructability phase to

calculate durations based on either Budgeted Units or Units per Time.

Fixed Units established Budgeted Units calculate the Duration based on defined Units/Timeproduction rates.

Fixed Units/Time established Units/Time production rates calculate Duration based on desiredBudgeted Units.

These settings are based on resource definition and settings both at the resource and project levels. The

last two options, Fixed Units and Fixed Units/Time (typically used to prepare a constructability schedule)

calculate Duration based on the settings within the Project Details.

Activity types within P6

There are six activity types within P6 that define the role of the activity:

Task Dependentthe activitys duration over time is calculated using the activitys base calendar.Most activities in the typical construction schedule are task dependent.


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Resource Dependentthe activitys duration over time is calculated using the resourcescalendars.

Start Milestone a starting event with no duration and no finish date. Finish Milestone a finishing event with no duration and no start date.

Most contracts will define a Start Milestone (example: Notice to Proceed) and a Finish Milestone

(example: Substantial Completion).

Level of Effortthe activitys duration is calculated based on the relationship with its predecessorand successor activities. Typical usage of a Level of Effort type of activity is similar to that of whatwas a Hammock in P3 and SureTrak.

WBS Summarythe activitys duration is calculated based on the level of WBS within which theactivity is located.

Calculation settings

When calculating actual dates and project progress, P6 applies certain rules which affect the process

outcome (Tools menu, Schedule, Options). When external relationships exist to and from other projects,

the option to ignore these external relationships will determine whether those relationships affect the

currently opened schedule. (Note: If this option is not selected when importing/exporting files from other

databases, P6 preserves External dates based on the external relationships.)

P6 has an option to apply Expected Finish dates to activities to calculate activity completions. This can

be used for long lead procurement items or when a completion date determines the activitys duration.

In P6 there are three options available when scheduling progressed activities: retained logic, progress

override, and actual dates. Each of these settings affects the way the scheduled dates are calculated in

an update and are important for the Scheduler to understand. The Retained Logicsetting maintains the

as-built sequence of activities regardless of actual work. With the Progress Override setting the activitylogic sequence can be overridden based on actual work. The direct predecessor activitys dates

(Remaining Early) drive those successor activities which have not started. When the predecessor is

assigned an Actual Finish, the activitys dates (Remaining Early) are driven by the Data Date. When the

activity has an Actual Start, its Remaining Duration drives the Remaining Early Finish. The Actual Dates

setting allows for future actualized activity dates to calculate sequence.

Resource settings

P6 calculates resource actuals (units/cost) based on the settings defined at the Resource level

(Resource Details) and Project level (Project Details).


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Second Step in Schedule Development withPrimavera P6: UpdatePosted onJune 20, 2012byHill-PCI Group

The following is a continuation of a series that we are doing on lessons learned using Primavera P6. If

you missed the early post, please clickhere.

By default Primavera P6 allows for multiple user access to any schedule (dependent on user access

and licensing) within the database. The access in which a schedule is opened is determined at under the

File menu, Open, Access Mode (Exclusive / Shared / Read Only). If a project is selected from the Project

Window, by highlighting the project, right clicking and selecting Open Project, the file is opened in

Shared mode. However, when statusing schedule performance it is best to access the scheduling using

the Exclusive mode to prevent other users from overriding progressed data.

Maintain Baseline (of previous update) in Primavera P6

Prior to updating schedule data, the previous version should be saved or maintained as a Baseline to

track schedule modifications (slippage, accelerations) and changes to the projects critical path. Using the

Maintain Baseline options (as shown in Figure 3) provided by the application (Activity Window, Project,

Maintain Baseline), Primavera P6 renames the previous version or Baseline using the schedules

current Project Name - B1, B2, etc. As Primavera P6 allows for innumerable baselines or versions the

nomenclature should be renamed specific to the version being saved (i.e. Update as ofData Date,

Contract Schedule version 01, What-If as ofData Date, etc.).

Rename File
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Once the Baseline has been maintained, the current schedule should be renamed to a new version (i.e.

EX00 should be renamed to EX01). It is helpful to indicate whether this file is a draft, final, what-if, etc. in

the file name or by using a Project Code to indicate status.

Primavera P6 allows the Scheduler the ability to copy the current schedule as a Reflection. The

Reflection copy can then be altered or updated and then merged back into the current schedule. A wordof caution when using this feature: the following data items, when deleted in the Reflection copy, will not

be deleted in the current schedule during the merge: Activities, Relationships, Resource Assignments,

WBS elements, Work Products and Documents, Project Expenses, Project Issues, and Project Risks.

