primavera p6 project management reference manual_part1
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Primavera ® P6™ Project Management
Reference Manual
Version 6.2
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Copyright © 1999 - 2008 Primavera. All rights reserved.
The software described herein and this documentation is furnished under a Software License Agreement and may
be used only in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.
Except as provided in the applicable Software License Agreement, Primavera assumes no liability resulting from
any omission or inaccuracies in this document or from use of the information obtained herein. Except as
provided in the applicable Software License Agreement, Primavera does not assume any liability arising out of
the application or use of any product described herein. Primavera reserves the right to make changes to any
products described herein to improve reliability, function, or design, and reserves the right to revise this
document and to make changes from time to time in content hereof with no obligation to notify any person of
revisions or changes.
Please send your comments to:
Primavera Systems, Inc.
Three Bala Plaza West
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004Telephone: 1-610-667-8600
FAX: 1-610-667-7894
World Wide Web site: http://www.primavera.com
The software products described in this document may not be copied, reproduced, modified, or distributed,
except as indicated in the Software License Agreement. You may not reproduce the printed version of the User
Documentation or other printed materials accompanying the software, except as expressly permitted in the
Software License Agreement or in writing by Primavera. However, you are permitted to reproduce and distribute
as many copies of the electronic version of the User Documentation, in printed and electronic format, as you
reasonably require in support of your use of the software.
U.S. Government Restricted Rights: If the software is acquired for or on behalf of the United States of America,
its agencies and/or instrumentalities (“U.S. Government”), it is provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS, as set
forth in the Software License Agreement. Use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display or
disclosure of the software and accompanying documentation by the U.S. Government are subject to the restric-
tions set forth in the Software License Agreement.
Trademarks: Primavera, the Primavera sundial, Authorized Representative, Solution Provider, Business
Solutions for a Project-Driven World logos, P6, P5, P3, Primavera Project Manager, Primavera ProSight,
Primavera Contract Manager, Pertmaster, Primavera Cost Manager, Evolve, Primavera Contractor, Primavera
Inspire, Claim Digger and SureTrak are either trademarks, services marks or registered trademarks of Primavera
in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their
respective owners.
To view the P6 Commercial Notices and Disclosures for Documentation, go to the \Documen-
tation\\Notices and Disclosures folder located in the \Documentation\ folder of the P6
physical media or download.
http://www.primavera.com/http://www.primavera.com/
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Table of Contents
Preface................................................................................................. xiPrimavera Products .............................................................................................xii
Using Documentation and Help.......................................................................... xvWhere to Get Support ......................................................................................xviii
Part 1: Overview and Configuration
Understanding Project Management ...............................................21Why Use Project Portfolio Management? .......................................................... 22
Your Role in the Enterprise................................................................................. 23
Project Management Process Overview.............................................................. 26
Planning, Controlling, and Managing Projects ................................................... 28
Quick Tour..........................................................................................31Getting Started ....................................................................................................32Selecting a Language .......................................................................................... 36
The Workspace.................................................................................................... 37
What Is a Layout? ............................................................................................... 40
Customizing Displays ......................................................................................... 42
Sample Layouts................................................................................................... 44
Using Wizards..................................................................................................... 46
Setting User Preferences....................................................................49Formatting Time Units ........................................................................................ 50
Formatting Dates................................................................................................. 52Setting View Currency and Symbols .................................................................. 53
Setting Mail Preferences ..................................................................................... 54
Implementing Wizards........................................................................................ 55
Creating a Log of Tasks and
Setting Startup, Group and Sort, and Column Options...................................... 56
Changing Your Password.................................................................................... 58
Setting Profile and Spreadsheet Data Options .................................................... 60
Setting Calculation Options for Resource and Role Assignments...................... 62
Selecting Startup Filters ...................................................................................... 64
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Part 2: Structuring Projects
Setting Up the Enterprise Project Structure ...................................67Enterprise Project Structure Overview................................................................ 68
Setting Up the Enterprise Project Structure ........................................................ 75Adding a New Project to the Enterprise Project Structure.................................. 77
Using Project Architect....................................................................................... 79
Working with the Enterprise Project Structure ................................................... 87
Defining Enterprise Project Structure Details..................................................... 92
Setting Up the Organizational Breakdown Structure ..................103The Enterprise OBS ..........................................................................................104
Viewing an OBS................................................................................................ 107
