Primavera P6

1. Start the Project Management module

Click Start, and then choose All Programs, Oracle - Primavera P6, Project Management.
Log in
Before using the module, you must enter a valid login name and password. If you do not know
your login name and password, see your system administrator.

The Workspace
When you first open a project, the Home workspace displays the main functions available in the
module. For example, click Activities to focus on activity data and customize layouts. The
workspace for each main window consists of a menu bar, navigation bar, directory bar, toolbar,
and command bar.

2. Enterprise Project Structure:

Hierarchal structure that identifies the company-wide projects and enables organizing and
management of those projects

Setting Up the Enterprise Project Structure

 To establish the EPS nodes that will contain your projects, choose Enterprise, Enterprise
Project Structure.
 Click Add in the Enterprise Project Structure (EPS) dialog box.
 Type a unique ID and name for the node directly in the column cells, or in the EPS ID and EPS
Name fields.
 Accept the responsible manager shown, or click the Browse button in the field to select a
different OBS element for the node.
 Use the arrow keys to indent/outdent a node to denote its placement in the EPS, and to move
a node up/down in the hierarchy. Click Close.
 After you set up an EPS, you can define additional data about each EPS node, such as
anticipated dates, budgets, and spending plans. Use the Project Details to specify this
information.

(Note: Since the software has autosave option, there is no need to save the Database. However, the layout has
to be saved.)

3. The Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)

The organizational breakdown structure (OBS) is a global hierarchy that represents the managers
responsible for the projects in your organization. The OBS usually reflects the management structure
of your organization, from top-level personnel down through all levels. You can associate the
responsible managers with their areas of the EPS— either nodes or individual projects. When you
associate a responsible manager with an EPS node, any projects you add to that branch of the EPS
are assigned that manager element by default. The OBS hierarchy is also used to grant users specific
access privileges to projects and the WBS levels within projects.
 Choose Enterprise, OBS.
 Select the OBS element immediately above and of the same hierarchy level as the element
you want to add, then click Add.
 Click in the OBS Description area on the General tab to type a description of the OBS element.
You can use HTML editing features, which include formatting text, inserting pictures, copying
and pasting information from other document files (while retaining formatting), and adding
hyperlinks.

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4. Adding a New Project to the EPS

A project is a set of activities and their associated details that constitute a plan for creating a product
or service. A project has a start and finish date, work breakdown structure (WBS), and any number of
activities, relationships, baselines, expenses, risks, issues, thresholds, and work products/documents.
Determine your requirements for adding a new project to the hierarchy. As a project manager with one
or more higher-level projects in the organization, you’ll probably want to add an EPS node that
encompasses these projects.

 Choose Enterprise, Projects, or click Projects on the Home workspace to open the Projects
window.
 Select the EPS node to which you want to add a project. (If you have not yet created any EPS
nodes, select the root EPS node created for you when you installed the P6 PM software.)
 Click Add. OR click File, New. The ‘Create a New Project’ Wizard guides you through the steps
required to add a project, including selecting the node in which to place the project in the EPS,
naming the project, and identifying the responsible manager for the project.

5. Creating Calendars
You can create and assign calendars to each resource and each activity. These calendars define the
number of available work hours in each calendar day. You can also specify national holidays, your
organization’s holidays, project-specific work/non workdays, and resource vacation days. The module
uses your calendar assignments for scheduling and tracking activities, and leveling resources. An
activity’s type determines whether the activity uses the calendar of an assigned resource or its activity
calendar. You can link resource and project calendars to global calendars. Changes to a global
calendar apply to all resource and project calendars linked to the global calendar.
 Choose Enterprise, Calendars.

 Choose Global, and then click Add.

 Select the calendar you want to copy for the new global calendar, and then click the Select
button.

 Type the new calendar’s name. To make the new calendar the default global calendar for
activities and resources, mark the Default checkbox.

 To edit the new calendar, click Modify. To view the calendar’s assignments before changing it,
click Used By.

6. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

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.

 Choose Project, WBS.

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 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, WBS Table.
 To view the WBS as a table in a column format with a corresponding Bar Chart, choose View,
Show on Top, Gantt Chart.

7. Resources
a. Viewing and Adding Resources
Use the Resources window to view and add the resources required to complete all projects across the
organization. Structure the hierarchy of resources according to the work performed. For example, you
may have various teams comprised of individuals in several resource groups spanning the entire
organization. You can set up the hierarchy so that the people managing these groups are at a higher
level than the resources in the groups.

