VERSIONS 8 AND 15 EPPM WEB Sample Book with two chapters only ADMINISTRATORS GUIDE PAUL EASTWOOD HARRIS

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1 Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide ORACLE PRIMAVERA P6 VERSIONS 8 AND 15 EPPM WEB ADMINISTRATORS GUIDE BY PAUL EASTWOOD HARRIS Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd i

2 Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide Copyright 2016 by Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any method without the written permission of the author. Oracle and Primavera are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Windows, Microsoft Office Project Standard 2016, Windows, Microsoft Office Project Standard 2013, Microsoft Office Project Professional 2013, Microsoft Office Project Standard 2010, Microsoft Office Project Professional 2010, Microsoft Office Project Standard 2007, Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007, Microsoft Project Standard 2003, Microsoft Project Professional 2003, Microsoft Project Standard 2002, Microsoft Project Professional 2002, Microsoft Project 2000, Microsoft Project 98 and Excel are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Asta Powerproject is a registered trademark of Asta Developments plc. Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other company or product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Screen captures reprinted with authorization from Oracle Corporation. This publication was created by Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd and is not a product of Oracle Corporation. DISCLAIMER The information contained in this publication is to the best of the author s knowledge true and correct. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of this publication, but may not be held responsible for any loss or damage arising from any information in this publication. Furthermore, Oracle Corporation reserves the right in their documentation to make changes to any products to improve reliability, function, or design. Thus, the application of Service Packs or the use of upgraded software may result in the software operating differently from the descriptions in this publication. AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER Paul E Harris Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd PO Box 4032 Doncaster Heights, 3109 Victoria, Australia harrispe@eh.com.au Web: Tel: +61 (0) Skype harrispe@eh.com.au Please send any comments on this publication to the author. ISBN ( ) B5 Paperback ISBN ( ) A4 Spiral ISBN ( X) ebook 9 February 2016 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd ii

3 INTRODUCTION Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide This publication has been written to explain the functions that an administrator must understand in order to set up and manage a Primavera P6 EPPM database. Please note there are no P6 Versions 9 to 14 as Oracle changed their naming convention with the release of Version 15.1, and now the name is the same as the year of the release. The author would appreciate any constructive comments on how this publication may be improved. Feedback may be submitted to the author at harrispe@eh.com.au. SUMMARY The publication may be used as: A training manual for a training course, or A self-teach book, or A reference manual. The screen shots for this publication are taken from Primavera Versions 8.2 to 15.2 EPPM Web Client. A training course may be run using this publication and it includes exercises for the students to complete at the end of each chapter. After the course, students may use this publication as a reference book. Instructors PowerPoint presentations are available from Eastwood Harris web sites. CUSTOMIZATION FOR TRAINING COURSES Training organizations or companies that wish to conduct their own training may have this publication tailored to suit their requirements. This may be achieved removing, reordering or adding content to the publication and by writing their own exercises. Please contact the author to discuss this service. AUTHOR S COMMENT As a project controls consultant I have used a number of planning and scheduling software packages for the management of a range of project types and sizes. The first publications I published were user guides/training manuals for Primavera SureTrak, P3 and Microsoft Project users. These were well received by professional project managers and schedulers, so I decided to turn my attention to Primavera Enterprise / Primavera P6 after a request from Primavera Systems Inc. to write a book. This publication follows the same proven layout of my previous publications. I trust this publication will assist you in understanding how to use Primavera P6 on your projects. APPRECIATION I would like thank Jan Hanak and Thomas Grant for their assistance in the preparation of this book. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd iii