Setting Up an OBS............................................................................................ 109
Editing OBS Elements ......................................................................................112
Defining Resources and Roles.........................................................115Resources Overview.......................................................................................... 116
Viewing and Adding Resources ........................................................................ 117
Defining Resource Shifts .................................................................................. 124
Defining and Assigning Resource Codes and Values ....................................... 125
Setting Up Roles ...............................................................................................128
Assigning Roles to Resources...........................................................................133
Defining Custom Resource Curves................................................................... 135
Reviewing Work Breakdown Structures .......................................139The Enterprise WBS .........................................................................................140
Viewing a WBS................................................................................................. 142Grouping by WBS Path..................................................................................... 144
Adding WBS Elements and Assigning Properties............................................ 145
Using WBS Milestones ..................................................................................... 149
Assigning WBS Category Values...................................................................... 151
Defining Earned Value Settings for Specific WBS Elements........................... 152
Assigning Estimation Weights to WBS Elements ............................................ 155
Defining Budgets ..............................................................................159Top-Down Budgeting........................................................................................ 160
Establishing Budgets......................................................................................... 163
Establishing a Monthly Spending Plan ............................................................. 165Tracking Budget Changes ................................................................................. 167
Establishing Funding......................................................................................... 169
Tracking and Analyzing Budgets...................................................................... 172
Establishing Project Codes..............................................................173Defining and Assigning Project Codes ............................................................. 174
Grouping, Summarizing, and Filtering by Codes ............................................. 179
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Primavera - Project Management
Working with User-Defined Fields .................................................183Creating User-Defined Fields ........................................................................... 184
Working with User-Defined Fields ................................................................... 186
Working with Indicators.................................................................................... 188
Creating Calendars ..........................................................................191Adding Calendars.............................................................................................. 192
Modifying Calendars ........................................................................................ 194
Part 3: Implementing the Schedule
Establishing Activity Codes ............................................................201Creating Activity Codes and Values ................................................................. 202
Grouping and Summarizing by Codes.............................................................. 207
Working with Activities...................................................................211
Activities Overview ..........................................................................................212Adding Activities .............................................................................................. 213
Defining General Activity Information............................................................. 215
Defining Schedule Information......................................................................... 219
Establishing Relationships ................................................................................ 223
Displaying Activity Details for Assignments ................................................... 229
Assigning Resources and Roles ........................................................................ 230
Assigning Resource Curves to Resource or Role Assignments........................ 234
Manually Planning Future Period Assignments ............................................... 235
Assigning Activity Codes and Adding Expenses ............................................. 241
Viewing Activity Feedback and Posting Resource Notes................................. 243
Assigning Work Products and Documents........................................................ 245
Adding Steps..................................................................................................... 246
Creating and Assigning Activity Step Templates ............................................. 248
Viewing Activity Summaries ............................................................................ 251
Viewing Contract Manager Documents............................................................ 252
Using Global Change........................................................................................ 253
Working with Cost Accounts and Project Expenses.....................257Cost Account and Expense Overview............................................................... 258
Setting Up a Cost Account Structure ................................................................ 259
Adding Expenses and Entering Cost Information ............................................ 263
Defining Expense Details.................................................................................. 266
Analyzing Costs................................................................................................ 268
Performing Top-Down Estimation .................................................271Performing Top-down Estimation..................................................................... 272
Applying Saved Top-Down Estimates To a Project.......................................... 276
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Part 4: Updating and Managing the Schedule
Managing Baselines .........................................................................281Creating and Maintaining Baselines ................................................................. 282
Assigning Baselines to Projects ........................................................................ 286Comparing Current and Baseline Schedules..................................................... 288
