PRIMAVERA NOTES

Software download link:

https://edelivery.oracle.com/
Register > Sign in > download “Primavera P6 Professional Project management 17.2”

Class One
10/03/2018

First delete all Sample Projects

Go to Enterprise > Enterprise Project Structure (The orderly arrangement of projects in an organization’s portfolio designed to support the
goals and objectives of the enterprise).

Select all Projects by pressing CTRL + A and then Click Delete

 1) ENTERPRISE PROJECT STRUCTURE (EPS)
Go to Enterprise > Enterprise Project Structure > (EPS window will Open) > Click Add (on right side of window)
Write In EPS ID and EPS Name Columns.
Use arrows for Up and Down

EPS
Projects

2) CREATE A NEW CALENDER

Click Enterprise > calendars > Click Add > Select > (e.g. 7x24) > Change Name > Click Modify > Work Sheet > write weekly
hours e.g. as shown below. (Note: Use Work Nonwork tabs if you need special holidays)

Click Time periods > write the following values > OK > Tick CM solution calendar if you need it to apply on all projects
 3) CURRENCY CHANGE
Admin > Currencies > Add > Write Currency ID, Currency Name and Currency Symbol
Now assign currency: Go to Edit > User Preferences > Currency > Select Pakistani Rupee > Close

4) ADD NEW PROJECT

In the project Window Click Add Button (+) on top right (Above X button) > Click Finish the wizard.
Now project will be added in selected place. Write Project ID and Project Name.

5) HOW TO CHANGE CALENDER

Just Select the Project where you want to change calendar > Select Default > Select Calendar of your choice.

6) DATES
Select Project > Click Date tab > Write value in Project Panned Start (e.g. 01-April, 2018) and in Must Finished By (31-
Dec, 2018).

NOTE: Primavera starts work from 12:00Am always, so you need to tell Primavera when to start.

7) CHANGE TIME
Go to Edit on top left > User preferences > Click Date > Click 12 Hrs (1:3-pm) > Close

Now enter start time (e.g. 08:00am) and (04:00pm in Must finished by)

Now open the project by RIGHT CLICK on the Project

8) HOW TO ADJUST TIME SCALE

Right Click on Time scale window > Click Time Scale > (New window will open) > Select Year/Month

9) HOW TO ADJUST COLUMNS

Click Columns on the top

Add or hide the required activities by double clicking

Now Go Group and Sort Tab

Make sure WBS is Selected (checked) “Hide if Empty” is Unchecked as shown below.
and

CLASS -2

16/03/2018

10) CREATE WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS)

Select WBS tab ( ) and then WBS window will open > Change WBS Name as required.

REMEMBER: In WBS code, this sign option should be ticked shown in the picture below. This will arrange WBS as
required.

After Adding, Just Refresh Data. Go to FILE > Refresh Data (F5).
Then go back to Activity Window then go to Group and Sort and Uncheck ID/Code. This will hide Codes.

11) DEFINE ACTIVITIES:

Now Add Activities in activities window. Activity ID will be generated automatically. Write Different activities in Activity
Name column. (Be in Details Window)

12) SEQUENCE ACTIVITIES:

A sequence activity is the process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities. In the
project management, the key benefit of this type of process is that it defines the logical sequence of work to obtain
the greatest efficiency given all project constraints.

Finish to Start (FS)

Start to Start (SS)
Finish to Finish (FF)
Start to Finish (SF)

Select First activity (Excavation) which is Predecessor and then Select Successor tab.
FS relationship is by default. Assign all relations as required.
Use Go To tab to go directly in next activity.

Now put durations of each Activity in Original Duration Column.

Now Click Schedule Tab and then click Schedule as shown below;

HINT: If relationship arrow not showing just right click on Gant Chart Window > Bar chart options > Tick Show relations

What is Lag and Lead?

A Lag is a duration that is applied to a dependency to make the successor start or finish earlier or later.