4 Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide CURRENT BOOKS PUBLISHED BY EASTWOOD HARRIS Planning Using Primavera Project Planner P3 Version Revised 2006 Planning Using Primavera SureTrak Project Manager Version Revised 2006 Project Planning and Scheduling Using Primavera Contractor Version Including Versions 4.1, 5.0 and 6.1 Project Planning & Control Using Primavera P6 Version 7 - For all industries including Versions 4 to 7 Updated 2012 Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 2013 Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 2013 & PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition - No Subtitle Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Versions 8.2 & 8.3 EPPM Web 99 Tricks and Traps for Microsoft Project 2013 Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 Versions 8.1 to 15.1 PPM Professional Planificación y Control Usando Oracle Primavera P6 Versiones 8.1 a 15.1 PPM Profesional 规划和控制 Oracle Primavera P6 应用版本 PPM 专业版 Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Versions 8.2 to 15.1 EPPM Web SUPERSEDED BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR Planning and Scheduling Using Microsoft Project 2000 Planning and Scheduling Using Microsoft Project 2002 Planning and Scheduling Using Microsoft Project 2003 Planning and Scheduling Using Microsoft Office Project 2007 Planning and Scheduling Using Microsoft Office Project Including Microsoft Project 2000 to Revised 2009 Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project and PMBOK Guide Fourth Edition Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 2010 and PMBOK Guide Fourth Edition Planning and Scheduling Using Microsoft Project Updated 2013 Including Revised Workshops Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 2010 & PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition 99 Tricks and Traps for Microsoft Office Project - Including Microsoft Project 2000 to 2007 PRINCE2 TM Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project and PMBOK Guide Third Edition Project Planning and Scheduling Using Primavera Enterprise Team Play Version 3.5 Project Planning and Scheduling Using Primavera Enterprise P3e & P3e/c Version 3.5 Project Planning and Scheduling Using Primavera Version 4.1 for IT Project Project Planning and Scheduling Using Primavera Version 4.1 or E&C Planning and Scheduling Using Primavera Version 5.0 For IT Project Office Planning and Scheduling Using Primavera Version 5.0 For Engineering & Construction Project Planning & Control Using Primavera P6 Updated for Version 6.2 Planning Using Primavera Project Planner P3 Version 2.0 Planning Using Primavera Project Planner P3 Version 3.0 Planning Using Primavera Project Planner P3 Version 3.1 Project Planning Using SureTrak for Windows Version 2.0 Planning Using Primavera SureTrak Project Manager Version 3.0 Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Version 8.1 Professional Client & Optional Client Planning & Control Using Primavera P6 TM For all industries including Versions 4 to 7 Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Versions 8.2 EPPM Web Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Versions 8.2 & 8.3 EPPM Web Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Version 8.1 & 8.2 Professional Client & Optional Client Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Version 8.1, 8.2 & 8.3 Professional Client & Optional Client Project Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Versions 8.1, 8.2 & 8.3 Professional Client & Optional Client Planificación y Control de Proyectos Usando Oracle Primavera P6 - Versiones 8.1, 8.2 y 8.3 Cliente Profesional y Opcional 项目规划和控制 ORACLE PRIMAVERA P6 应用 - 版本 8.1, 8.2 & 8.3 专业 & 可选客户端 Project Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Versions 8.1 to 8.4 Professional Client & Optional Client Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 - Versions 8.2 to 8.4 EPPM Web Planificación y Control de Proyectos Usando Oracle Primavera P6 Versiones 8.1 a 8.4 Cliente Profesional & Cliente Opcional 规划和控制 ORACLE PRIMAVERA P6 应用版本 专业 & 可选客户端 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd iv

5 1 INTRODUCTION Readers/Student Prerequisites Objectives Understanding Enterprise Portfolio Project Management Understanding System Implementation and Administration Implementing Web Based Project Management Tools Additional Reading Material 3 2 REVIEW OF THE P6 WEB INTERFACE Background on P6 Development P6 Modules Database Options Tools Database Strategy Integration Options Key Data Structures EPS Enterprise Project Structure P6 Projects Project Codes & UDFs P6 Project Templates Calendars WBS - Work Breakdown Structure Activities Project Baselines Roles & Resources Resources Roles Resource Codes Resource Teams and Role Teams Administer Menu My Calendar My Preferences (User Preferences in the Web Client - EPPM) Application Settings Enterprise data Global Scheduled Services User Access User Interface Views User Sessions Security Users OBS - Organizational Breakdown Structure Security Profiles Other Functions Currencies Locations Risks Issues Collaboration through Document Reviews Import/Export 19 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd ii