Updating Baselines ...........................................................................................290
Updating, Scheduling, and Leveling...............................................295The Update Process........................................................................................... 296
Choosing a Method of Updating....................................................................... 298
Highlighting Activities for Updating ................................................................ 302
Updating Progress for Spotlighted Activities ................................................... 304
Estimating Progress Automatically................................................................... 306
Updating Using Timesheets .............................................................................. 309
Updating Activities Manually ........................................................................... 314Interrupting Activity Progress........................................................................... 320
Applying Actuals ..............................................................................................322
Storing Period Performance (Past Period Actuals) ........................................... 324
Scheduling Projects........................................................................................... 328
Leveling Resources ........................................................................................... 333
Recalculating Resource and Role Assignment Costs ....................................... 337
Managing Resource Assignments..................................................................... 339
Summarizing Projects .....................................................................341Setting Summarization Options ........................................................................ 342
Summarizing Project Data ................................................................................ 343
Project Issues and Thresholds ........................................................351Adding Issues.................................................................................................... 352
Assigning Tracking Layouts to Issues .............................................................. 356
Using the Issue Navigator ................................................................................. 357
Adding Thresholds............................................................................................ 358
Threshold Parameter Definitions ...................................................................... 361
Monitoring Thresholds...................................................................................... 365
Assigning Tracking Layouts to Thresholds ...................................................... 366
Managing Risks ................................................................................367
Adding Risks..................................................................................................... 368Calculating Exposure Values ............................................................................ 370
Calculating a Risk’s Impact .............................................................................. 371
Creating and Deleting Risk Types..................................................................... 372
Customizing Risk Layouts ................................................................................ 373
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Maintaining a Project’s Document Library ..................................375Viewing a Document Library and
Adding/Deleting Work Products and Documents............................................ 376
Specifying Document Location References...................................................... 378
Assigning Work Products and Documents........................................................ 379
Tracking Projects .............................................................................381Creating Tracking Layouts................................................................................ 382
Working with Tracking Layouts ....................................................................... 385
Customizing Tracking Layouts......................................................................... 386
Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data in Tracking Layouts............................. 388
Comparing Projects with Schedule Comparison ..........................391Schedule Comparison Overview....................................................................... 392
Comparing Projects/Baselines .......................................................................... 393
Comparison Data .............................................................................................. 400
Creating and Using Reflections ......................................................407Reflection Overview ......................................................................................... 408
Creating and Using Reflections ........................................................................ 409
Reflection Guidelines........................................................................................ 413
Checking Projects In and Out.........................................................415Managing Remote Projects ............................................................................... 416
Checking Out Projects ...................................................................................... 417
Checking In Projects ......................................................................................... 419
Part 5: Customizing ProjectsWorking with Layouts .....................................................................425
Layout Types..................................................................................................... 426
Creating, Opening, and Saving Layouts ........................................................... 432
Exporting and Importing Layouts..................................................................... 433
Copying and Pasting Resource Spreadsheet Data to Microsoft Excel.............. 434
Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data...........................................435Grouping Data................................................................................................... 436
Sorting Data ...................................................................................................... 440
Filtering Data ....................................................................................................441
Customizing Layouts .......................................................................445Modifying Columns ..........................................................................................446
Adjusting the Timescale.................................................................................... 449
Formatting Gantt Charts.................................................................................... 452
Formatting Activity Network Layouts .............................................................. 460
Modifying Resource and Activity Usage Profile Settings ................................ 464
