University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar

Civil Engineering

Lab assessment #01

Primavera P6

Submitted by:
Reg No:20pwciv5569
Arif Ullah
Roll No:47
Section:U

Submitted to:
Sir Sikander Sajid

Project scheduling and Controlling software (Primavera p6)

Submission Date:
After Mid-term
 TABLE OF CONENTS
1) Primavera Welcome window
2) EPS Environment
3) OBS Environment
4) Basic Settings before staring any project
5) Calendar, and its types in Primavera P6
6) Project Creation
7) Project initial checks
8) WBS Creation
9) Activities definition
10) Activities duration calculation based on BOQ quantities
11) Activities types
12) Duration types
13) Relationship/Logic to activities
14) Scheduling
15) Filter, Grouping and sorting, Activities code
16) Resources definition
17) Terms used in Resource loading
18) Resources assignment
19) Resources levelling
20) Reports generation
21) Earned value management in Primavera

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 1) Primavera Welcome window
Primavera P6 is an EPPM software (Enterprise portfolio project management software), which
handles Enterprise , portfolio and projects inside portfolio. It means that we can work on different
projects inside portfolio at the same time.

Interface has different tabs, panels and drop down lists which help us in easily pointing out
commands.
1. Project name at the top
2. Drop down menu( includes different commands)
3. Panels (Top panel 1 and 2). We can customize it.
4. Tabs( it shows that in which environment we are currently working).
5. Side Panels
6. Table( different columns which we can adjust by right click and customize column)
7. Gant chart( it is the graphical visualization of activities and relationship). It consists of time
scale, timeline etc. we can change color, necking etc by right click and go to bar or
timescale to adjust timescale.
8. Detail window

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 1) EPS Environment
EPS stands for Enterprise Project Structure it explains the Enterprise environment and its
hierarchical breakdown of any company to its portfolio and program environment.

Enterprise: Group of companies.

Portfolio: Different companies in Enterprise.
Program: Sub division of Portfolio is program, if projects in any portfolio is more then we
arrange it in programs.

Project: Inside Program we have project which is the main goal of any enterprise to deliver in
terms of payment by balancing the three constraints (time, cost and scope under the framework
of quality) to satisfy stakeholder.

STEPS:
1) Open primavera p6
2) Go to Enterprise>Enterprise structure

Here we can breakdown our Enterprise to portfolio and programs by clicking add option and
adjust it by moving left or right.

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 2) OBS Environment
OBS stands for Organizational Breakdown structure, it is the hierarchical breakdown of
Enterprise administrations/ Responsible managers.
Enterprise=CEO
Portfolio= Portfolio manager
Program= Program manager
Project= Project manager

By this OBS assignment we give responsibility to a Responsible person who handle all the
process.

STEPS:
1) Click Enterprise
2) Go to OBS

We can assign define Responsible manger by this way and then go to enterprise and assign it.

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 3) Basic setting before Starting Project
➢ First Change industry type to construction and engineering in admin
preferences if you are working in a construction field projects.
Admin>Admin preference>Industry>Engineering and construction.

➢ Second define Units of measure to make it available during defining

resources.
Admin>Admin categories>Units of measure

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 ➢ Third define Currency on the basis of which you defining costs and also
check its exchange rate with dollar.
Admin>Currencies>Add currencies
Assign currency from edit>user prefereces>currency

➢ Fourth to change the time units so that our resources budgeted units
calculations and activities duration calculation is calculated properly.
Change unit of time to hour as we mostly assign resources on hourly basis and
duration format to days.
Edit>User preferences>Time units

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 4) Calendar and its types in Primavera
In primavera P6 there are three types of calendars based on the conditions we
assign it;
1) Global calendar
➢ It is a calendar we use for all the existing and new projects inside our
enterprise and once we assign it to enterprise then all new projects will be
assigned to by default.
➢ It is only possible if all the projects in an enterprise have same working days
and working hours.
Enterprise>Calendar>Global>add>Assign working days and hours

2) Project calendar
➢ Project calendar we define only if any project in an enterprise has different
working days and hours.
Enterprise>Calendar>Project>add>Assign working days and hours

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2) Shared Resource calendar
➢ Shared resource calendar is only need to define if we have a shared resource between two
construction companies and we have some days availability of it.
➢ We assign this resource to that specific resource in resource definition and P6 will
automatically make its availability as per available days.
➢ Now for this it is required to change that specific activity type to resource dependent
activity and then this activity duration will be adjusted on those available days.