6 3 STARTING UP AND NAVIGATION Logging In P6 Web Functionality Areas and Interface Understanding a Project Portfolio Dashboards Tab Portfolios Tab Projects Tab Resources Tab Administer Tab Administer Menu, My Preferences Navigating Around P6 Web Bottom Pane Tabs Saving Data Viewing Project Data Projects Tab Projects, EPS Tab Projects Tab Menu and Activities Tab Opening a Project Viewing the OBS My Preferences Date and Time Display Understanding the Projects Window Activities Window Activities Window Menu Activity Toolbars Viewing the Hierarchy for Activity, Project, and Resource Codes Workspace Team Usage Issues Risks Documents Right-clicking with the Mouse Full Screen Mode Icon Multiple Browser Windows and Tabs Search Function Accessing Help Find and Replace Option Closing a Project Popup Windows Closing Down Workshop 1 Introduction to the P6 Interface 43 4 PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION Defining Operational Requirements Defining and Documenting Roles and Responsibilities for Operations Defining Master Data Enterprise Project Structure (EPS) Project IDs and EPS IDs Creating a Project Project Codes Calendars Database Default Calendar WBS and WBS Standardization WBS Categories Activity Codes 52 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd iii

7 User Definable Fields - UDF How to use Roles and Resources Resources Roles Resource Teams & Role Teams Resource Codes Expenses Advantages and Disadvantages of Roles, Resources and Expenses Currencies Financial Periods Risks Issues Documents Define Security & Access Additional/Add-on Software Reporting Procedures & Operational Support Workshop 2 Planning P6 Implementation 63 5 KEY MASTER DATA CONFIGURATION EPS & WBS Introduction to Master Data EPS - Enterprise Project Structure Viewing only the EPS Nodes Adding New EPS Nodes Reordering and Moving EPS Nodes Deleting an EPS Node Projects Creating a Project Creating a Blank Project or Copying a Project Copy an Existing Project or EPS Node Creating a New Project from a Template Creating a New Template Deleting a Project Primavera Project WBS Viewing and Navigating the WBS Creating and Deleting a WBS Node WBS Node Separator Activity Window Work Breakdown Structure Lower Pane Details Workshop 3 EPS 77 6 CALENDARS Database Default Calendar Accessing Global, Resource and Project Calendars The Project Default Project Calendar Understanding the Project Default Project Calendar Assigning a Default Project Calendar Creating Calendars Creating a New Global Calendar Creating a New Project Calendar Creating a New Shared Calendar Creating New Personal Calendar Personal and Shared Calendars Calculation and Display Calendar Calculations Administer, My Calendar 87 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd iv

8 6.8 Promote, Copy, Rename and Delete a Calendar Promoting a Project Calendar to Global Copy a Calendar from One Project to Another Renaming a Calendar Deleting a Calendar Base Calendars Understanding Base Calendars Remove a Base Calendar from a Calendar Adjusting Calendar Working Hours Editing Selected Days Working Hours Viewing the Calendar Working Hours Calculation of Activity Durations in Days, Weeks or Months Individually for each Calendar RECOMMENDED Globally for All Calendars NOT RECOMMENDED Calendars and Activity Types Calendars for Calculating Project, WBS and Other Summary Durations Tips for Mixed Calendar Schedules Workshop 4 Calendars 97 7 ROLES AND RESOURCES Creating Roles Description Tab Resources Tab Prices Tab Limits Tab Role Teams Tab Creating Resources and the Resources Window Resources General Tab Resource Team Tab Resources Roles Tab Resources Codes Tab Resources Units and Prices Tab Resources Settings Tab Role & Resource Teams Workshop 5 Roles and Resources CONFIGURING APPLICATION SETTINGS AND ENTERPRISE DATA Administer Menu Application Settings Audit Data Limits Earned Value General ID Lengths Gateway Reports Services Timesheets Time Periods Enterprise Data Currencies Financial Periods Global Calendars Locations 122 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd v