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Customizing Reports .......................................................................473Reports Overview.............................................................................................. 474
Opening Reports ............................................................................................... 475
Creating and Modifying Reports....................................................................... 476
Using the Report Editor ....................................................................................479Adding Data Sources and Rows to Reports ...................................................... 483
Adding Text Cells to Reports............................................................................ 487
Sorting Report Data Sources............................................................................. 495
Customizing a Report with the Report Editor: an Example.............................. 496
Using Report Groups ........................................................................................506
Setting Up Batch Reports.................................................................................. 507
Printing Layouts and Reports.........................................................509Defining Page Settings ...................................................................................... 510
Previewing Layouts and Reports....................................................................... 514
Printing Layouts and Reports............................................................................ 515Publishing Layouts and Reports in HTML Format........................................... 517
Publishing a Project On the Web ...................................................519Project Web Site Overview ............................................................................... 520
Publishing a Project Web Site ........................................................................... 522
Customizing the Appearance of a Project Web Site ......................................... 524
Publishing Activity and Tracking Layouts........................................................ 525
Part 6: Importing and Exporting Data
Linking the Project Management
and Contract Manager Modules ...................................................529Linking the Project Management Module to Contract Manager ...................... 530
Linking a Project Management Project to a Contract Manager Project ........... 532
Importing Contract Manager Data to a Project Management Module Project .534
Transferring Data to Other
Project Management Module Users ..............................................537Exporting Projects............................................................................................. 538
Exporting Roles or Resources........................................................................... 545
Importing Projects............................................................................................. 547
Importing Roles or Resources........................................................................... 567Transferring Methodology Data.....................................................573
Exporting Methodologies.................................................................................. 574
Exporting Roles or Resources........................................................................... 576
Importing Methodologies.................................................................................. 578
Importing Projects as Methodologies ............................................................... 583
Importing Roles or Resources........................................................................... 588
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Transferring Data Using Microsoft Project Files..........................593Exporting Projects............................................................................................. 594
Exporting Resources ......................................................................................... 602
Importing Projects from Microsoft Project....................................................... 607
Importing Resources from Microsoft Project ................................................... 618
Transferring Data Using Microsoft Excel Files.............................627Exporting Project Data to Microsoft Excel....................................................... 628
Updating Project Data in Microsoft Excel........................................................ 635
Importing Projects from Microsoft Excel ......................................................... 638
Transferring Data Between
P3 and the Project Management Module .....................................643Exporting Projects to P3 3.x ............................................................................. 644
Importing P3 3.x Projects to the Project Management Module........................ 653
Transferring Data to Primavera Contractor Users ......................681Exporting Projects............................................................................................. 682
Exporting Resources ......................................................................................... 685
Index..................................................................................................687
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Primavera’s Project Management module is
comprehensive, multiproject planning and
control software, built on SQL, Oracle, and
SQL Server Express server databases for
enterprise-wide project management
scalability. The module can stand alone for
project and resource management, or it can
be used with companion Primavera products
to manage your project portfolios.
In this preface:
Primavera Products
Using Documentation and HelpWhere to Get Support
Preface
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Primavera Products
Primavera provides an integrated project portfolio management (PPM)
solution consisting of role-specific tools to satisfy each team member’s
needs, responsibilities, and skills. This solution uses standard Windowsinterfaces, client/server architecture, Web-enabled technology, and
stand-alone (SQL Server Express) or network-based (Oracle and
Microsoft SQL Server) databases. Primavera offers the following
software components:
Project Management The Project Management module enablesusers to track and analyze performance. It is a multiuser, multiproject
system with scheduling and resource control capabilities supporting
multi-tiered project hierarchies, resource scheduling with a focus on
roles and skills, recording of actual data, customizable views, and user-
definable data.
The module is ideal for organizations that need to simultaneously
manage multiple projects and support multiuser access across a
department or the entire enterprise. It supports an enterprise project
structure (EPS) with an unlimited number of projects, activities,
baselines, resources, work breakdown structures (WBS), organizational
breakdown structures (OBS), user-defined codes, and critical-path-
method (CPM) scheduling and resource leveling. Large-scale
implementations for enterprise-wide project portfolio management use
it with Oracle or SQL Server as the project database. For smallerimplementations, you can use SQL Server Express.
