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Welcome to Project Controls Institute Blog

Selection of thoughts and tips shared by project controls community.

Primavera P6

Jul
5

How does "Resource curve" work in P6?

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How does “Resource curve” work?

 

Let say we have an activity with 100 days duration and 100 labor units. By default it use Linear spread.

It mean, when you reach 5% of duration (5th day in this example) you have 5% of total unit (5 unit in this example). And it spread evenly to that period.

So resource spreadsheet will be like this:

Now if I change to 6 %.

3

It mean, when you reach 5% of duration (5th day in this example) you have 6% of total unit (6 unit in this example). And it spread evenly to that period.

So resource spreadsheet will be like this:

4

Similarly, when you reach 10% of duration (10th day in this example) you have 5% more of total unit (5 unit in this example). And it spread evenly to that period.

So resource spreadsheet will be like this:

6

And it follow that regulation until the end of curve.

Now you understand how the resource curve work.

Hopefully it will help you to distribute resource unit as your wish:-)

 

 

 

 

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Jun
30

How to backup and restore Primavera P6 Oracle Express (XE) database

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1
 

How to backup:

From the command prompt (go to ‘Start’ > ‘Run’ > type ‘cmd’ and click ‘OK’) using the format below

exp system/ @XE full=y file= \xedump.dmp log= \exp_xedump.log

Where:

  • is the password you used when you installed P6 Standalone or Oracle XE manually.

is the complete path to the folder where the log file and database backup dmp file are to be created (Example: file=C:\PrimaveraP6\backups\xedump.dmp log=C:\PrimaveraP6\backups\xedump.log)

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May
26

Does it matter calculating the total float from the start dates or finish dates in P6?

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Does it matter calculating the total float from the start dates or finish dates in P6?

 
 

We were taught that the total float is the amount of time that the activity can be delayed without affecting the overall project duration.

And the calculation of the total float is the difference between the late dates and the early dates.

Either the Late Start – Early Start or Late finish – Early Finish. Both should give the same results.

But in P6 you have the option to use start dates or the finish dates in calculating the float.

Figure (1) – Shows P6 settings for float calculations

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May
9

Create critical path for "any activity" in Primavera P6

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Create critical path for “any activity”

5

In Primavera when we use the default “Critical” filter, it will show the critical path for the whole project (for the last activity).

1

How about if we want to show critical path for an activity which is somewhere in middle of project, not the last one.

In this case we can use “Multiple float paths” function.

You can go to Tool -> Schedule -> Option -> Advanced tab ->

  • Check “Calculate multiple float paths”
  • Check “Free Float”
  • In “Display multiple float paths ending with activity”, you choose the activity you want the critical path ending with.
  • In “Specify the number of paths to calculate”, I usually choose “1”.
  • Click Close and Run Schedule.

2

Then you go to View -> Group and Sort.

  • Group by “Float Path”

3

You can also create a Filter so that we can hide all unnecessary activity.

4

Then we can have the “small” critical path for the activity we want:-)

5

 

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Apr
27

Turn off Auto Compute Actual for activities in Primavera P6

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Turn off Auto Compute Actuals for 1 activity

 

1

 
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Apr
24

Can not filter on Start or Finish date

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Can not filter on Start or Finish date

 You have a very simple project. You want to show only activity which finish on 25-Jan-16.

1

As usual, you create an filter like this:

2

Then… SURPRISE. It’s a blank screen.

3

A big “WHY” question.

To answer this question. You need to show the time of activity by going to Edit -> User Preferences -> Dates tab -> In “Time” section, click on “24 hour”

4

Now you can see the Time when activity start and finish.

5

You can notice that when we define the filter, by default the Time is 00:00. That’s why P6 can not find any activity.

6

So we can change the criteria to cover the whole day like this:

7Now P6 can show the activity which has finish date of 25-Jan-16.

8

 

 

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Apr
19

Print report to show predecessors in Gantt chart

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Print report show predecessors in Gantt chart

 

3

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Apr
14

Critical path by Total Float is wrong in multiple calendar project

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Critical path by Total Float is wrong in multiple calendar project

 
 

In Primavera we can define Critial activities by 2 option:

5

 

There are many reasons why we should choose Longest Path instead of Total Float. One of the reason is that when our project has multiple calendar.