9 8.3.5 Overhead Codes Timesheet Periods Baseline Types Funding Sources Notebook Topics Project Calendars Project Codes Project User Defined Fields - UDFs WBS Categories WBS User Definable Fields - UDFs Activity Codes (Global, EPS & Project) Activity User Definable Fields - UDFs Cost Accounts Expense Categories Expense User Definable Fields - UDFs Step Templates Step User Definable Fields - UDFs Assignment User Definable Fields - UDFs Rate Types Resource Calendars Resource Codes Resource Curves Resource User Definable Fields - UDFs Units of Measure Risks Risk Categories Risk Scoring Matrices Risk Thresholds Risk User Definable Fields - UDFs Issues Issue Codes Issue User Definable Fields - UDFs Documents Document Categories Document Statuses Document User Definable Fields - UDFs Miscellaneous Defaults Default Project in the Professional Version of P Default Project in the Web Tool Things to Avoid When Setting Up Master Data Workshop 6 Configuring Administer Settings SECURITY & ACCESS CONFIGURATION Introduction to User Access Users OBS Global Security Profiles Project Security Profiles User Interface Views Understanding User Interface Views Create, Edit or Delete a User Interface View Assigning a User Interface View to a User Copy User Views when Copying a User 145 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd vi

10 9.7 User Sessions Workshop 7 Create a New User USER CONFIGURED ITEMS New Activity Defaults Setting New Activity Defaults Duration Type Percent Complete Type Activity Types and Milestones Cost Account Calendar Price/Unit Auto-numbering Defaults My Preferences Global, General Tab Global, General, Time Units Format Tab Global, Resources Tab, Resource Staffing Global, Resources Tab, Resource Assignments Global, Project Score Tab Global, Performance Threshold Tab Global, Currency Tab Global, Date Format Tab Global, Issues Tab View Tab Setting a Default Start Page Password Tab My Calendar OPERATIONAL SUPPORT Baselines Collecting Actuals Updating Projects Progress Reporter Publishing Projects Controlling User Defined Data User Preferences Planned Dates and Budgets Managing Filters Managing Views REPORTING Project Portfolio a Group of Projects Understanding a Project Portfolio Creating, Editing and Deleting a Project Portfolio Thresholds Understanding Thresholds Defining Thresholds Editing Thresholds Scenarios Understanding Scenarios Creating, Editing and Deleting Scenarios Waterline Understanding Waterlines Setting a Waterline in Portfolios, Portfolio Analysis, Scorecard View 183 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd vii

11 Setting a Waterline in Portfolios, Capacity Planning View Dashboards Understanding Dashboards Creating, Deleting and Editing Dashboards Portfolios Understanding Portfolios Functional Areas of Portfolios Portfolio Analysis Configuring Portfolio Analysis Bubble Chart Histogram Pie Chart Scorecard Side-by-side Histogram Stacked Histogram Capacity Planning Roles Only Performance Status Gantt Chart ROI Details Views - Projects and Activities BI Publisher Understanding BI Publisher Running Reports Scheduling Reports Reporting Using the Windows Client Windows Client Layouts Reports Running Reports Editing Reports Publish to a Web Site Visualizer Understanding Visualizer Starting Visualizer Create a New TSLD Time Scaled Logic Diagram Create a New Gantt Diagram Open an Existing TSLD or Gantt Chart Manage Layouts DATA IMPORT AND EXPORT TOOLS Importing and Exporting Project Data with P6 Web Understanding XML File Types handled by the P6 Web Tool Excel Data Import and Export with P6 Web XML Data Import and Export with P6 Web Importing and Exporting Data with P6 Professional Primavera File Types handled by the Professional Tool and/or Visualizer Non Primavera File Types handled by the Professional Tool Excel Import and Export Professional Tool Notes and/or Restrictions on Export Using P6 Professional Notes and Restrictions on Import Check List for Importing from and Exporting to Microsoft Project Table of Different Calculations between P6 and MSP 226 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd viii

12 Checks before Importing from Microsoft Project Checks on Import from Microsoft project Checks After Import from Microsoft project APPENDIX A - ADDITIONAL IMPLEMENTATION RESOURCES Oracle Primavera Information Resources Oracle Implementation and Integration Tools Primavera Connectivity Options Choosing an API / SDK Documentation Licensing Implications Other Non-Oracle Primavera Sources of Information APPENDIX B - P6 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TEMPLATE Operational requirements Organization Design Data Structure Design Reporting Requirements Processes and Procedures Interfaces with corporate software, databases or systems Requirement for third party software APPENDIX C SAMPLE SECURITY PROFILES Global Profiles Global Profile Definitions Project Security Profiles Project Security Profiles Definitions INDEX 247 Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd ix