The module also provides centralized resource management. This
includes resource timesheet approval and the ability to communicate
with project resources who use the Timesheets module. In addition, the
module provides integrated risk management, issue tracking, and
management by threshold. The tracking feature enables users to perform
dynamic cross-project rollups of cost, schedule, and earned value.
Project work products and documents can be assigned to activities and
managed centrally. The Report Wizard creates customized reports that
extract specific data from its database.
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Methodology Management The Methodology Managementmodule is a system for authoring and storing methodologies, or project
plan templates, in a central location. Project managers can select,
combine, and tailor methodologies to create custom project plans. These
customized methodologies can be imported into the ProjectManagement module using the Project Architect wizard and used as
templates for new projects. In this way, your organization can
continually improve and refine methodology activities, estimates, and
other information with each new project.
Timesheets Primavera also provides a Web-based interprojectcommunication and timekeeping system. As a team-level tool for
project participants, Timesheets helps team members focus on the work
at hand with a simple cross-project to-do list of their upcoming
assignments. It also provides views of project changes and timecards for
manager approval. Because team members use this module to enter up-
to-the-minute information about their assignments and record time
against their workloads, project leaders can make crucial project
decisions with the confidence that they have the most current
information possible.
P6 Web Access P6 Web Access provides browser-based access toproject, portfolio, and resource data across the enterprise. Every web
user can create customized dashboards that provide an individualized
and focused view of the specific projects and categories of project data
that are most relevant to their role in managing project portfolios,projects, and resources. Project Workspaces and Workgroups extend the
model of customizable, focused data views by enabling designated
project team members to create a uniform team view of data that relates
to one specific project or to a subset of activities within a project. P6
Web Access provides access to a wide range of data views and features
that enable Web users to manage their projects from initial concept
review and approval through to completion.
Primavera Web Services Primavera Web Services uses openstandards, including XML, SOAP, and WSDL, to seamlessly integrate
Primavera’s project management functionality into other applications.
Using Primavera Web Services, organizations can share Primavera
project management data between applications independent of operating
system or programming language. For detailed information, see the
Primavera P6 Web Services Administrator’s Guide.
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Primavera Integration API The Primavera Integration API(Application Programming Interface) is a Java-based API and server
that enables developers to create client code that can directly and
seamlessly access Primavera’s project management database. For
detailed information, see the Primavera P6 Integration APIAdministrator’s Guide.
Software Development Kit The Primavera Software DevelopmentKit (SDK) enables users to integrate the data in the Project Management
module database with external databases and applications. It provides
access to the schema and to stored procedures that encapsulate business
logic. The SDK supports the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
standard and ODBC-compliant interfaces, such as OLE-DB and JDBC,
for connecting to the project management database. The SDK must be
installed on any computer that needs to integrate with the database. For
detailed information, see the Primavera SDK Help.
Schedule Comparison Schedule Comparison provides thecapability to compare two projects, or a project and an associated
baseline, to determine what data has been added, deleted, or modified
from the schedules. Based on the data fields you select for comparison,
this feature creates a project plan comparison report in one of three file
formats. Schedule Comparison is automatically installed with the
Project Management module. You can access it from the Tools menu.
ProjectLink ProjectLink is a plug-in that enables Microsoft Project(MSP) users to work in the MSP environment while being connected to
Primavera's enterprise features. The functionality enables users of
MSP2002 and 2003 to open and save projects from or to the Project
Management module database from within the MSP application.
Moreover, MSP users have the ability to invoke Primavera's resource
management within the MSP environment. ProjectLink benefits
organizations that have a substantial amount of project data stored in
MSP but require some users to have the additional functionality and
optimized data organization available within Primavera applications.
Microsoft 2007 currently is not supported for use with Project
Link.
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Using Documentation and HelpFor a list of new featuresincluded in this version ofthe module, refer to the
Wh a t ’ s N e w i n P r o j e ctM a n a g e m e n t ? topic of theHelp.