Enterprise>Calendar>Resource>add>Assign working days and hours

How to change working days and working hours?

Click on defined calendar>Modify>detailed work hours/day>workweek>select days and make
working hours “work”.

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 5) Project Creation
Now to define project go to the project tab and click on the right top + option to
add project inside required portfolio or program.

6) Project initial check

➢ Initially check that project planned date and date is same.
Planned date: On which the project is planned to start.
Data date: The date in which we have update the baseline and scheduled it.
Project tab>click on the project>detail window>Date>Check

➢ Second is to check project status in general to make it planned at the time of

making baseline, once project is started then make it active.

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 7) WBS Creation
WBS is the work breakdown structure, it is the decomposition of project/ scope into more
manageable tasks and deliverables.
WBS helps in grouping our deliverables, easily managing, controlling and completely defining
the project scope.
WBS are of three types;
1. Phase oriented WBS
2. Deliverable Oriented WBS
3. Hybrid WBS
We have used Hybrid WBS which includes the deliverable in term of the Floor levels as well as
the phases like structural, architectural etc.
Project>WBS>add WBS>Adjust

Note: Here we have WBS for a simple residential project it can be changed for road projects,
bridge projects, OIL and GAS sector and other construction fields.
In order to make WBS satisfactory it is recommended to do BOQ analysis which includes the
project scope and then we would we have an idea of defining different requirements.

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 8) Activity Definition
Define all those activities which are required to executed, we can have an idea of defining the
activities on practical experience and BOQ analysis.
Define each activity inside required WBS.
Open project>Click on activity tab>Click on + to add new activity

9) Activities Duration
Activities duration can be calculated by using different techniques, but for that total quantity of
the activity is necessary as it comes from BOQ by giving different weightages to the activity.
Like we have only column concreting quantity in BOQ but it is for all columns and we have
column concreting activity separate for each floor then in this case proper weightages calculation
is necessary.
Activity duration techniques;
1. Expert judgment
2. Historical data of same type activity
3. PERT
4. Dolphin technique
5. Standard productivity rates
In all these we normally use productivity rates calculation.
Like one crew can do that much concreting per day and we have that much total quantity, then
divide total quantity by productivity of crew, we will get duration in days.

10) Activity types

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There are different types of activities and each one’s use depends on the condition.
1) Task dependent
It depends on the project or global calendar days availability and it will use the calendar
working days. Majority of activities are task dependent.
2) Resource dependent
It depends on the resource availability like shared resource case. We have already
discussed shared resource calendar.
3) Start milestone
It is the staring achievement of any project/ deliverable etc. it is zero duration activity and
have only start date.
4) Finish milestone
It is assigned to the finish of any project or deliverables. It is also zero duration activity
and have only finish date.
5) Level of effort activity( LOE)
It is used in case of measuring the effort of any resource and it also helps in calculating
the days between two activities by giving predecessor to the start activity and successor
to last activity, it will calculate the duration between them. Like we have security guard
resource and it will have duty from excavation to ground floor, then we define LOE for it
and calculate the effort it make( in days) to be there.
6) WBS summary
This type is used in case of summarizing the activities inside WBS.
Activity>detail >general>change type

11) Duration Types

In primavera we have 4 types of duration types ;
1. Fixed duration and units
In this case duration is fixed and budgeted units are fixed and units/time is calculated on
the basis of it.

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 2. Fixed duration and units/time
In this case duration is fixed and units/ time is fixed and units will be calculated.
3. Fixed units
In this case units will be fixed and duration will be calculated on the basis of giving
units/time variable.
4. Fixed units/time
In this case units/time is fixed and duration of an activity will be calculated based on the
available budgeted units.

So this duration types gives two types of scheduling.

1. Schedule based resources
In this case we give duration to an activity and default units/ time to resource of it then its
budgeted units will be calculated.
2. Resource based schedule
In this type we give budged units and units/ time of the resource and then the duration of
that activity will be calculated.
We normally use Fixed duration and units type.