These data elements would need to be manually deleted from the current schedule following the merge.

(Oracle Knowledgebase ID 908732.1)

Assign Baseline

As previously mentioned, Primavera P6 allows for multiple Baselines associated to a single schedule.

Each user can view and compare up to three Baseline versions to the current schedule as well as the

overall project schedule (typically the Contract Schedule) using the Assign Baseline option (ActivityWindow, Project, Assign Baseline). It is recommended (as shown in Figure 4) that the Project Baseline

be the approved contract schedule and the User Primary Baseline be the last update or previous version

of the schedule which the Scheduler wishes to compare to the current schedule update.

ENTER DATA: Enter status (dates, percent complete, resources, costs)

Schedule performance assessment starts by entering the actual start, finish, and milestone achievement

dates in the project schedule (usually using scheduling software). [1].
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If earned value techniques are used, the percent complete information is also documented for each

activity. However, schedule performance is based on the remaining duration needed to complete the work

of the activity; which is then used to evaluate the percent of schedule completion. [1].

Prior to statusing the schedule in Primavera P6, the Scheduler must ensure that time is shown (Edit

menu, User Preferences, Dates, Time). If times are not shown, the software may enter incorrect start andfinish times. The Scheduler should enter all actual start dates, actual finish dates, percent completes,

remaining durations, resources and costs from the data provided by the team members. Each activity with

an actual date (start and/or finish) should be marked as Start/Finish and the date Start/Finish should be

entered. If Resource settings allow for auto-calculation the resource actuals will be updated, otherwise,

enter the actuals for each resource assigned to the activity.

Once the actual information is entered, the schedule can be calculated using the new Data Date (Tools

menu, Schedule). In P6 there is an option to Schedule automatically when a change affects dates, it is

recommended that this option be unselected when statusing the actuals to improve speed and efficiency

of the program. Once calculated, the schedule should be reviewed to ensure the data was entered

correctly (refer to the section Review and Analyze).

After the schedule has been reviewed and is acceptable as a project schedule update, the schedule may

be saved as a Baseline (with Status Only included in the title) prior to entering any new activities and

revised logic.

There are other options for updating activity progress based on work performance. If work performance

has occurred based on scheduled projections, P6 allows the user the option to Apply Actuals (Tools

menu, Apply Actuals) and Update Progress (Tools menu, Update Progress). Activity actuals and percent

complete will be automatically statused based on projected performance up to the new Data Date. Note

of caution that Apply Actuals and Update Progress options use Planned Dates (Planned Start/PlannedFinish) versus scheduled Start/Finish or Early Dates which may be different. This setting can cause

defined Actual Dates to be changed.

Enter revisions/forecast (activities, durations, logic)

Schedule forecasting starts with the statused network schedule. If changes or trends have been

identified, the plan and schedule for the work scope remaining is then developed using the methods of

the schedule planning and development process. The project schedule forecast is then revised reflecting

the current status integrated with the schedule for the remaining work scope. The revised schedule must

consider the performance and productivity to date, resource allocation, any improvement or corrective

actions proposed, and risk factors. Creating a revised schedule entails the schedule development steps,

and therefore is done only infrequently when conditions invalidate the planned schedule because it can

no longer be attained. If no changes or trends have been identified, and the project status is as planned,

the schedule forecast is simply the existing schedule. [1]

At this point, the Scheduler should enter any new activities, delete activities and revise logic and/or

durations based on information provided by the team. The schedule should be recalculated with the new

data date and reviewed to ensure the data was entered correctly. The schedule can be saved as a


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Baseline (with Revision added to the title) to monitor variances to the status only update as well as the

previous update and Project Baseline schedule.

Third Step in Schedule Development withPrimavera P6: Review/AnalyzePosted onJune 28, 2012byHill-PCI Group

The following is a continuation of a series that we are doing on lessons learned using Primavera P6. If

you missed the early post, please clickhere.

Using Primavera P6 to review and verify data input (Schedule self-check)

After inputting the data in Primavera P6 and prior to distributing any draft schedule layout or reports to

the team, the Planner / Scheduler should do a self-check of the data input and logic. When performing the

schedule calculation (Tools menu, Schedule) a log report (shown in Figure 5 from Primavera P6)

identifying calculation settings and potential schedule issues can be created and reviewed.