This book guides you through the process of planning and controlling
projects using the Project Management module. Read the first chapter to
become familiar with the process of PPM, then follow the steps in eachsuccessive chapter to build projects and project components, set up
codes and documents, manage the resources required to complete the
project plan, update projects as work gets underway, and report results
throughout the project life cycle. This manual is organized as follows:
Part 1: Overview and Configuration Provides an overview ofproject portfolio management, simple steps for getting started quickly,
and information about the standard layouts you can use to view project
data. This part also provides a quick tour, including instructions for
configuring user workstation preferences.
Part 2: Structuring Projects Includes the basics about theenterprise project structure (EPS) and describes how to set up this
structure, add new projects to build the hierarchy, use and navigate the
EPS, open existing projects, and define project properties. In addition,
Part 2 describes how to
■ Use an organizational breakdown structure (OBS) in conjunction
with the EPS to ensure that each project is effectively managed and
that corresponding security measures are in place
■
Establish the personnel and equipment required to perform thework, define unlimited hierarchical resource codes for grouping
and rollups, and create a standard set of roles based on skill
requirements that you can assign to resources in all projects
■ Establish and use a work breakdown structure (WBS) as the basis
for the budget and spending information, specifications, and
milestones within the EPS
■ Establish project budgets and the funding sources behind them,
monthly spending plans that show how budgets are distributed
throughout project life cycles, and layouts that track and analyze
variance as projects progress
■ Set up project codes to categorize projects for organizing, grouping,
selecting, and summarizing
■ Define custom fields that enable you to track and report project data
in fields customized for your business needs
■ Create calendars that define national and organizational holidays,
project-specific work/nonworkdays, and resource vacation days
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Part 3: Implementing the Schedule Describes how to define a setof codes you can use to categorize project activities for organizing,
grouping, selecting, and summarizing. Part 3 also explains how to
■ Establish the activities that compose projects and apply durations,
dates, resource information, activity types, activity relationships,and other activity details
■ Set up the expenses, or nonresource costs, associated with a project,
and create global cost accounts to track activity costs and earned
value according to your organization’s specific cost account codes
■ Assign estimation weights to WBS elements and activities to
perform top-down estimation
Part 4: Updating and Managing the Schedule Describes how to
establish baseline plans against which you can track project cost,schedule, and performance data. Part 4 also explains how to
■ Create baselines to use for comparison, summarization, and earned
value reporting
■ Update projects by applying actual dates directly to activities or by
using timesheet data from the Timesheets module, and how to
schedule and level projects
■ Summarize and save project data “on-the-fly” or at a regularly
scheduled interval you specify
■ Establish issues, or known problems within a project plan, eithermanually or by defining project thresholds, which monitor project
data according to measures you specify
■ Calculate the effect that a project risk—a concern or uncertainty
about a project or one of its components—will have on a project’s
schedule, costs, and durations
■ Catalog and track all project-related documents and deliverables,
and track the schedule by setting up additional layouts to monitor
project status
■ Compare projects and baselines to determine the project data thathas been updated
■ Check projects in and out of the module to maintain the most up-to-
date project data possible throughout the enterprise
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Primavera - Project Management
Part 5: Customizing Projects Describes how to:
■ customize layouts for analysis and easier data entry
■ display specific information about project
■ produce reports that detail or summarize project information and
answer key questions that arise as the project progresses.
■ publish a project on the World Wide Web.
Part 6: Importing and Exporting Data Describes how to:
■ exchange project and methodology data with other Primavera
Project Management and Methodology Management users using
Primavera’s propriety exchange format (XER).
■ exchange project data with other Primavera Project Managementusers using Primavera XML files.
■ exchange project data with Microsoft Project or Microsoft Excel.
■ exchange project data between the Project Management module
and Primavera Project Planner (P3), Primavera Contractor, and
Primavera Contract Manager users.