13 8 CONFIGURING APPLICATION SETTINGS AND ENTERPRISE DATA 8.1 Administer Menu The Admin menu is available in the P6 Professional Client. When the Web Client is installed and the P6 Professional Client is used, then the Admin menu is no longer available and all administration functions must be accessed through the Web module when using the Professional Client. The Web Client Administer menu is where the Admin commands are located and these are all very similar to the Professional Client. This chapter will look at the following topics under the Administer menu, which were not covered in the KEY MASTER DATA CONFIGURATION chapter: Administer Settings Enterprise Data The other items in this menu will be covered in the following areas: Global Schedule Services will be covered in the OPERATIONAL SUPPORT Chapter My Calendar in the CALENDARS Chapter My Preferences, called User Preferences in the Professional Client, in the MY PREFERENCES Chapter The following menu items are covered in the SECURITY & ACCESS CONFIGURATION chapter: User Access User Interface Views User Sessions 8.2 Application Settings This is where some database parameters are created and edited: Audit This was added to Version 15 and enables a report to be run that lists date and time of all changes to a database. Reports showing changes to the database are run from Reports. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 113

14 8.2.2 Data Limits The Data Limits tab specifies: Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide The maximum number of levels allowed in all hierarchical code structures, The maximum number of Activity Codes per project, The maximum number of Baselines per project, Primavera Version 6.0 added the Maximum baselines copied with project, which now is limited to a maximum of 50 projects Earned Value See the Earned Value chapter in the Professional Client book for more detailed information. This tab sets the WBS defaults for calculating Earned Value, and may be changed individually for each WBS, and apply to all activities within each WBS Node. The Technique for computing performance percent complete selects the formula for calculating the Earned Value. The Technique for computing Estimate to Complete (ETC) selects the formula for calculating the ETC. The ETC is a calculated field and is independent of the At Completion Fields but may contain the same value. Earned value calculations selects some options for calculating the Earned Value and displaying the Baseline Bar. The Primavera default is usually set to Planned Values with Planned Dates. This setting should NEVER be used and please read the warning below. It is very important that users read the sections on Planned Dates, as leaving the setting at Planned Values with Planned Dates will result in the risk that all in-progress Baselines may display irrelevant dates as Baseline dates General Code Separator sets the default separator for new project WBS Codes and other codes such as Cost Accounts. The Code Separator may also be set for each individual project in the Project Window, Setting tab. Starting Day of the Week sets the First day of week that is shown on the timescale and the left column of calendars. The default is usually Sunday and should be changed to a Monday, which results in the i calendar day in the timescale representing a working day, which is often a lot more useful than the date of a non-work day displayed. Activity Duration sets the default Activity duration for new activities. Password Policy, introduced in Version 6.2, allows the requirement for a password of a minimum of 8 characters including a letter and number. In P6 R8.3 the Password Security Policy is enabled by default. To Enable / Disable this: Go to Administer, Application Settings and select General, Enable / Disable the check box titled Password Policy. Industry Selection allows the selection of an industry type which only affects how some data labels are displayed in the Windows Client. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 114

15 The following table displays the terminology: Industry Type Terminology Name of Project Comparison Tool Engineering and Construction Government, Aerospace, and Defense High-Technology, Manufacturing Utilities, Oil, and Gas Other Industry Budgeted Units & Cost Original Duration Planned Units & Cost Planned Duration Planned Units & Cost Planned Duration Budgeted Units & Cost Original Duration Planned Units & Cost Planned Duration Claim Digger Schedule Comparison Schedule Comparison Claim Digger Engineering and Construction: Schedule Comparison Government, Aerospace, and Defense: ID Lengths The ID Lengths tab specifies the maximum number of characters in the Code ID fields, not the Code Description. i If you are importing data from other systems then this may need to be considered. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 115

