P6 Professional User Guide

When connected to a P6 EPPM database: If the current project has baselines, you must have the appropriate project privilege assigned using P6 to access the Renumber Activity IDs dialog box.

You can renumber activity IDs in a single project only.

You can renumber activity IDs when multiple projects are open; however, you can not renumber activity IDs when you select activities in multiple projects.

Linking Activities with Relationships

Relationships

A relationship defines how an activity relates to the start or finish of another activity or assignment. Add relationships between activities to create a path through your schedule from the first activity to the last activity. These relationships, which form the logic of the project network, are used together with activity durations to determine schedule dates. An activity can have as many relationships as necessary to model the work that must be done. You can enter comments about a relationship, for example to explain the need for the relationship or how it is configured. You can also identify relationships between activities that are in different projects; this type of relationship is referred to as an external relationship.

Choose from the following types of relationships:

Finish to start relationship

Finish to finish relationship

Start to start relationship

Start to finish relationship

Adding relationships between activities

Add relationships between activities to create a path through your schedule from the first activity (or activities) to the last. If you display relationship lines you can add relationships by drawing the relationship on the Gantt Chart from predecessor to successor. You can also add relationships using the Predecessors, Successors, and Relationships tabs in Activity Details, or using the Assign Toolbar.

Relationship lines

Relationship lines graphically illustrate the links between activities in the bars area. You can display relationships lines in both the Gantt Chart and the Activity Network.

Add predecessor relationships

1)Choose Project, Activities.

2)Select the activity to which you want to add a predecessor relationship.

3)Display Activity Details, then click the Predecessors or Relationships tab.

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Developing Projects

4)Click Assign in the Predecessors tab or in the Predecessors area of the Relationships tab.

5)Assign relationships to activities within the same project and/or assign relationships to activities outside of the current project (external relationships):

To assign relationships within the same project, in the Assign Predecessors dialog box select the predecessor activity you want to assign. Click the Assign button, then click the Close button.

To assign a relationship to an activity outside of the current project, in the Assign Predecessors dialog box click the Display Options bar and choose Select Project. Select the external project, then select the predecessor activity you want to assign. Click the Assign button then click the Close button.

6)To specify a predecessor activity's relationship type, double-click the Relationship Type field, then select a type.

7)To specify a predecessor activity's lag time, double-click the Lag field, then type the lag time value.

8)To add comments about a predecessor activity's relationship, double-click the Comments field, then type your comments.

Tip

You can add the Predecessor Details column to the Activity Table to see a list of all predecessors, the relationship type, and the lag applied to the relationship.

Note

To display the Relationships tab in Activity Details, click the Layout Options bar, then choose Bottom Layout Options and add the Relationships tab to the Display Tabs column list.

Add successor relationships

1)Choose Project, Activities.

2)Select the activity to which you want to add a successor relationship.

3)Display Activity Details, then click the Successors or Relationships tab.

4)Click Assign in the Successors tab or in the Successors area of the Relationships tab.

5)Assign relationships to activities within the same project and/or assign relationships to activities outside of the current project (external relationships):

To assign relationships within the same project, in the Assign Successors dialog box select the successor activity you want to assign, click the Assign button, then click the Close button.

To assign a relationship to an activity outside of the current project, in the Assign Successors dialog box click the Display Options bar and choose Select Project. Select the external project, then select the successor activity you want to assign. Click the Assign button, then click the Close button.

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P6 Professional User Guide

6)To specify a successor activity's relationship type, double-click the Relationship Type field, then select a type.

7)To specify a successor activity's lag time, double-click the Lag field, then type the lag time value.

8)To add comments about a successor activity's relationship, double-click the Comments field, then type your comments.

Tip

You can add the Successor Details column to the Activity Table to see a list of all successors, the relationship type, and the lag applied to the relationship.

Note

To display the Relationships tab in Activity Details, click the Layout Options bar, then choose Bottom Layout Options and add the Relationships tab to the Display Tabs column list.

Create relationships in the Gantt Chart

1)Move the mouse pointer to the edge of the predecessor activity bar until it turns into a relationship pointer (a vertical single-ended arrow).

2)Click and hold the mouse button while dragging to the successor activity. Release the mouse button.

If you draw from the right edge of the predecessor to the left edge of the successor, you create a finish to start relationship.

If you draw from the right edge of the predecessor to the right edge of the successor, you create a finish to finish relationship.

If you draw from the left edge of the predecessor to the right edge of the successor, you create a start to finish relationship.

If you draw from the left edge of the predecessor to the left edge of the successor, you create a start to start relationship.

Tips

If no relationship lines are displayed for activity dependencies you have defined, change the Gantt Chart bar options to show relationship lines or click on the Top Layout toolbar.

A hint window is displayed while you are dragging the relationship line between two activities to tell you what kind of relationship will be created when you release the mouse button.

You can add comments about the relationship in the Relationships, Predecessors, or Successors tabs in Activity Details.

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