 A successor activity will start later when a positive Lag is assigned. Therefore, an activity requiring a 3-day delay
between the finish of one activity and start of another will require a positive lag of 3 days.
 Conversely, a lag may be negative when a new activity may be started before the predecessor activity is
finished. This is called a Lead or Negative Lag.
 Leads and Lags may be applied to any relationship type.

Example of FS with Positive lag

Example of FS with Negative lag

13) ESTIMATE DURATION:

Analogue Estimation: Based on your past experience.

Parametric Estimation: One parameter/value known, and then calculate for the whole activity or project .

Bottom up Estimation: Detailed estimation on each activity (based on resource available) the roll up to WBS and then
project level.

CLASS THREE
 17/03/2018
Critical path:
Critical activity: Red Color
Non-critical activity: Green Color
Total Float: Relaxation, how you can delay an activity

Schedule Compression Techniques

 Crashing: duration decrease, then need to arrange resources

 Fast Tracking: Change relations (Like FS, SS, FF, SF)

14) FILTERS
To hide Non-critical activities (Green colored) Click Filter > Tick Critical > OK
Now, to hide Empty Activities, Go to Group and Sort > Un-check Hide of Empty

Now by using Crashing technique, decrease duration in critical activities (red colored) to finish the project on-time.
(Schedule time to time to see the result).

15) RESOURCES
Resource activity
Go to Resources Tab > Add (+) > Finish wizard > Ctrl + A > Delete > Delete Selected resources
(NOTE: The default resources (added already by Primavera) are are deleted here in order to add resources of your
requirement.

Now Add Resources as per your requirement

Click Add (+) > Write Resource Name > Selete type (e.g. Labor, Nonlabor, Material)
In order to add Material (Select Material option)

NOTE: If the Unit of measure is not given in PV, then add by the following method
Click Admin > Admin Categories > Add > Write Unit Abbreviation and Unit Name.
Add Unit Price:
Click Units & Price tab > Put Standard rate

Put Unit Prices against each resource as shown below.

Here is a list of complete Resources (Resource Directory) for this House Project (Classroom Project)
Now Assign Resources to each activity.
Go to Activity Window > Select Activity > Click Add resource Tab > Select Resource (e.g. R-1 Excavator)

Continue and allocate/assign resources on all activities.

HOW to add multiple people/resources?
[NOTE: Primavera takes UNIT PERSON by default]
Click Edit > User preferences > Time Units > Units Format > Day

Remember:
You need to add Number of Labor, Non-labor (e.g. Machinery) in “Remaining Units/time” Column. As shown in above
picture.
But in order to add material, use “Budgeted Units Column”. For example, If 80 Paint buckets are required to paint a floor,
and then simply write 80 in Budgeted Units Column (Forget what changes are appearing in Remaining Units/time
column).

Now Copy/Paste Ground Floor in WBS and rename as First Floor and Second Floor
(NOTE: If required, better to copy/paste WBS at this stage with duration and cost etc)

NOTE:
There are three ways to see overall Schedule % complete

Remember: Base line is assigned at the last stage.

1- By adding “Standard rate/Unit price” against each resource.

Add Standard rate against each resource, assign base line, then schedule by using Data Date (e.g. is the below example, I
used 31st May as Data date to see the % completion).

2- By Adding Expenses against each activity

In this case, if we don’t have cost of each resource i.e. standard rate/unit prices then expenses are added taken from
BOQ. (e.g. 10,000 are added in budgeted cost for excavation). Because this is the only way remaining to add Lump sum
cost using expenses tab. (e.g. 10000Rs excavation). Values taken from BOQ are actually Prices. (Profits are included, so
better to ask management and then decrease values e.g. 5-10 %)
(Primavera is designed based on cost. If it is cost loaded, then only it will show % completion).
 3- By Dummy Resource

If you don’t have any of the above options, then Schedule % completion can be shown by Adding Dummy Resource and
assign on all activities.
Add Dummy Resource > add Standard rate (1/unit) > Go to activity window > Select all activities > Right Click > Click
Assign > Select Resources > Select Dummy Resource. (Note: Select only once, it will not be shown immediately after
selection. It will be added actually)

Now assign Base line and schedule using data date (e.g. we will check on 1st may 2018)

Class 4
 16) GENERATING HISTOGRAM IN PRIMAVERA/EXCEL
After doing all above steps just click “Activity Usage Profile” Tab. The following Graph will be shown.

