Structuring Projects
3)Select an existing curve from which to copy the curve value percentages, then click Select.
4)Type a name for the new resource curve. You can type up to 60 alphanumeric characters. You must enter a resource curve name.
5)Click Modify to define the curve's distribution. Edit the curve value percentages to create a curve that indicates how your costs/units should distribute over time. Curves are defined by 21 points (5% intervals from 0 to 100).
6)Click Prorate to make the total of the distribution values equal to 100% while maintaining the shape you specified.
7)Click OK, then click Close.
Note
You can define an unlimited number of global resource curves.
Delete a resource curve
1)Choose Enterprise, Resource Curves.
2)Select the global curve you want to delete. You cannot delete the default curves.
3)Click Delete.
4)Click Yes.
Note
If you delete a resource curve assigned to a resource or role assignment, the curve is removed from the assignment and the actual values and earned value for those assignments are recalculated.
Defining the WBS
Work Breakdown Structure
A WBS is a hierarchy of work that must be accomplished to complete a project, which defines a product or service to be produced. The WBS is structured in levels of work detail, beginning with the deliverable itself, and is then separated into identifiable work elements.
Each project has its own WBS hierarchy with the top level WBS element being equal to that of each EPS node or project. Each WBS element may contain more detailed WBS levels, activities, or both.
When creating a project, the project manager typically develops the WBS first, assigns documents to each WBS element, and then defines activities for performing the element's work. In addition to document and activity assignments, each WBS element also has an assigned calendar, specific earned value calculation settings, and an assigned OBS element responsible for all work included in the WBS element.
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Using a WBS for top-down planning
Using a WBS at the planning stages of a project is beneficial for summary rollups of data not yet associated with projects.
The WBS hierarchy can contain anticipated dates, planned budgets, and summary values. Financial information is used interchangeably between projects and their WBS elements, so you can use the preestablished budget amounts and funding information you set for WBS elements immediately for their project and activity counterparts. The budget and spending plan can stand alone to represent financial data for the WBS level, or it can reflect the budget distribution data established for the project. Summary information can be rolled up to any WBS level you specify.
Using weighted milestones in the work breakdown structure
The module provides various ways to calculate performance percent complete. One method is to assign weighted milestones at the WBS level. For each WBS element, select the WBS Milestones Percent Complete option on the Earned Value tab, then define as many milestones as you need and assign a level of significance or weight to each of them. As progress occurs and you mark each milestone complete, P6 Professional calculates the WBS element's performance percent complete based on the weight of the milestone, independent of its lower-level activities.
WBS status types
P6 Professional recognizes four status types for WBS elements: Planned, Active, Inactive, and What-If.
Planned WBS elements
If a WBS element's status is Planned, then the WBS is in the planning phase. Work has not yet begun.
Active WBS Elements
If a WBS element's status is Active, then the WBS is currently underway.
Inactive WBS Elements
If a WBS element's status is Inactive, then the WBS has ceased or is placed on hold.
What-If WBS Elements
If a WBS element's status is What -If, then the WBS is being analyzed before establishing a more permanent schedule.
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View the WBS
Choose Project, WBS.
To view the WBS as a graphical chart, choose View, Show on Top, Chart View. To view the WBS as a table in column format, choose View, Show on Top, Table.
To view the WBS as a table in a column format with a corresponding Bar Chart, choose View, Show on Top, Gantt Chart.
Tip
You can also select the same View commands by clicking the Display Options bar.
Display work breakdown structure details
Choose Project, WBS, then choose View, Show on Bottom, Details.
Add a WBS element
1)Choose Project, WBS.
2)Select the WBS element to which you want to add a child WBS element, then click 
on the Edit toolbar or choose Edit, Add.
The new WBS element is indented one level under the selected WBS element. You can change the position of the WBS element using the arrows on the Move toolbar.
3)Click the General tab, then type the element's code and name. Use the remaining fields on this tab as follows:
Status - select the status for the selected WBS element.
Responsible Manager – select the name of the selected WBS element's root OBS (organizational breakdown structure) element.
Anticipated Dates – enter expected start and finish dates for the WBS element. These dates are used during the project planning stage and are not affected by scheduling. These dates are used to set Start and Finish dates for the WBS during the project planning stage when activities are not added to the WBS. When activities are added, WBS Start and Finish dates are rolled up from the earliest start and latest finish dates from the WBS activities.
4)To calculate the performance percent complete based on WBS weighted milestones, click the WBS Milestones tab.
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Edit a work breakdown structure element
1)Choose Project, WBS.
2)Select the WBS element you want to edit.
To change the element's position in the WBS, click the appropriate arrow buttons. Note that the maximum number of WBS levels is set in the Data Limits tab of the Admin Preferences dialog box when P6 Professional is connected to a P6 Professional database and is set in P6 Settings page when P6 Professional is connected to a P6 EPPM database.
3)Click the Display Options bar and choose Show on Bottom, WBS Details to view or modify information in the General and WBS Milestones tabs.
Tip
You can also directly edit some WBS information in the WBS table by double-clicking the information you want to change.
Assign WBS weighted milestones
1)Choose Project, WBS.
2)Select the WBS element to which you want to assign weighted milestones, then click the Earned Value tab.
3)In the Technique for Computing Performance Percent Complete area, choose WBS Milestones Percent Complete.
4)Click the WBS Milestones tab.
5)Click Add, then type a name of the task or portion of work signifying a milestone for the selected WBS element in the WBS Milestone column.
6)Click the corresponding field in the Weight column, then type a number indicating the significance of this milestone relative to the others listed.
7)Mark the checkbox in the Completed column when each milestone is complete.
The WBS element's percent complete is calculated based on the weight of the completed milestone in relation to the remaining milestones.
Note
If all weighted milestones for a WBS element have a value of 1.0 and you have a total of four milestones, marking one as Completed would indicated that the WBS element is 25% complete. If this same milestone had a weight of 9.0, and the other three had 1.0 weights, marking it Completed would indicate that the WBS element is 75% complete. The module uses the following formula to calculate percent complete from weighted milestones: Actual Weight of Completed Milestones/ Total Possible Weight of All Milestones.
Applying this formula to the previous example, the completed milestone has a weight of 9.0, and is divided by the total weight of all milestones (12.0), to equal 75% complete.
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