Gustavo Paolini

Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes

Good Day
Introduction
This is an exercise to calculate progress based on Client requirements for a typical EPC Project.
Data used on this sample are referential and were created just for better understanding of this Progress Calculation exercise.
This is open to anybody for comment or improvements.
Client Requirements
An EPC Project is required to be scheduled and follow up each of its phase and based on these following requirements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.
9.

Project must start on Nov 1rst 2010 and must be done in 200 working days
Working Time will be 8h/d; 40 hours a week (Standard Calendar to make simple the exercise)
Phases must be weighted on cost except Engineering phase which will be weighted on man-hours to be expended (Effort)
Resources and Cost have to be established for all phases
The Weights of each Project phase must be:
a. Engineering Design = 10%
b. Procurement
= 20%
c. Construction
= 70%
Schedule must show Progress Earned Values against Planned Progress Values
Schedule must show also a Graphical Baseline to evaluate future Project Performance and targets achievements
Progress figures to be reported are Physical and Earned Values
For Forecasting: Task endings dates will be given by using remaining durations

Note: The main purpose of this exercise is to show Progress Calculations. So, no actual values on resources and cost expenditure are
being given

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
Execution by steps:
1. Define WBS, Activities, Resources and Cost (CTR)
2. Create Baseline

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Figure 01

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes

WBS

Figure 02

GROUP & SORT

Figure 03
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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
Detail of Original Plan after assigning resources and cost

Figure 04

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
3. Weight Assignment
a) Create three new user defined fields (Enterprise\User Defined Fields) given the following titles:
% Progress Earn Value
Planned % Complete
Weight
Figure 05
Note: Once are created show
them as on Figure 04 - Last 3
columns
b) Using Global Change (Tool\Global Change) create the following changes for each phase:
ENGINEERING PHASE
Note: Parameter/value
number which divides BLU comes
from Figure 04 (BLU Column)
Weight for Engineering = 10%

Figure 06

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes

PROCUREMENT PHASE
Note: Parameter/value number
which divides BTC comes
from Figure 04 (BTC Column)
Weight for Construction = 20%

Figure 07

CONSTRUCTION PHASE
Note: Parameter/value number
which divides BTC comes
from Figure 04 (BTC Column)
Weight for Construction = 70%

Figure 08

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
c) Apply Global Changes one by one and then we will get the committed changes or weights:

Engineering = 10%

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Procurement = 20%
Figure 09

Construction = 70%

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
4. Update the Schedule for:
Cut Off date = February 1rst 2011 (Data Date)
Give % Physical Progress
And Remaining Durations

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Figure 10

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
5. Create and apply a Global Change to calculate
% Progress Earn Value and % Planned Progress

Figure 11

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
6. Check Progress results

Figure 12

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Gustavo Paolini
Using Primavera P6.7 - Technical Notes
FINAL COMMENTS:
1. If all the phases were weighted on cost only two global changes should be made
2. Usually weights are being frozen by the client before project stars therefore the Global Changes which calculate activity
weights are being applied or done only one time
3. If there is any changes that affect Budgeted Labor Units (BLU) or Cost, weights have to be re calculated using again the
Global Changes made for that purpose ( Advice: Always check the GC parameters/values field and update these values
with those originated by the new changes to make sure you are weighting activities properly)
4. Every time the schedule is updated base on physical progress and remaining durations it is required to re calculate
progress values by applying last Global change made for it (GC No. 4)
5. Weights can be calculate out of Primavera for example in Ms Excel and can be added to the Weight Column manually
or using Primavera to import them from Excel Spreadsheet
6. Feel free to make any comments or suggestions

Additional information about this Project used as a sample

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