P6 Professional User Guide

Notes

An A appearing after the Start or Finish value indicates that the value is the Actual Start or Actual Finish. An * appearing after the Start or Finish value indicates that there is a Start or Finish constraint on this activity.

When P6 Professional is connected a P6 EPPM database and integrated with Primavera Unifier, the Actual Start and Actual Finish dates might have been imported from Primavera Unifier rather than calculated by P6.

Synchronizing activity duration, units, and resource units/time

P6 Professional automatically synchronizes the duration, labor/ nonlabor units, and resource units/time for activities so that the following equation is always true for each activity:

Duration = Units ¸ (Resource Units ¸ Time)

However, since three variables are involved (duration, units, and resource units/time), when you change the value of one variable, P6 Professional must alter the value of a second to balance the equation. The Duration Type setting for an activity allows you to control how P6 Professional synchronizes these variables when any one of the equation's variables is changed.

The following table lists the value that is automatically changed by P6 Professional to synchronize the variables whenever the value of one of the duration type variables is changed.

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Define general activity information

1)Choose Project, Activities, then select the activity whose general information you want to define.

2)Display Activity Details, then click each tab in Activity Details and enter the corresponding information.

Tip

To specify which Activity Details you want to display and their order, click the Layout Options bar, then choose Bottom Layout Options.

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P6 Professional User Guide

Add activities in the Activity Table

Select an activity within the group to which you want to add a new activity. Click on the Edit toolbar or choose Edit. The new activity is placed according to the sorting options selected for the layout.

Depending on your user preferences, the New Activity wizard might start and help you add an activity.

Add activities in the Activity Network

In the Activity Network, select the group band or another activity box within the group band into which you want to add the new activity, then click on the Edit toolbar or choose Edit, Add.

Depending on your user preferences, the New Activity wizard might start and help you add an activity.

Note

If activities are not grouped in the Activity Network, the activity is added to the bottom of the Activity Network.

Define activity types

1)Choose Project, Activities.

2)Select the activity whose activity type you want to define.

3)Display Activity Details, then click the General tab.

4)Select an activity type:

To indicate that the activity's resources are scheduled according to the activity calendar, select Task Dependent.

To indicate that each of the activity's resources are scheduled according to his/her own calendar, select Resource Dependent.

To indicate that the activity's duration is dependent on its predecessor and/or successor activities, select Level of Effort.

To indicate that the activity marks the beginning of a major stage in the project, select Start Milestone.

To indicate that the activity marks the end of a major stage in the project, select Finish Milestone.

To indicate that the activity's duration is dependent on the activities assigned to the same WBS level, select WBS Summary.

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Developing Projects

Notes

You cannot apply constraints to Level of Effort and WBS Summary activities.

Start and Finish Milestones do not have time-based costs, resource assignments, or durations.

You cannot assign resources that drive activity dates to WBS summary activities.

Define activity duration types

1)Choose Project, Activities.

2)Select the activity whose duration type you want to define.

3)Display Activity Details, then click the General tab.

4)Select the duration type:

Choose Fixed Units/Time if you want the resource units per time to remain constant when the activity duration or units change. This type is used when an activity has fixed resources with fixed productivity output per time period. You most often choose this duration type when you are using resource dependent activities.

Choose Fixed Duration & Units/Time if you want the activity duration to remain constant and the remaining units to change. This type is used when the activity is to be completed within a fixed time period regardless of the resources assigned. You most often choose this duration type when you are using task dependent activities.

Choose Fixed Units if you want the activity units to remain constant when the duration or resource units per time change. This type is used when the total amount of work is fixed, and increasing the resources can decrease the activity duration. You most often choose this duration type when you are using resource dependent activities.

Choose Fixed Duration & Units if you want the activity duration to remain constant and the units/time to change. This type is used when the activity is to be completed within a fixed time period and the total amount of work is fixed. You most often choose this duration type when you are using task dependent activities.

Note

The Duration Type field is disabled if the Activity Type is Start Milestone or Finish Milestone.

Define activity percent complete types

You can calculate percent complete according to activity duration, activity units, or according to a physical percent complete that you enter manually for each activity.

1)Choose Project, Activities.

2)Select the activity whose percent complete type you want to define.

3)Display Activity Details, then click the General tab.

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