Project Management Help Provides an extensive online help
system to supplement the documentation. Use Help to access general
information about program options, detailed descriptions of windows
and dialog boxes, and step-by-step instructions for specific projecttasks. Help also includes Hint Help for column values in various
windows. Access Hint Help by clicking the Display Options bar,
choosing Hint Help, and then clicking a value in a column.
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Where to Get Support
If you have a question about using Primavera products that you or your
network administrator cannot resolve with information in the
documentation or Help, contact Primavera Customer Support at thetimes and locations listed below.
Please provide your Primavera product serial number when contacting
Primavera. Each interaction is logged to help Primavera resolve your
questions quickly.
In the United States, Primavera periodically and randomly
monitors technical support calls to ensure that you receive
the highest quality support.
All Primavera products are backed by comprehensive support and
training.
Office Time Zone Hours Telephone FAX E-mail Address*
Bala Cynwyd,
Pennsylvania,
USA
ET 8:00–8:00
(Mon–Fri)
9:00–2:00(Sat)
+1-610-668-3030 +1-610-667-0652 [email protected]
London,
England, UK
GMT 8:30–6:30
(Mon–Thur)
8:30–5:30
(Fri)
+44-20-8563-5555 +44-20-8563-5543 [email protected]
Hong Kong GMT +8 8:00–5:00
(Mon–Fri)
+852-2111-8299 +852-2111-9477 [email protected]
*Primavera's Web site at http://www.primavera.com/customer/index.aspprovides support and product information,
such as knowledgebases, file downloads, user group and newsgroup information, and a product enhancement
request form.
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Understanding Project Management
Quick Tour
Setting User Preferences
Part 1
Overview and Configuration
In this part:
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Read this part to learn more about project portfoliomanagement.
“Understanding Project Management” discusses Primavera’s
enterprise approach to managing projects. It also defines the
various enterprise-wide project management roles, explains how
these roles can use other Primavera applications to achieve their
project goals, and provides an overview of the methods used to
successfully manage and control projects.
“Quick Tour” introduces key project portfolio management
concepts and explains how to perform basic tasks, such as
opening a new project and using wizards.
The “Setting User Preferences” chapter explains how to
customize the module to fit your special needs.
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21
Primavera software products are designed to
support the project management needs of
organizations that manage large numbers of
projects at one time.
These integrated applications use project
portfolio management (PPM) to support the
management needs of project teams in
different locations and at varying levels of
the enterprise.
This chapter provides an overview of PPM,
the roles used in PPM, and the basic
concepts for planning, managing, and
controlling your projects.
In this chapter:
Why Use Project PortfolioManagement?
Your Role in the Enterprise
Project Management Process
Overview
Planning, Controlling, andManaging Projects
Understanding Project Management
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Primavera - Project Management
Why Use Project Portfolio Management?
Large businesses typically have hundreds—even thousands—of projects
underway at one time to create the new products and services that build
their future. These projects cross normal business hierarchies and chainsof command, making project portfolio management (PPM) an
enterprise-wide challenge. The pressure to complete projects on time
and within budget, and maintain a competitive edge, is driving
corporations to develop and implement PPM processes. They are
moving away from a traditional functional structure to a multiple-
project organization that must achieve clear, but urgent goals, using
limited, shared resources, and they need the fastest business payback
from those projects to realize potential revenue and increase shareholder
equity.
PPM provides comprehensive information on all projects in an
organization, from executive-level summaries to detailed plans by
project. Individuals across all levels of the company can analyze, record,
and communicate reliable information and make timely, informed
decisions that support their corporate mission. By putting the right tool
in the right hands, PPM enables an organization to
■ Make strategic business decisions
■ Control the minute detail that is necessary to finish projects
■
Understand current resource demands, set priorities, and evaluatelong-term staffing requirements
■ Use skilled resources effectively and productively
■ Reorganize projects to fit shifting priorities without sacrificing
quality
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Primavera - Project Management
Your Role in the Enterprise
By definition, PPM must meet the needs of several types of users. The
following section describes the enterprise roles as they typically apply
to the Primavera applications. Roles may vary or overlap depending onthe organization.