16 8.2.6 Gateway Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide This is where the synchronization with external products, Primavera Prime, Primavera Unifier and Unifier are set up Reports This section allows for standard report headers and footers to be set up that may be selected in reports Services Services allow Publication and Summarization to run automatically and both of these services must be reviewed and configured before reports are run. There is more information on this topic in chapter 12 REPORTING. Publication When BI Publisher Reports are run they are run from Global Data and reporting tables called Extended Schema Tables. Extended Schema Tables are a copy of project data at a point in time and reports are not run directly from live project data. Thus this Extended Schema Tables would normally be populated after all the project schedules have been updated at the end of a period and thus reports run from this updated data. The scheduler may then edit and update a schedule without affecting any reports. Oracle Primavera P6 is supplied with sample reports, but should you wish to modify existing reports or create your own, you will be required to purchase a BI License. You have the option of either manually or automatically Publishing data to the Extended Schema Tables. Manual publication is possible from Projects, EPS, Actions menu. Summarization The data viewed in an Enterprise view is only accurate after the data has been summarized. The advantage is that the software operates more quickly and the disadvantage is that the data you are viewing at Enterprise level may be incorrect. Therefore before running any reports at Enterprise Level, the database must be Summarized to ensure the latest data is reported. The following projects will not be Summarized: Baselines Checked Out Project Projects opened Exclusively What-if Scenario Projects Templates Requested Projects Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 116

17 8.2.9 Timesheets This is where some of the timesheet rules are set by the administrator Time Periods Checking Use assigned calendar to specify the number of work hours for each time period (titled Allow users to specify the number of work hours for each time period in the Windows Client) enables users to edit the Hours per Time Period in each calendar. When this is not checked, then the Hours per Time Period values in this form are used to convert from one time period Unit to another for all calendars, for example from days to hours. Therefore, a 40 hours activity would be always calculated as 5 days with the setting displayed in the picture above, irrespective of the activity calendar Hours/Day. i It is important that these conversions are understood. Please refer to the CALENDAR chapter to understand how these calculation works. It is very important when multiple calendars with different hours per day are being used that this check box is checked and the user correctly sets the Hours per Time Period in each calendar. Time Period Abbreviations are used to indicate the duration abbreviations everywhere in the software for all users. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 117

18 8.3 Enterprise Data Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide This is where Global Codes, Calendars and other database fields are created and edited: This section of the software is normally managed by the database administer and careful planning should be undertaken by an experienced P6 User. The following tables are maintained Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 118

19 8.3.1 Currencies Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide The Currencies form opened from the Administer, Enterprise Data, Global section menu item is used to define system currencies. Currency fields are: Currency ID Currency Name Currency Symbol Exchange Rate To make the Base currency into your country s currency you will need to edit the Currency ID and Currency Symbol as the first currency is permanently checked. It is possible to have two currencies with the same symbol and if a user selects a different currency then all costs displayed by the user will be converted to a different value. This option must be carefully monitored and if you do not need multiple currencies then it is suggested that you should delete all but one currency, to avoid any possible problems. If you are using multiple currencies, then make sure that all have a different sign so there is no confusion Financial Periods This is where the Financial Periods associated with Storing Period Performance are created. i Financial Periods have to be used when it is important to have data that reflects how much work was completed or costs spent in each period and not just averaged over the periods to date. Period data is often used to create S-Curves. Financial Periods allow a more accurate option to see a true picture of how much was spent in each period instead of having expenditure spread over the duration of an activity, which leads to historical S-Curves changing over time when expenditure is not equal in each period. The decision to use Financial Periods must be made early as the period values must be saved at each schedule update. This process takes substantially more time and should have a procedure for people to follow so no steps are missed. This new function to Primavera Version 5.0 enables: The creation of user definable financial periods, say monthly or weekly, and The ability to record the actual and earned costs and quantities for each period. Therefore, actual costs and quantities which span over more than one past period will be accurately reflected per period in all reports. If Store Period Performance is not used, then the actual costs or units are spread equally over the actual duration of an activity, which may not accurately reflect when the work was performed and what was achieved in each period. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 119