Items in Primavera P6 that should be reviewed are open ends (activities without Predecessors and/or

Successors), dangling relationship ties (Start-to-Start and/or Finish-to-Finish ties without a Successor

and/or Predecessor), incorrect and non-overlapping lag ties (Start-to-Start lag that exceeds the activity

duration or Finish-to-Finsh lag that exceeds the successor duration would result in gaps in the sequence),

out-of-sequence progress (incorrect logic based on actualized progress), actual dates in the future (actual
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status after the Data Date), incorrect times (start/finish times not set according to the calendar day

start/finish times), activities on the data date (verify predecessor logic), excessive float values (based on

Contract Duration and allowable float), and negative float (verify cause and responsibility as well as

contractual requirements for demonstrating and supporting work impacts). New activities should be

reviewed for durations and relationships, as well as impact to the overall plan. The construction Planner /

Scheduler should review the critical path and near critical path in Primavera P6 to make sure they arereasonable. The entire schedule should be reviewed to identify any areas of concern such as

constructability issues and stacking of trades. Standard and customized Primavera P6 filters (Activity

Window, View menu, Filters) and reports can be used to check for many of these items. It is extremely

helpful to use Claim Digger and / or a third party review software such as Schedule Analyzer for the

Enterprise to assist in the self-check review. The Planner / Scheduler should identify any questions and

items of concern and review them with the appropriate team members.

Compare current Primavera P6 upate to previous update

It is useful to compare the current Primavera P6 update to the previous update and / or Contract

Schedule. The schedule assessment is usually reported using a schedule plot (e.g., a bar chart) showing

the planned (i.e., target) and actual schedule activity status. [1]

In Primavera P6, the Planner / Scheduler can create a comparison layout by assigning the appropriate

baseline(s) (Project menu, Assign Baseline) and selecting the Baseline bars (View, Bars) and Baseline

data columns. The Planner / Scheduler must be aware that varying Baseline Types (Project Baseline

versus User Baselines Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary) will allow for varying levels of data (Primary

will allow for more data than Secondary. Likewise, Secondary will allow for more data comparison than

Tertiary).

Schedule performance variance may be expressed as either the amount of time or the percent of the

planned duration that the schedule is ahead or behind. [1]

In Primavera P6 the earned value calculation settings (Admin Preferences menu, Earned Value) will

determine how variances are calculated. The Primavera P6 options are: At Completion values with

current dates, Budgeted values with current dates and Budgeted values with planned dates. In a standard

comparison of current and baseline data, it is recommended that Budgeted values with current dates

option be used. The Primavera P6setting for this is global, not project specific, and affects all projects in

the Primavera P6 database.

A useful comparison schedule layout in Primavera P6 (shown in Figure 6) includes the following

columns: Calendar, Activity ID, Activity Name, Start, Finish, Baseline Start, Baseline Finish, Original

Duration, Actual Duration, Remaining Duration, Baseline Actual Duration, Baseline Remaining Duration,

Total Float, Free Float, Baseline Total Float, Baseline Free Float, Variance Baseline Start Date, Variance

Baseline Finish Date, Predecessors, Successors, Critical. This layout in Primavera P6 should include

the current schedule and baseline schedule bars to graphically display variances from the Baseline.


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Review Logic Reports / Layouts and Changes made in Primavera P6

The Planner / Scheduler should provide the team with logic reports and layouts as the schedule will also

be assessed to determine if the logic for the remaining work is still valid (e.g., is the actual performance

now out of sequence). This observation, along with cost, resource, productivity, and work process and

performance assessments (i.e., trends) will be used in the forecasting process to evaluate the plan and

schedule for remaining work, and to address trends and changes. [1]

The Planner / Scheduler and team should review the logic and changes made during the update in

Primavera P6; these can be quickly identified through the use of Claim Digger (Tools, Claim Digger)

and / or third party software such as Schedule Analyzer for the Enterprise.

