Structuring Projects

The Enterprise Project Structure (EPS) forms the hierarchical structure of your database of projects. Each EPS node (or folder) can be subdivided into multiple levels to represent the work that needs to be done in your organization. The number of levels and their structure depend on the scope of your projects and how you want to summarize data.

You can use the EPS to

Perform top-down budgeting and resource and cost analysis

Organize work breakdown and organizational breakdown structures into one common structure

Manage multiple projects from the highest levels of the organization to the individuals that perform specific project tasks

Implement coding standards for flexible reporting

Maintain appropriate security throughout the enterprise

All projects in the enterprise exist within the EPS hierarchy, a graphical representation of your project structure.

When P6 Professional is connected a P6 EPPM database you can define the EPS using either P6 Professional or P6.

The levels and structure of your company’s EPS depends on the scope of your projects and how you want to summarize data. You can define one or multiple root nodes, up to 50 combined WBS/EPS levels and as many projects as necessary to complete the required work set forth by the operations executive and project managers in your organization.

Before you begin defining your company’s EPS, you should become familiar with the structures and procedures established for your enterprise, such as codes, calendars, and other company-wide standards. Once the EPS hierarchy is defined, you can begin to develop projects by adding information, activities, and resources.

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P6 Professional User Guide

Defining the Enterprise Project Structure

All projects in the enterprise exist within the EPS hierarchy, a graphical representation of your project structure. A root node is automatically created for the hierarchy during installation.

The levels and structure of your company’s EPS depends on the scope of your projects and how you want to summarize data. You can use the Admin Preferences, Data Limits tab to define one or multiple root nodes, up to 50 combined WBS/EPS levels and as many projects as necessary to complete the required work set forth by the operations executive and project managers in your organization.

Before you begin defining your company’s EPS, you should become familiar with the structures and procedures established for your enterprise, such as codes, calendars, and other company-wide standards. Once the EPS hierarchy is defined, you can begin to develop projects by adding information, activities, and resources.

Set up the EPS structure

You can use P6 Professional or P6 to set up the EPS. If you use P6 Professional, choose Enterprise, Projects to specify project details such as dates, resource and budget information, and so on.

When you create the enterprise project structure, you must identify an OBS element, or person responsible for each node and project within the EPS. For steps on defining the OBS.

1)Choose Enterprise, Enterprise Project Structure.

2)Click the EPS Name column where you want to add a new element.

3)Click Add.

4)Type an ID and name for the EPS node. In the Responsible Manager field, select an OBS element for the new element.

5)If necessary, you can change the hierarchical position of the new element by clicking the arrow keys.

6)Click Close.

7)Choose Enterprise, Projects then specify project details such as dates, resource and budget information, and so on.

Note

A default root node displays in the top left position in the hierarchy. All projects listed below it are part of the same structure. You can also define multiple root nodes to separate various components of your enterprise. For example, you might want to exclude inactive or what-if projects from the main enterprise. To define a root node, click the left arrow key to move an EPS element to the top left position in the hierarchy, then add the hierarchy of projects below this node.

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Structuring Projects

Add a project to the EPS hierarchy

Once you set up the EPS structure, you can add an unlimited number of projects as follows:

1)Choose Enterprise, Projects, then select the EPS node or root element to which you want to add a project.

2)Click on the Edit Toolbar or choose Edit, Add.

3)Follow the instructions in the Create a New Project Wizard.

To quickly add a new project using the default settings, click Finish on the Create a New Project Wizard.

4)Use the detail tabs across the bottom of the Project window to add details specific to this project.

Show or hide details in the EPS hierarchy

To expand or collapse individual elements of the EPS hierarchy, click the plus sign (+) or minus sign (-).

To expand or collapse all elements of the EPS hierarchy, choose View, Expand All or Collapse All. You can also right-click in the EPS hierarchy and choose Expand All or Collapse All.

Use status for filtering projects in the EPS

You can change an active (Open) project to inactive (Closed) when it is completed. You can also assign a What-If status to a copied project that you want to use for analysis. Project status can be used to organize and summarize information, and to filter projects.

1)Choose File, Open.

2)Select the EPS node or project whose status you want to change and click Open.

3)Choose Enterprise, Projects.

4)To view only those projects with a specific status, choose View, Filter By, Status, then choose the status you want to use.

You can also choose View, Filter By, Customize.

5)In the Filters dialog box, mark the applicable checkboxes.

Tip

Another way to distinguish projects with statuses other than Active is to place them under separate root nodes in the EPS. The projects remain part of the hierarchy, but they are not considered when you budget, schedule, and level your active projects. Choose Enterprise, Enterprise Project Structure, to set up root nodes as placeholders within the EPS (for example, What-If, Planned, or Closed). You can then drag and drop projects to these root nodes when their status changes.

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P6 Professional User Guide

Delete an EPS node or project

1)Choose Enterprise, Projects, then select the EPS node or project that you want to delete. Choose Edit, Delete.

2)Click Yes to confirm.

Tip

When you delete an EPS node, all projects in that branch of the hierarchy are also removed. To save projects in a branch before deleting it, first copy and paste those projects to another area of the hierarchy.

Copy an EPS node or project

1)Choose Enterprise, Projects, then select the EPS node or project you want to copy.

2)Choose Edit, Copy.

3)Click the location in the EPS where you want to paste the new EPS node/project.

4)Choose Edit, Paste.

5)Mark the checkboxes beside any optional information you want to include in the copied EPS node or project in the Copy Project Options, Copy WBS Options, and Copy Activity Options dialog boxes.

Notes:

When connected to a P6 EPPM database: When you copy an EPS node, any template projects in that EPS are copied even though you cannot see them in P6 Professional.

When connected to a P6 EPPM database: P6 Professional uses a job service to copy projects and EPS nodes. This means that you can carry on working while the project or EPS is copied in the background. To see the progress of the job, choose Tools, Job Status.

The administrator should not assign any of the following privileges to users who should not have access to view cost information while copying and pasting project/EPS or assigning WBS and Fill Down on the WBS column in the Activities view: View Project Costs/Financials, Edit WBS Costs/Financials, and Edit EPS Costs/Financials.

You must group the projects (to copy) by EPS in order to copy Summary Data.

Tip

When you select an EPS node to copy, all of the selected EPS node’s subordinate EPS nodes/projects are also copied, even if you do not select them.

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