You can set up multiple root, or top-level, elements in a resource breakdown structure (RBS). A root
RBS element serves as the lead person (such as a manager), instead of a division or a department.
For this reason, you cannot roll up lower-level resources to the root resource.

 Choose Enterprise, Resources.

 Click the Display Options bar and choose Group and Sort By, Default, to display the resource
hierarchy.

 Select the resource immediately above and at the same level as the resource you want to add,
then click Add. Depending on your user preferences, the New Resource wizard may be started.
The wizard prompts you to add the information included on each tab in Resource Details. If you
do not use the wizard, this information can also be entered directly on each tab.

 To display Resource Details, click the Display Options bar, and then choose Details.

b. Defining Resource Shifts

You can globally define shifts that span specific work hours over a certain period of time and apply one
or more shifts directly to the resources to whom they apply. The module considers the shift hours
when calculating units and prices during leveling. The resource calendar is used to determine when
the resource can work, and the limits for that period are determined from the shift definition on that
resource.

 Choose Enterprise, Resource Shifts.

 Click Add, and then type the new shift’s name. To edit the new shift, click Modify

8. Defining Budget
Budgets consist of the total estimated effort (or quantities) necessary, and the cash flow required, to
complete a project. Before a project starts, the resource/cost manager, along with the operations
executive, program manager, and project manager, determine scope and budget requirements, and
set these estimates. As requirements change, resource and financial support are adjusted to
compensate for those changes. The individuals involved in project funding and financial support can
perform top-down estimating and log changes to the budget in the project planning stage, or after the
project is underway. The module tracks these changes, while retaining the original amounts.

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a. Establish budgets
 Choose Enterprise, Projects, to open the Projects window. (If you already set budget estimates
for nodes and projects, open the WBS window to enter budgets for the WBS levels in your
projects.)

 Click the Budget Log tab for the selected node/project (or WBS element). Enter the total
budgeted amount you anticipate for this project in the Original Budget field.

 After you have entered budgeted totals for a node and its projects, you can start apportioning
anticipated monthly spending amounts for each of the projects in the branch.

9. Activities Overview
Activities represent work that must take place in a determined amount of time. Use the Activity Table
or Activity Network layouts to add activities and build your projects. Within these layouts, you can
define the following activity information:
Activity ID and name – to uniquely identify and describe the activity
Predecessor and successor relationships – to define relationships with other activities in the same project or
in different projects in the enterprise project structure (EPS)
Activity starts and finish dates
Activity calendar
Activity type, duration type, and percent complete type; whether an activity is a start or finish milestone; how
to keep an activity’s unit values, duration values, and resource units/time values synchronized; and how to
calculate an activity’s percent complete
WBS element
Activity codes and values – to categorize activities
Constraints on the activity’s scheduled start and finish dates
Expenses
Work products and documents, standards, and deliverables
Resources
Roles – to identify skill requirements for staffing the activity
Notes and feedback – to communicate with the resource working on an activity
Notes about performing the activity
Steps – to divide the activity into smaller units
a. Adding Activities
Use the Activities window to create, view, and modify activities for the open project. The Activities
window can be divided into upper and lower layouts. For example, show an Activity Table, Gantt
Chart, Activity Usage Spreadsheet, or Activity Network in the top layout, and/or show Activity Details,
an Activity Table, Gantt Chart, Activity or Resource Usage Spreadsheet or Profile, or Trace Logic in
the bottom layout. Customize the layouts to suit your requirements.

Choose Project, Activities, to display the Activities window.

To add an activity to a project, use the Activity Table and Gantt Chart, or Activity Network. Depending
on your user preferences, the New Activity wizard may start to help you add an activity.

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b. Add activities in the Activity Table

Select an activity within the group to which you want to add a new activity, then click Add. The new
activity is placed according to the sorting options selected for the layout.

c. Defining General Activity Information

Use the General tab to define general information for the selected activity, including duration type,
WBS assignment, primary resource, activity type, and activity calendar.

In the Activities window, select the activity whose general information you want to define. Click the
Layout Options bar, then choose Show on Bottom, Activity Details; click the General tab.

d. Defining Schedule Information

Use the Activity Details Status tab to view and edit detailed schedule information for the selected
activity, including actual start and finish dates, free float, total float, constraints, and duration. You can
also view and edit the activity’s labor and non-labor unit/cost values and material cost values.