Finalize and Maintain Baseline (of this finalized update)

Once the entire team has reviewed and approved the draft update (this may take several drafts), the

Planner / Scheduler should finalize the update. The file should be maintained as a Baseline in PrimaveraP6 (Project, Maintain Baseline, Save Copy), exported and backed up to a safe location. The change

management process, in integration with the forecasting process, results in a revised project control

baseline against which performance will be measured and assessed for the remaining project. [1]
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Fourth Step in Schedule Development withPrimavera P6: CommunicatePosted onJuly 13, 2012byHill-PCI Group

Useful layouts that can be created in Primavera P6

The Planner / Scheduler must provide the team with various layouts and reports to communicate the

updated plan. Some useful layouts that can be created in Primavera P6 include bar chart layouts, look

ahead schedules, critical path and near critical path sorts, and responsibility sorts. Each of these layouts

may be saved as Global (available to all projects in the database), User (available only to the user) and

Project (specific only to the project).

Create Custom Reports Using the Report Wizard tool

To help assess management priorities, additional schedule status reports may include lists of activities

sorted by pending planned start dates (activities requiring immediate attention), pending planned finish
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dates, or by total float (activities with most immediate potential impact to project completion. [1].

Primavera P6 contains many standard schedule, resource and cost reports as well as Report Editor

and Report Wizard tools which the Scheduler can use to create customized reports.

Final Note about Lessons Learned Series Using Primavera P6

Many Contract Documents are now requiring the use of the latest version of Primavera software (P6)

therefore it is important for the Construction Scheduler to understand how to use this software most

efficiently in their effort to maintain and to complete their projects in a timely manner. A new or

inexperienced Primavera P6 user may be overwhelmed in the struggle to maintain and update the

schedule using P6 and its advanced features without proper training or Basic Training. The

Construction Scheduler should be able to apply the Lessons Learned outlined in this paper to update

schedules quickly and efficiently using Primavera P6.


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How to Build Lookahead Filters in OraclePrimavera Using Date VariablesLookahead reports are one of the centerpieces of consistent project reporting and controlling.Lookahead reports show and highlight upcoming activities in the project. Most commonlookahead reports focus on activities scheduled for the upcoming week, next 2 weeks, next 3

weeks, next month and next 3 months. Of course there are other variations and the determining

factor will be the type of project being worked. The nice thing about Primavera is that you canbuild a custom filter that will lookahead any period that suits your needs.

The key to a lookahead report is building a proper activity Filter. Recall that an activity Filter

will show only activities that meet the Filters criteria all activities that dont meet the criteria

will be hidden. Knowing how to program the Filters criteria is essential. And in this tutorial

well show you how to do it.

Tutorial Files

Complete this tutorial by downloading the following files:

Ptuts -Lookahead-Filters-Files.zip

Step 1 Finding Your Footing With Filters

Start by opening a project plan. You cant build any filters in Primavera un less you have aproject open.
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Click the Filters icon on the toolbar OR goto Views -> Filters in the menus. Click New to add a

new custom filter.

Step 2 Creating A Custom Filter In P6

Name your filter 1 Month Lookahead Basic. Now to do theprogramming part.

Click in the empty field in the Parameter column. You should get a dropdown box with a long

list of field names. In this list, find the entry Start which is the column that represent activity


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start dates.

Step 3 Programming The Filter

Click in the Is column and choose is within range of from the dropdown list.


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Step 4 Using Primaveras Built-In Date Variables

When building a filter that uses a range (as in our choice from Step 3), well have to specify anupper value and a lower value for the range in question. Then in the next column Value wellspecify the lower value of the range. Click in the Value column you should see another

button become available. If you click it, youll see the menu below. The choices in the menu

represent some of Primavera s built-in date variables. For example, the variable PS representsthe Projects Start Date that was specified when the project was first created. For our filter, well

use the variable DDthe projects Data Date.


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Now click in the High Value column. This type were going to type in a short formula. Type inDD+1M. This formula sets the upper range to 1 month more than our current Data Date. Forexample, if our current Data Date is March 3rd, this formula would set the upper range to March

3rd + 1 month which is April 3rd.

NOTE: If you hit Enter after typing in DD+1M, you will likely have a new line added to yourscreen. Go ahead and delete that line by clicking the Delete button on the right.

Step 5 Viewing The Filtered Results

Click OK to lock in your custom filter. You should notice that your new filter is checked on.Click OK to view your project with the filter on.


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The filter should show you a short list of activities scheduled to start in the next month(assuming your Data Date is set to reflect the last status date and you are statusing on a

consistent basis). In our sample project, were only showing 2 activities planning to get started in

the next month.


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A lookahead report can be essential for focusing on soon-to-be-starting activities. You could

easily print this layout or create a Report from this data to discuss at your weekly project

meeting.