Network administrators Network administrators configure anenterprise’s network environment (local- and wide-area networks) for
optimal performance with Primavera applications. They install and
maintain the server and client components of the applications. In
addition, they manage user access to enterprise data and develop and
maintain a comprehensive security policy to ensure that PPM data are
protected from unauthorized access, theft, or damage.
Network administrators ensure that the hardware and software
supporting Primavera applications function reliably by
■ Setting up and maintaining the network to ensure reliable
connections and the fastest possible data transfer
■ Creating and maintaining accurate lists of network resources and
users so that each has a unique network identity
Database administrators Database administrators (DBAs) areresponsible for setting up, managing, and assigning access rights for the
Primavera database. They set and oversee rules governing use ofcorporate databases, maintain data integrity, and set interoperability
standards.
Database administrators ensure reliable access to the Primavera
database by
■ Installing, configuring, and upgrading database server software and
related products as required
■ Creating and implementing the database
■ Implementing and maintaining database security, including creatingand maintaining users, roles, and privileges for the database
■ Monitoring database performance and tuning as needed
■ Planning for growth and changes and establishing and maintaining
backup and recovery policies and procedures
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24 Part 1: Overview and Configuration
Primavera - Project Management
Operations executives Operations executives are responsible forstrategic planning and ongoing performance analysis. They use the
Project Management module and the Portfolios section of P6 Web
Access to analyze schedule, resource, and cost data across projects.
Senior executives may be responsible for
■ Prioritizing projects
■ The profit/loss for a specific business entity
■ Funding and go/no-go decisions about projects
■ Strategic planning over the future of the business or division
Project controls coordinators Project controls coordinators areresponsible for ensuring that Primavera applications are implemented
properly and operate smoothly. They play a key role duringimplementation by
■ Working with operations executives and program/project managers
to set up methodologies in the Methodology Management module
■ Working with operations executives and program/project managers
to structure project, organizational breakdown structure (OBS), and
resource hierarchies, set up basic calendars, and define enterprise-
wide custom fields and codes in the Project Management module
■ Working with the project administrator to create user accounts and
user groups for the Project Management module
■ Assigning security rights to users in the Project Management
module
Program managers Program managers oversee several high-levelproject managers; they are responsible for multiple projects and use the
Project Management and Methodology Management modules, along
with P6 Web Access to:
■ Perform cross-project analysis
■ Manage projects to on-time and on-budget completion
■ Prioritize resources across projects
■ Plan projects before they are funded
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Understanding Project Management 25
Project managers Project managers manage multiple small,repetitive projects or a single, complex project. They are responsible for
on-time/on-budget completion of the projects and use the Project
Management module and P6 Web Access to
■ Allocate specific named resources to a project in conjunction withthe functional manager of those resources
■ Communicate project information both up and down the chain of
command
■ Manage resources related to the project
Resource/cost managers Resource managers allocate resourcesacross projects and distribute their workloads. They are responsible for
resource planning, including recruiting, hiring, and training resources,
and they may be responsible for loading resource information in theProject Management module, the Methodology Management module,
and the Resource section of P6 Web Access. Cost managers perform
detailed financial analysis of projects, handle project billing, and
integrate financial information within the company.
Team leaders Team leaders manage the work for a portion of a larger
project. They are managers who produce work and manage a team, and
they often use the Project Management and Timesheets modules, and P6
Web Access, to prioritize short-term tasks or objectives, typically when
the duration is less than the planning period of the project.
Team members Team members are trained in a specific skillrequired on a project. They work with their manager to develop
activities and durations for incorporation into the schedule. Once
activities are added to the schedule, team members update them using
the Timesheets module to indicate the work they performed during
designated accounting periods. Team members may also use
personalized dashboards in P6 Web Access to quickly access their
projects, activities, documents, and more.