The module automatically recalculates the time value and period you enter according to the project's
calendar and the standard time period defined by your network/database administrator. To view the
available time period abbreviations, choose Admin, Admin Preferences, then click the Time Periods
tab. You must have appropriate access rights to edit Admin Preferences.

In the Activities window, select the activity whose schedule information you want to define. Click the
Layout Options bar, then choose Show on Bottom, Activity Details; click the Status tab.

e. Duration
Update the Duration fields when you are setting the duration or updating the activity as a whole. (Most
likely, the activity type will be Task Dependent.)

To enter the original (or planned) duration for the activity, in the Original (or Planned) field enter the
expected number of workperiods required to complete the selected activity.
To enter the remaining duration for the activity, in the Remaining field enter the remaining number of
workperiods needed to complete the selected activity. If the selected activity is in progress, type a new
number immediately followed by the timeperiod abbreviation.

(Use the General tab of the Admin Preferences dialog box to specify the default duration for
activities in all projects. Choose Admin, Admin Preferences, then click the General tab).

To enter a new at completion estimate, in the At Complete field enter an estimate of the duration at
completion time for the selected activity. If the selected activity is in progress, type a new at
completion estimate (At Complete Duration = Actual Duration + Remaining Duration).

f. Status
Once an activity is underway, update its start and finish dates and other status information.
To enter the activity’s planned start date, click the Browse button in the Started field, then select a
date. If the activity has actually started, mark the Started checkbox, then specify the actual start date
in the Started field.
To enter the activity’s planned finish date, click the Browse button in the Finished field, then select a
date. If the activity is complete, mark the Finished checkbox, then specify the actual finish date in the
Finished field.

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(If the planned date you enter differs from its scheduled date, you are prompted to apply a
constraint to hold the activity in place. If you do not constrain the activity, your dates are
overwritten when the schedule is calculated.)

(The % field name changes depending on the percent complete type set on the Activity Details
General tab.)

If the selected activity’s percent complete type is set to Duration, the Duration % is calculated from the
original or planned and remaining durations. If the selected activity’s percent complete type is set to
Units, the Units % is calculated from the actual and remaining units. If the selected activity’s percent
complete type is set to Physical, you can enter its physical percent complete in the Physical % field.
To edit the Physical % field, the activity must have started.

Total float is the amount of time the selected activity can be delayed, without delaying the project’s
finish date.
Free float is the amount of time the selected activity can be delayed, without delaying the
immediate successor activities.

g. Constraints
Use constraints when activities must start or finish on a specific date. Network logic alone cannot
reflect all project situations. Sometimes activity must be accomplished according to specific dates
rather than on dates determined by other activities in the project. To model dependence on specific
dates, assign primary and secondary constraints to activities.

The module uses the date constraints only when they create a tighter schedule. For example, an
imposed Start On date of December 1 will not affect a schedule-determined early start date of
December 15. Conversely, if an imposed Start On or After date is set to December 30, the module
schedules an activity whose early start is December 15 to the imposed start date.
Choose the primary constraint for the activity, then click the Browse button in the Date field to select
the date to which the primary constraint applies.
Choose a secondary constraint if necessary. This list is filtered based on the value you select in the
Primary field. Click the Browse button in the Date field to select the date to which the secondary
constraint applies.
h. Establishing Relationships
Create relationships between activities to indicate whether an activity can begin only after other
activities start or finish. Once you assign relationships, schedule the project to calculate early and late
dates for each activity.

Establish relationships between activities in the same project, or link projects by creating relationships
between activities in different projects within the EPS. You can define relationships to activities in any
other project (not including what-if/inactive projects), even if the project is not opened in the current
display.

There are several methods for assigning relationships. Use the Activity Network to visualize the flow of
logic as you link activities, or use the Gantt chart to view relationships according to time. You can also
use the Relationships tab in Activity Details to assign relationships to activities in the same project or
in other projects in the EPS.

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i. Assign relationships using Activity Details

In the Activities window, select the activity to which you want to add a predecessor or successor
relationship. Display Activity Details by clicking the Layout Options bar and choosing Show on Bottom,
Activity Details, then click the Relationships tab.
Click Assign in either the Predecessors or Successors section. Select the predecessor or successor
activity you want to assign.
Click the Assign button, and then click the Close button. Double-click the Relationship Type field
Select a relationship type. Double-click the Lag field, and then type the relationship’s lag time value.
j. Create relationships in the Gantt Chart or Activity Network
Drag the mouse between any two activities that you want to connect. Point to the left or right of the
predecessor activity and drag the mouse to the left or right of the successor activity.
k. Assigning Resources and Roles
In the Activities window, select the activity to which you want to assign a resource or role.