Creating a Better Lookahead FilterThe basic lookahead filter youve just built works well in ideal situations but it doesnt quite

meet the mark in other cases. For example, it leaves out in-progress activities which you will

likely want to be aware of. In the case where activities started earlier than planned, it wont showyou those either. So lets show you how to build a better lookahead filter.

Step 6 Make A Copy Of The Basic Lookahead Filter

Go back to the Filters window by clicking the Filter icon on the toolbar. Highlight your 1

Month Lookahead Basic filter, click the Copy button and then the Paste button. Highlight the

new copy and click the Modify button.


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Step 7 Tweaking The Primavera Filter To Include In-Progress Activities

Rename the filter to Better 1 Month Lookahead. Start reprogramming by changing the

paramete in the Value column (currently DD). Well change this to PS instead the Project

Start Date.

Next, click the Add button to add a line. Click the Parameter dropdown box and find Activity

Status in the list. Change the Is column to Is Not Equal To and set the Value column to

Completed. Click OK.

Place a checkmark next to your new filter to turn it on and uncheck any other filters to turn them

off. Click OK to view the project.


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As you can see, the new filter includes the original 3 activities due to start in the next month

PLUS any activities are that are still in-progress. This new filter is much more complete now andwill ensure you report on all planned and in-progress activities in the filtered range.


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Wrap-Up

Lookahead filters are fundamental to reporting and monitoring your project on an ongoing basis.

Create these filters in your Oracle Primavera database and make them Global so you can share

them with your colleagues and start to set a standard for reporting in your organization.

Physical Percent Complete in Primavera P6There are three different methods of calculating the actual progress of activities:DurationPercent Complete,Units Percent Complete, and Physical Percent Complete. The first two are

explained in the previous articles and this article will cover the last one, Physical % Complete.

We will also discuss the ways of choosing the appropriate percent complete field in later articles,

and will now focus on the nature and calculations only.

The Concept of Physical Progress

The progress of some activities is not measured appropriately by the means of duration or units.In such cases, we use the concept of physical progress.

The physical progress of an activity is a manually-entered value determined by the user. The

value can be based on either of these two:

On physical parameters that are not applicable inside the plan the amount of concrete poured,

the length of the pipes laid down, and the number of light bulbs installed, are examples of this

kind. You can always use resources to implement these parameters, but they are not usually the

only assignment (you also have human resource assignments, equipment assignments, etc.) and

in such cases, theUnits % Completewill be calculated based on a combination of the main

parameter and all other assignments of the activity, which is not your desired result. So, you can

measure this kind of progress by resource units and Units % Complete, only when that resource

is the only one assigned to the activity. Otherwise, implementing these parameters will not be

easy in an automated system and entering them manually is usually preferred.

On expert judgement based on the physical progress of the final product or result sometimes

the physical parameters (as described before) are not suitable basis for progress measurement

and expert judgement is preferred.

Either way, physical progress is determined outside the schedule.

Two Types of Physical Progress in Primavera P6

There are two methods of dealing with physical values in Primavera P6:

Entering them manually; this is the default method and is done by entering whatever you wish

in the Physical % Complete field of the activity.
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Using Activity Steps; this is done by selecting predefined manual values.

These two types are explained below.

Using Activity Steps

One of the measurement methods, also described in the Earned Value Management fordetermining the earned value, is using activity steps. Imagine an activity: designing the

foundation of the equipment xyz.

Its common for the progress of activities related to design to follow steps instead of

incremental values; for example:

0% for not-started activities and those that are not completed and issued yet

80% for the completion and the first issue of the design

100% for the approved design

So we will have the following progress curve for the sample activity:

The first issue and the approval in this sample are usually called Activity Steps, or Progress

Steps. One way of implementing this method is to limit ourselves to only entering these values;

e.g. do not enter any physical progress before the design is issued. By the time we issue the

design, we can enter 80% as the physical progress and again, we wont increase it until it isapproved, which makes our physical progress 100%.
http://www.plannertuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/001.jpg


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Primavera P6 has a feature which makes this kind of progressing easier. We can define the

activity steps and use them for entering progress and thus to update Physical % Complete on the

activitiy. This will prevent us from making mistakes by automatically limiting us to thepredefined values.

The first thing to do is to get the settings right or specifically the setting which enables progressvia activity steps.

1) Click on the Projects item of the Enterprise menu to open the Projects window.


