The Amazing History of

Primavera Software(as told by a Complete Outsider)

By Ron Winter, PSP

Schedule Analyzer Software

History?

• There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know. Harry S. Truman

• A people without the knowledge of their • A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey, social activist

Why Study Primavera

History?• Schedulers

– Need to know of new features

– Why a feature was or was not used

– How processes accomplished in the past

• Forensic Analysts • Forensic Analysts

– Validate Expertise

• Need to understand the basis of the features

• When a feature was introduced

– Need to know how to access old data

• Managers need to coordinate systems

• 1998: Eagle Ray presents at PMI Global

• July 1999: Primavera launches Primavera Enterprise 1.0Enterprise 1.0

– Unlimited Global & Project level activity codes

– Unlimited Global & Project resource calendars

– Unlimited Operational Breakdown System

– Uses Interbase, Oracle, or MS SQL

databases

• December 1999: Version 1.5

– Progress Reporter for the web

– HTML editing– HTML editing

– Resource Roles

– Improved P3 data conversion utility

• August 2000: Version 2.0

– Enterprise Project Structure (EPS)

– Hourly scheduling and shifts– Hourly scheduling and shifts

– Project summarizations & budgeting

– Project & resource codes

– Multiple relationships between activities

– Weighed Steps

– Global Change

• December 2000: Version 2.0.1

– Major password fix

– Additional timesheet security– Additional timesheet security

– Report Writer fixes

– Import issues fixes

• March 2001: Version 2.1

– Fourth Duration Type (Fixed Duration & Units)

– Print reports in Progress Reporter– Print reports in Progress Reporter

– Auto-schedule after importing

– Major importing performance enhancements

– Fixed import of inter-project relationships

– Fixed external relationships updating

• 2002: Now called P3e Version 3.0. Consists of:

– Project Management Module (PM)– Project Management Module (PM)

– Methodology Manager

– Portfolio Analyst

• 2003: P3e renamed P3e/c Version 3.5

– Notebooks

– Revised the Work Breakdown System (WBS)– Revised the Work Breakdown System (WBS)

– Revised Activity Steps

– On-screen logic trace

– Actual Dates CPM scheduling option

• 2004: Renamed P3 Engineering & Construction Version 4.0

– MSDE becomes the stand-alone database – MSDE becomes the stand-alone database

server

– Claim Digger Version 1 added

• 2005: Renamed to ‘Primavera’ Version 5.0– Early & late dates no longer blanked for actuals

– WBS summary activity type added

– Progress Spotlight updating added

– EPS-level activities codes added

– Unlimited Baselines

– Suspend & Resume added

– Saves past period actuals

– Undo feature added

– Excel Import/Export function added

• One month later Version 5.0 Service Pack 1 …

– Total Float is once again blanked-out for – Total Float is once again blanked-out for

completed activities.

• 2006: Renamed to P6 Version 6.0

– MS SQL Express 2005 is the stand-alone

databasedatabase

– Import & Export via XML format (buggy)

– Finish dates change when durations are

changed

– Time scale in Gantt Chart is now adjustable

• March 2008: P6 Service Pack 1 (P6.1)– Fixed data not committed & refreshed properly

– Fixed scheduling freezing at 95%

– Fixed XER causing duplicate resource assignments

– Fixed crashing when modifying sitelines/ timescale

– Fixed Excel import of constraints

– Fix Report Editor displaying wrong activity codes

– Fixed Report Editor not showing cell properties

– Fixed wrong dates on timesheets spanning

years

• Later 2008: P6 SP 2 (P6.2)

– Milestone ‘one minute off’ problem fixed

– Secure resource, project, & activity codes– Secure resource, project, & activity codes

– Total Float can now be calculated for a

Program of schedules as a group instead of

singly

• April 2009: P6 Version 6.5– Fix resource leveling with priorities

– Fixed actual units spreading incorrectly

– Fixed Project Integrity removing EPS codes

– Fixed Claim Digger displaying wrong Activity ID

– Fixed XLS import causing corrupted relationships

– Fixed Expected Finish causing 0 duration activities

– Fixed Finish Milestone constrained 1 minute late

• Later 2009: P6 Version 6.7

– Default Date issue

• Suspend/Resume & Constraints still wrong• Suspend/Resume & Constraints still wrong

– Improved summary activity duration

calculations

• 2009 P6 Version 7

– User designated hour/day conversion factors

moved to individual calendarsmoved to individual calendars

– Default Date/Time issue partially fixed

– Improved summary duration calculations

– Late Dates were added to the S-Curve report

– New Activity ID renumbering options

– Excel security options separate from XER

– Oracle XE (g10) is new stand-alone database

• September 2010: P6.7 SP 2

– No support P3 export/import w/o P3 installed

– Update Baseline now sets Actual Start & RD– Update Baseline now sets Actual Start & RD

– Fixes XER Import Configuration Layout

problems

– Fixes error when using two activity filters

– Fixed disappearing/non-editable Notebook

topics

– Multiple Float Paths fixes

• December 2010: P6 Version 7 SP3

– Time-scaled logic diagrams added

– Expands Memo Fields beyond 400 characters– Expands Memo Fields beyond 400 characters

– Sight Line added, also fixes for:

• Scrambling WBS’s after import

• Actuals not being spread correctly

• Update Baseline with Activity Codes &

relationships missing from new activities

• Update Baseline not Updating Existing

• Oracle XE not starting for stand-alone users

• May 2011: Renamed P6 Professional (P6 Pro) Version 8.1

– No Version 8.0– No Version 8.0

– Enhanced activity filtering & grouping

– Personalize Toolbars

– WBS/Activity tabs

– Will not interface with EPPM database

• Eliminated from both types of P6:

– Summary-only projects

– Microsoft ProjectLink (MS-managed – Microsoft ProjectLink (MS-managed

schedules)

– Project Architect

– Top Down Estimation

– Check Project Integrity

• December 2011: P6 Pro Version 8.2

– MS Project import enhancements

– Ms Project 2010 XML support– Ms Project 2010 XML support

– Line numbering feature

– Timescaled Logic Diagram enhancements

• Enhanced filtering, sightlines, activity code color

coding, templates, grouping, and performance

– Both Pro & EPPM use the same client

software

• December 2011: NOT in P6 Pro Version 8

– Schedule Checker

– Resource Overload– Resource Overload

– P6 Mobile

– Timecards

Current Client/Server

Software

• P6 Pro Version 8.2

• P6 Version 7, SP 4

• P6 Version 6.2, SP 4 or 6.7• P6 Version 6.2, SP 4 or 6.7

Schedule Analyzer

Software

• Baseline Checker

• Update Checker

• Dashboard

• Longest Path Software• Longest Path Software

• Logic League

• Schedule Logger

• Date Calculator

• Delete Steps

Questions?

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. – Winston Churchill