Professional Documents
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P6-Activity Duration Types
P6-Activity Duration Types
Duration Type is a setting which allows the user to control how the duration, resource units, and resource units/time are synchronized for activities, so that
the following equation is always true:
Original, Remaining or Planned Duration = (Budgeted, Remaining or Planned Units) / (Budgeted, Remaining or Planned Units/Time)
The following table lists the value that changes to balance the equation
Duration x Units/Time = Units
The following table illustrates how the variables in the above equation changes when you change one among them in each of the Activity duration types.
Duration Type
Fixed Units/Time
Fixed Duration
and Units/Time
Fixed Units
Fixed Duration
and Units
Units/Time
Units/Time
Duration
Units
Duration
Units/Time
Duration
Units/Time
The duration type is set at the Project Details level for the Project, but can be modified per activity. Your organizations project
needs will help to determine which duration type to use. Well be discussing in the following section as of what situation forces you to
choose a particular Duration type.
As a hint, if you are adding resources to activities and you do NOT want P6 to recalculate the existing resources units, duration and
units/time, go to Edit, User Preferences from the Menu bar, select the Calculations tab and select the Preserve the Units, Duration and
Units/Time for existing assignments radio button.
Example:Now let us consider a Case and work on it to get a better understanding on the Activity duration types.
Given Case :Consider a software company where a resource is assigned design work of a particular website. It is estimated that the design
work would be completed within 5 working days of the resource. The particular resource has a regular shift duration of 8 hours /day.
Find what happens to values of the Original duration, budgeted units/time and Budgeted units when
i.
ii.
iii.
Findings:
From the formula we know Budgeted units = Original Duration X Budgeted units/time = 8 x 5 = 40 hours
Type I :-Fixed Units / Time
Units/time for the resources remains fixed; Even when activity duration or budgeted units changes. Used when resources with
productivity output per time period is fixed. Mostly used when Activity type is Resource Dependent. This option is selected if your
organization is concerned with leveling resources and you assign resources specific hours per day on activities.
Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time
Duration Type
what
what changes?
changes?
Duration
Duration
changes?
Fixed Units/Time
Units
Values changed
Original
duration
=>
(Units )/
(Units/time)
from 5 to 10 days
from 8 to 10
from 40 to 20
Budgeted
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
units
units/time
Duration
units
Duration
units/time
80h
8h/d
4d
40h
2.5d
8h/d
10=> 80/8
4 => 40/10
what
what changes?
changes?
Units
Units/Time
changes?
Fixed Duration and
Units
Units/Time
Table 1.2.1 Fixed Duration & Units/Time
Given Original Duration =5 days ; Budgeted units/time = 8h/d And Budgeted units = 40 hours.
Changes made
Values changed
Original
duration
=>
(Units )/
(Units/time)
from 5 to 10 days
8 to 10
from 40 to 20
Budgeted
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
units
units/time
Duration
units
Duration
units/time
80h
8h/d
5d
50h
5d
4h/d
10=> 80/8
5 => 50/10
5 => 20/4*
what
what changes?
changes?
Duration
Duration
changes?
Fixed Units
Units/Time
Given Original Duration =5 days ; Budgeted units/time = 8h/d And Budgeted units = 40 hours.
Changes made
Values changed
Original
duration
=>
(Units )/
(Units/time)
from 5 to 10 days
8 to 10
from 40 to 20
Budgeted
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
units
units/time
Duration
units
Duration
units/time
40h
4h/d
4d
40h
2.5d
8h/d
10=> 40/4
4 => 40/4
Duration Type
what
what changes?
changes?
Units
Units/Time
changes?
Fixed Duration and Units
Units/Time
Values changed
Original
duration
=>
(Units )/
(Units/time)
from 5 to 10 days
8 to 10
from 40 to 20
Budgeted
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
Original
Budgeted
units
units/time
Duration
units
Duration
units/time
40h
4h/d
50
5d
4h/d
10=> 40/4
5 => 50/5*
5 => 20/4
Summary
Given Original Duration 5days; Budgeted Units 40hours; Budgeted Units/ time 8hours/day. The following table summarizes as of what
Type
Duration
Budgeted units
Budgeted
Original Duration
Budgeted units
Original Duration
Budgeted
units/time(Or. Val:-
units/time
8h/d)
80h
8h/d
4d
40h
2.5d
8h/d
80h
8h/d
5d
50h
5d
4h/d*
Fixed Units
40h
4h/d
4d
40h
2.5d
8h/d
40h
4h/d
5d
50h*
5d
4h/d
* - in certain cases original duration remains fixed and the other fixed variable is forced to changed.
Reference:https://ccsspl123-public.sharepoint.com/Support%20Documents/duration%20types-Activity.pdf
http://www.projectcontrolsonline.com/Forum/tabid/65/forumid/13/threadid/529/scope/posts/Default.aspx