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Apr
11

When do we use "Store Period Performance" function?

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When do we use “Store Period Performance” function?

2
 

In my project, I receive updated data from construction team every month. However, they never update data correctly in that period.

For example, this month is December, most of activity they update start and finish within December but there are always some activities which is updated in November or even in October. (They said they forget to update those activities in November so now they update it this month).

In this case P6 will add some more units to November and make your November report wrong. You have sent November report to other parties and it can not be edited. So, the only solution is you move all November “mistake” unit to December.


 

 

You can use Excel to save figure of November and December. Then we can have Actual this month by taking December minus November.

However, we can do this right in Primavera.

First in November you need to run Tool -> Store period performance, to storage Actual Units (in fact this is the cumulative actual unit) to November period.

In December you just update as normal. Now you can show the “Actual This Period Units” column. And that’s the data we need.

1

 

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Apr
6

How does "Actual units" spread when you use Resource curve

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 How does “Actual units” spread when you use Resource curve

 

2

We have an activity which is applied “Back Loaded” resource curve.

1

When we update progress, the Actual unit will spread just like we plan.

2

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Mar
21

Does Resource Curve affect Remaining Late Unit

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Does Resource Curve affect Remaining Late Unit

 

1

 

 

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Mar
17

Export data to Excel with "lowest level" summary data only

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Export data to Excel with “lowest level” summary data only

 

3

 
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Mar
15

Show relationship between group of activities

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Show relationship between group of activities

 

2

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Mar
9

What does "Effort driven" option do?

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What does “Effort driven” option do?

1

You may wonder what does “Effort driven” option in Task Detail Form do?

1

Here I have 2 tasks.

Task A doesn’t have Effort driven check. When I assign 2 resources to it, the Work unit for each resource doesn’t change (80h for each resource). No matter how many resource I assign, each resource will get 80h.

2

Now, Task B have Effort driven check. When I assign resource to it, the Work unit for each resource change (with 2 resource assign it will get 40h for each resource). And activity duration reduce to 5 days. The more resource you assign, the less unit each resource will get.

3

SUMMARY

So, when you have kind of activity which can be reduced duration by adding more resource, use “Effort driven” option.

 

 

 

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Feb
24

Shortcut for moving WBS element

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Shortcut for moving WBS element

 In WBS window, we can create a whole WBS structure by keyboard (faster than using mouse).
 

In stead of click on the Plus icon to create a new WBS, we can press “Insert” button on keyboard.

Enter the ID, press “Tab” then enter the name.

We may want to move it left, instead of click on Left arrow, we can use shortcut:

“CTRL + Left arrow” on keyboard.

1

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Feb
22

Renumbering Activity ID in Primavera P6

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Renumbering Activity ID in Primavera P6

4

By default activity ID in Primavera has a format like A1000, A1010 and so on.

How about we can make the ID more meaningful.

For example we can change the “A” letter to show the WBS which they belong to.

First you will select all activities you need to renumber.

Go to Edit -> Renumber Activity IDs

Select “Auto-number”. And enter Prefix like “FDN” for Foundation.

Click OK. Now you can see the IDs have been changed.

You can do similarly for other activities then we’ll have a meaningful activity ID.

 

 

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Feb
17

How to Trim Activity ID or Activity Name in Primavera P6

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How to Trim Activity ID or Activity Name in Primavera P6

8
 

When we think about Trim data, we usually export and do it in excel. However Primavera P6 also give us a tool to trim data by itself.

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Feb
9

Can not import Layout

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Can not import Layout

Your colleague send you Primavera XER file and Layout file. After you import project successfully, you click on Layout -> Open -> Import -> Select the layout. And this error appear:

1

You may think “Wow, this layout file must be damaged. I need to tell him to send me again”.

Wait! It’s not because of the Layout file. It’s because of you’re in the wrong window. After import project maybe you’re still in Project window.

You have to switch to Activities window. Then you can import layout successfully.

3

So, to import Activities layout, you need to go to Activities window.

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Jan
31

How to install Primavera P6 Professional 16.1 Stand-alone

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3
 

After downloading the installation file from Oracle, unzip it.

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Jan
31

Create activity list report include predecessors and successors

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Create activity list report include predecessors and successors

 

8

 
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