12) Relationships to activities

In planning the most logical and effective thing is the relationship to activities, it depends on the
practical site experience of an engineer.
There are four types of relationships;
1. FS

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 Finish to start relationship is the most common type of relationship which means that
successor activity can’t start until predecessor finishes.
2. SS
Start to start relationship is the relation In which predecessor and successor both starts at
same time In parallel.
3. FF
Finish to finish relationship is the relation in which the predecessor and successor both
have to finish at the same time.
4. SF
Most rare in use in which predecessor starts once successor finishes.
Lags and leads can be given if one activity is to delay or if one has to be start earlier then the
other finishes in case of FS relationship. We can give it in each Relationship.

In this we can give relation either from Gnatt chart directly or in detail with lags and leads(-ve
value).

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 13) Scheduling
Once we give relations and resources and duration etc then we have to schedule its by go to
schedule option or clicking F9.

Give data date from here on which you are scheduling.

14) Filter
Filter command is used in order to filter out only those activities which we want to show, it
depends on situation that which type of activities you want to show.
Filter command helps in complex projects where activities are more so that we can point out and
show only those which we want.

View>filter by

Here in this example, I filtered out only critical activities, we can make our own conditions by
clicking new option.

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 Grouping and sorting
Grouping can help to show the activities group wise like WBS wise if we want tow show project
then it will only show WBS and if want to show activities then we will select group till last WBS
like level 4 of WBS.
Grouping helps n easily monitoring project and can show the details we want, the grouping in
primavera is by default if we want to make our own groups then we can make it through activity
codes.
Sorting helps in arranging the activities in a sequence like if we want to sort it out alphabetical
wise , ascending order or descending order it.
Next is activity codes which helps us in making our own group and then filter those activities
which are in this group. Like we give all structure work activities on activity code then we can
easily filter this group by activity code.

View>Group and sort by

In this picture WBS wise grouping is done to show activities inside WBS and also WBS names
under which this activity exists. We can change it to different group option by clicking on group
by option which will show which group wise you want to show.
Second on the right side we have sort option by clicking on it our schedule will be arranged on
the sequence we want.

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 Activity Codes
Activity code is another useful process in which we make our own groups and assign the
activities to it, so that we can filter those activities all at a same time. The above grouping option
is by default but activity codes we can adjust.
Enterprise>activity code>add

Next is to activity codes and show it in columns and assign the activities to it as per divisions so
that we can easily filter out it.

By this way we define different activity codes and make our own groups and then give different
activities to it.

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 16) Resources
In primavera resources are;
1. Man (labors)
2. Material (consumable items)
3. Machine (non labor)
In this we define the required resources crew and assign to the activities based on its
requirements.
Enterprise>Resources>Add resources

By clicking on add option new resource window will pop up in which we have to give resource
ID and Resource name, Price/unit and default units/ time (means default hours per time a
resource work) and also maximum units/time.

17) Resource Terminologies

Unit
• In case of labors and non labors it is the hours which it works, but incase of materials it is
the quantity of work

Budgeted units
• It is the total budgeted units for which the resources are to be paid like one resource
works 8 hours/ day and total 40 hours in week so its is the budgeted units of that
resource.

Default units/ time

• It is the total working hours a resource works per day.

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 18) Resource assignment
Resources can be assigned to each activity by clicking on that activity and from activity detail
window click on resources and then assign resources.

By assigning resources then in the detail window it is clearly visible the budgeted cost of that
resource which is calculated on the multiplication of price/unit and budgeted units.
Resources assigned on the basis of requirements of the activities like we should give resources
logical.

Resource Usage Spreadsheet

It shows the usage of one resource among different activities.

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 Resource Usage Spreadsheet
It is a manpower histogram which shows the peak and valleys of a resource usage
throughout project.
It helps in observing that where resources are overallocated.

It is a normal manpower histogram which has no overallocation.

While in the following picture a site Engr as a resource is overallocated because it
works all along the project different activities, so we have to level this by using
float of an activities or can often change critical path by delaying this activity if
there is no float available.

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Reports

THE END

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