How to make Graph in Excel?

Make table as shown below. Take values from Primavera through Data Dates (e.g. on 30th April, 31 May…..#1st Dec)

Add formula as shown below

[Watch class recorded video Making Graph to see for more detail)
RESOURCE HISTOGRAM/STACKED HISTOGRAM
For Resource Histogram, just click on Resource usage profile as shown below.

For Stacked Histogram, Click Resource usage profile

Click Display > Click Filter by > Select Current project’s resources >Select stacked histogram > click Resource usage profile
option > New window will open > Click Add > Add filter name > then Select “where resource equals any resource”
Add some more resources as required > Ok > Stacked histogram will be show.
Exact numbers can be seen by Clicking on Bars
[Watch class recorded video “Baseline, Stacked histogram” for more clarification]

17) PRINT PREVIEW (Complete LATER)

Set Columns properly.

Click Print view on top let > Click Page setup on top left > Option > select Time scale start PS-1 and Timescale Finish PF+3
(Do Changes as required)
 18) Milestone
First make sure baseline is not assigned.
First make WBS on top > Name it Project Milestones and in the bottom make Handing over

Now, go to Activity window > If Milestone is not visible, then Click Group and Sort tab, Uncheck Hide if empty
Now, write activity names as shown below

Now change activity type for these milestones. (E.g. for Ground floor start: Start milestone, for Ground floor finish:
Finish milestone and so on….. the symbol of milestone will be shown in window and Original duration will become “0”
because milestone is not an activity)
Now, in order to fix milestones to the required point, we need to connect with specific activities.

For Example;

Ground Floor Excavation activity >> Ground Floor Start Milestone with SS relationship type.
Ground Floor Paint work >> Ground Floor Finish Milestone with FF relationship type.
First Floor Columns >> First Floor Start milestone with SS relationship type.
First Floor Paint work >> First Floor Finish milestone with FF relationship type.
Second Floor Columns >> Second Floor Start Milestone with SS relationship type.
Second Floor Paint work >> Second Floor Finish milestone with FF relationship type.
Final inspection >> Project Handover Milestone with FF relationship type.

Now Schedule using some Data date and milestones will be shown like this.

Class 5
 19) UPDATE
% Complete Types:
 Duration:
The Duration percent complete type in Primavera P6 requires the least amount of input. What is unique to this percent
complete type is that it assumes that the percentage of worked achieved relates directly to the remaining duration –
hence Duration % Complete. For example a 10-day duration activity that is (duration) 50% complete computes 5-days
remaining duration. Great! All you need is your Duration % complete value and the remaining duration is automatically
computed.
Because of its simplicity it would appear that the duration percent complete type would be most popular. However, one
should be aware of a negative fact relating to Duration % compete type; it does not account for non-uniform production
rates or learning curves. Yes, perhaps, the crew is projected to work at a faster pace for the second half of the activity
progressed above, and their estimate to complete the activity is 2-days instead of 5-days.

There is no way in Primavera P6 to update the remaining duration without affecting the % complete value; they are
linked. In other words, P6 assumes that if you’re 50% done, then there must only be five days of remaining duration. If
there were less or more days and you adjust the remaining duration accordingly, you will change the percent complete.