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2) After selecting the project in the upper part of the window, the Activity percent complete

based on activity steps option should be activated to enable the activity steps. From now on,

you cannot enter manual physical % complete values for the activities which have defined steps.However, its still possible to enter manual values for activities which do not have steps. So,

dont worry too much about this setting; you can always keep it active.

The next thing to do is to define steps for the activities. The following screen shows a plan with

two activities.

The activity A1 is selected. The settings we will deal with are in the Steps Tab of the Details

pane. If you dont have the pane, select View| Show on Bottom| Details. If you dont have theSteps tab, right click on a tab and select Customize Activity Details then activate the Steps item.


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Now, it is time to define steps. Our sample steps are 80% progress for the first issue and the

remaining 20% for the approval.

3) To add a new step, click on the Add button (bottom-left corner of the screen).

4) Enter the name of the step and repeat clicking on the Add button and entering the names for

the rest of the steps.


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Now the two sample steps have been entered. These steps have the same weight now; each willincrease Physical % Complete by 50%.

5) In order to define other weights, right click on the Step Name heading (or any other headings)

and select Customize Step Columns. By this, a dialog box opens and the Step Weight column

can be added to the layout.


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6) Now predefined progress of each step can be entered in the Step Weight column as shown.


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Now we are finished defining the steps for activity A1.

You might have many activities with the same steps. In this case, select all steps of activity A1(click on a step, then press Ctrl+A keys to select all), then right click on a blank space of the

steps pane and select Create Template. By this, the following dialog box appears:


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Enter a desired name (General Design Steps in this sample) and click on the OK button. Now

a saved template for these steps is created and available for further use.

Now lets select activity A2.

7) This activity is supposed to have the same steps as activity A1. We can use the previously

made template to create them. Click on the Add From Template button and the following dialogbox will appear.


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8) Double click on the General Design Steps item to continue.


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The same steps are added to the activity.

Entering Physical % Complete

1) The first thing is to select the activity, go to the Status tab of the Details pane, check theStarted checkbox, and mark the activity as started. This means that the activity is started and

ready to receive its physical progress.


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2) In this example, the activity A3 is marked as started. This activity does not have steps, so thePhysical % Complete can be entered manually. Simply click on the cell and enter the value.


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For those activities which have steps (A1 and A2 in this sample), you cannot enter manual valuesand should use the steps instead (only if you have activated the steps as described in the

beginning of this very article). In order to do so, go to the Steps tab of the Details pane after

marking the activity as started. Just check the Completed checkboxes of the completed steps.


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Physical % Complete for WBS Elements

WBS elements usually roll-up the information of their underlying activities; e.g. the cost of a

WBS element is the sum of the costs of its children and its Start is equal to the minimum of the

starts of its children. The way each value is rolled-up depends on the type and nature of the value

and even some of them do not accept roll-ups by their nature. The Physical % Complete is oneof those fields that are not rolled-up, because its based on external parameters, unknown to the

software, and there is no way of equalizing them and providing a summarization.

The thing you should have in mind is that you are not supposed to use activity percent completes

for the WBS elements, even if they have rolled-up values (like Duration % Complete and Units% Complete). The suitable field for this purpose is Performance % Complete which will be

discussed in later articles.


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Summary

The concept of the Physical % Complete is straightforward. Its a way of entering manual

progresses based on expert judgment or other external factors. These values can be dynamically

determined in each control period or follow a predefined set of values (activity steps).

One last thing you should have in mind is that the planned progress, which is provided by theSchedule % Completeand planned value fields, does not incorporate steps and is based on dates

and units (seeSchedule % Complete articlefor more information). This can cause some amounts

of false variation between your actual progress and planned progress. These variations areusually too little to be taken into consideration. But if you believe they are large for your project

or you want to be as precise as possible, you should avoid activity steps and decompose the

activity into more simple activities which are possible to be tracked based on duration or units.

Final Note

An interesting use of Physical % Complete is that you can have appropriate Global Changes inplace, which calculate progresses and put them in the field. Suppose you have more than one

resource assigned to each activity and are supposed to use one of them for the progress. An

appropriate Global Change can calculate the value automatically and enter it in the field. Another

example is when you need aDuration Percent Completesimilar to that of Microsoft Project,which is based on the At Completion Duration instead of Original Duration. You can have

another Global Change to calculate this value and present it as Physical % Complete.
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