Click the Resources tab in Activity Details.

Click Add Resource to assign a resource to the selected activity.

Click Add Role to assign a role to the selected activity.
Select the resource or role you want to assign. To assign multiple resources or roles, hold down the
Ctrl key and click each resource/role you want to assign. Click the Select button, and then click the
Close button.
10. Baselines
A baseline is a complete copy of a project plan that you can compare to the current schedule to
evaluate progress.
Before you update a schedule for the first time, you should create a baseline plan. The simplest
baseline plan is a complete copy or “snapshot” of the original schedule. This snapshot provides a
target against which you can track a project’s cost, schedule, and performance.Each baseline can be
assigned a type that categorizes its purpose, for example, initial planning baseline, what-if project plan
baseline, or mid- project status baseline. Baseline types are defined by the administrator in the Admin
Categories dialog box.

You can compare up to three baselines at one time. For example, you might want to create a baseline
of the original project schedule, and then create two additional baselines at different stages of the
project. You can compare these to the current schedule to see how the project is progressing
according to the project plan. You can also create a project baseline to use for summarization.
Designate any existing project, or a copy of the current project, as a baseline. The maximum number
of baselines allowed is defined by the administrator in the Admin Preferences dialog box.
a. Create project baselines
Open the projects for which you want to create a baseline or view assigned baseline projects.

Choose Project, Maintain Baselines. The Maintain Baselines dialog box groups the currently open
projects into individual bands, with any existing baseline projects beneath its current project.

(After creating a baseline, you can set a baseline as the project, primary, secondary, or tertiary baseline in
the Assign Baselines dialog box.)

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To create a baseline project, select the desired project and click Add. If multiple projects are open, you
can create a baseline for the selected projects. (To select a project Ctrl-click on its band.) Choose to
save a copy of the current project as a new baseline or convert another project to a new baseline.

If you choose to save the current project as a baseline, the module creates a baseline project with the
same name and data date as the current project. To distinguish the baseline project, the module
appends the name with – B1 and increments each new baseline added. For example, if Acme Project
is saved with 3 baselines the new baselines should be saved as:

Before you convert a project as a baseline, you should copy it; it will no longer be available in the
project hierarchy.

If you choose to convert another project as a baseline of the current project, you are prompted to
select the project to designate as the baseline from the project hierarchy. You cannot select a project
that is currently open, nor can you select a project that already has its own assigned baseline. The
module creates a baseline project with the same name and data date as the selected project. (To
distinguish the baseline project, the module appends the name with – B1.) This new baseline project is
then removed from the project hierarchy and is no longer available as an individual project.
b. The Update Process
Once a project is underway, it is important to keep the schedule up to date. Actual durations will
probably vary from your original estimates, and the sequence of activities may change once the work
begins. In addition, you may need to add new activities and delete unnecessary ones. Regularly
updating schedules and comparing them with baseline schedules ensures that you are using
resources effectively, monitoring project costs against budget, and keeping abreast of actual durations
and costs so you can initiate your contingency plan if necessary.
To help develop procedures, ask questions such as these:
What data need to be assembled for the update and what methods will be used to collect the data?
How often should projects be updated?
Are resources local or offsite?
On which project teams are resources participating?
Who on each team will be gathering the information used for the project update?
Who needs to see the results of the update and when do they need to see them?
What types of information need to be generated after each update to communicate progress
before the next update?
Choose from several ways of updating your schedule. You can update progress for all activities and
resources as a whole; update activities and resources individually; or use a combination of the two
methods.
If your project is progressing exactly as planned, or if you only need to estimate progress, simply
specify the data date or "as-of" date and allow the module to determine which activities have
progressed and how much, calculate the remaining durations of activities that have started, and
set the remaining durations of activities that have completed to zero.
If your project is not progressing as planned-many activities are starting out-of-sequence, activities
are taking more or less time to complete than originally planned, actual resource use is exceeding
planned use update activities and resources individually. This will help you forecast the effects of

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unforeseen circumstances, so that you can take appropriate corrective action. Most projects
contain some activities that progress as planned and some which do not. In this case, combine the
two updating methods. Calculate your project as if it is progressing exactly as planned, and then
individually update those activities and resources that have deviated from the plan.

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