 Physical:
Like its name implies, the Physical percent complete type is based on the work ‘physically’ achieved on an activity. This is
a huge advantage over the Duration % complete type. Now you can account for non-uniform production rates. The
Physical % complete value and remaining duration are not linked. Physical % complete does not compute a remaining
duration when a % complete value is entered on an activity. This is, however, a double edged sword. On the one hand
you can better describe the remaining physical work required on an activity, and on the other you have to input more
data.
Applying the Physical % complete type to our example above, a 10-day long activity that is (physical) 50% complete will
have 10-days remaining duration. Wait! That does not make sense; it should be 5-days remaining duration. No,
remember! The Physical % complete value is not linked to the remaining duration. The remaining duration equals
original duration until a remaining duration is manually input. Yes, in Physical % complete type you have to input the
remaining duration or an expected calendar finish date. Physical % complete is, therefore, more laborious for data entry,
but it frees up the estimator to describe the actual remaining physical work required to compete the activity.

(Physical is more realistic than Duration and unit type. You have complete control on the software. You can change
duration, give parentage and hours by your hand. Physical is always best if feasible because you know what is happening
actually)

 Units
The Units % complete type drives activity % complete values based upon actual labor units entered. It is particularly
helpful in describing work effort when an activity has both multiple resources assigned and differing burn rates among
the resources. It is often used in combination with a timesheet software module, e.g. Primavera Progress Reporter or in
P6 16.1, the timesheets in the Team Member application.

Units % complete type links work achieved (Units % complete value) and not remaining duration, but work achieved and
remaining labor units. Like Physical % complete type it requires more manual input. In our example not only is duration
specified (10-days), but 100-hours of planned work is expected. When 50-hours of planned work is complete Primavera
P6 computes the activity is (units) 50% complete. The remaining duration, however, stays at 10-days. Similar to Physical
% complete the Units % complete requires the manual input of either remaining duration or an expected calendar finish
date.
Updating Example:
Our project planned start date is 2nd April 2018.
Let’s suppose we want to update it on 30th April 2018 (after one month). So, according to the scheduled plan, we can see
that activity Excavation and compaction should start and finish during April and foundation should be finish more than
50 %.

Now we will take the actual performance report from site up to 30 April. Let’s suppose we got the following report;

 Excavation completed (Started on 3nd April & Finished on 8th April)

 Compaction completed (Started on 9th April & Finished on 11th April)
 Foundation (Started on 15th April and finished 60 %)

Now select Ground Floor Start Milestone > Select % complete type = Physical
Now Click Status tab > Check/Tick Started (Finished will be checked/selected automatically because Milestone has no duration)
Now we will update activities based on the above data taken from site.
Select Excavation > General tab > Physical > Select Status tab > Tick Started and select 3rd April > Tick Finished and select
9th April (Remember: Whenever you change dates, check start time and finish time (e.g. 8:00am and 4:00pm)

Results:
Excavation activity is filled with blue color showing activity completion.
Physical % is 100 %
Original duration was 7
Actual duration is 6 days (means actually finished in 6 days)
Remaining duration is 0
At complete is 6 (Actual + Remaining duration = At complete duration).

Now click Resources tab > change actual units (if required). (Because Costs will be calculated based on it)
If you notice, the budgeted and actual units are 7 in following picture. Primavera did it automatically soon after when we
clicked started and finished in status tab.
Repeat the above steps for Compaction and Foundation activities. (Example for Foundation below)
(Physical % (60 %) and remaining duration (7) is added manually based on the information collected from the site).
Activity is filled with blue color (showing 60 % completion)

Now we will make complete the following table and then from the graph we will see check the comparison between
Planned and actual.

First of all, set the columns as shown in the following picture.

Now take data on each month (30th April, 31 May, 30 June ……….) and following graph will be made.

HOW to change all Percent type complete in one step?

Add Percent Complete type column > Select Physical (in case you want all physical) > Press shift and select up to end >
right Click > select Fill Down (as shown below).

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> END <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

MISTAKES and SOLUTIONS

  Mistake in Time:
In project finished time, Finish time was by mistake written 04:00am instead of 04:00Pm.
Result: Critical Path was still showing red on 29th December (Although project finish date was 31st December)

 Why all activities showing zero??

 Solution:
1) There is no critical activity
2) Uncheck “Critical” in Filters Tab

 Copying project in main projects window

 Solution:

The project which needed to be copied should be open (Total activities should be shown then it will be copy with
activities)