20 These Periods apply to all projects in the database. i If one project requires financial periods of months and one of weeks then it would be best to consider setting up two databases, one for each project. This function is similar to the P3 Store Period Performance function. To display Financial Period data then two steps are required: The Financial Periods must be set up using Administer, Financial Periods, and The period data is stored after each schedule update using Tools, Store Period Performance. The steps required to store period performance are: Ensure that the user has the necessary privileges to edit Financial Period Dates, Store Period Performance, and Edit Period Performance when past actuals need to be edited. Create the Financial Periods by selecting Administer, Enterprise Data, Financial Periods menu. Select the Actions, Set Project Preferences, Calculations tab from the Projects Window, EPS tab and ensure Link Actual to date and Actual This Period Units and Cost is enabled by checking the check box: Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 120

21 To store the period performance select Projects, Activities, Actions, Run, Store Period Performance to open the Store Period Performance form, select the projects to have the period performance stored and click the icon. The following columns may be displayed in the Project, Activities view: Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 121

22 8.3.3 Global Calendars Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide These were covered in the CALENDAR chapter. Global Calendars are available to all projects and all Resources. One Global Calendar is assigned as the Global Default Calendar and this is used to display all nonworking time for all views for all projects and is also used to calculate the Summary Durations in the Projects Window Locations This is where the location table is edited. A location may be assigned to Activities, Resources or EPS Nodes and used on reports. When an address is added the software will look up the Longitude and Latitude: Overhead Codes This is where the Overhead Codes are created. These may be used with timesheets and reports run utilizing them. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 122

23 8.3.6 Timesheet Periods Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide This is where Timesheet Periods are created. These are used as part of the timesheet approval process and a manager selects a Timesheet Period when approving timesheets Baseline Types Baseline Types are used to identify the type of Baseline when a Baseline is created, such as Original Baseline, Contract Baseline, Last Period Baseline, etc Funding Sources Used to identify project funding sources.. This is particularly useful when a project has multiple sources of funding Notebook Topics Topic under which Notebook Topics are created. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 123

24 A common set of Note Book Topics is created and may be made available by checking the appropriate box to any of the following: EPS Nodes Project WBS Nodes Activities Project Calendars Covered in the CALENDAR chapter of this book Project Codes Project Codes are created, edited and deleted by selecting Administer, Enterprise Data, Project Codes. Each Project Code may have hierarchical values and be comprised of: A Project Code, which is the code dictionary name, and A Project Code Value, which is assigned to a project for tagging, filtering, Grouping and Sorting projects. The Name field is used for both the Project Code and Project Code Value and is more normally referred to as the code value and must be unique. The Maximum Length applies to the maximum character length of the Name field, enabling the Administrator to set a maximum code size. The Secure field prevents a User without the appropriate privilege from editing the field. The Weight fields allow ranking of Code Values against other Code Values in the same Project Code. These may be viewed in views such as Project Scorecards and Project Statistics fields. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 124

25 Project Code Values have to be created before they may be assigned to Projects and then the Projects may be Grouped, Sorted or Filtered by the Project Codes: Project User Defined Fields - UDFs Project User Defined Fields are created, edited and deleted by selecting Administer, Enterprise Data, Project UDFs. A Project UDF comprises of: A UDF Name, A Data Type which may be Text, Start Date, Finish Date, Cost, Number, or Integer. Normally these fields may have any data entered or imported, as long as the format is consistent with the data type. Therefore a Text UDF may have any data entered but a Number must have a number and a date UDF must have a date entered. The UDF Type allows the option of Manual and any data may be entered; or Formula and then a Formula may be entered into the Formula tab at the bottom of the screen. This is similar to a Microsoft Project Calculated Field and is NOT available with Activity UDFs. When a UDF Type of Indicators is selected then this allows the selection of a graphical indicator to be assigned in the Indicator tab at the bottom of the screen. The Summary Calculation decides how values are displayed in bands; the options are None, Average, Minimum, Maximum and Sum. Summary Indicators decides how the indicator column is populated in summary bands. To assign a UDF the appropriate column is displayed. Therefore an Activity Deadline UDF is assigned from the Projects, Activities view by displaying the Deadline UDF column, see the example below: Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 125

26 A UDF may be assigned any valid value and it is simple to enter two similar values, such as Bookshop and Book shop into a column, as UDF values are not drawn from a lookup table. When this happens the values do not filter and sort properly, which is a disadvantage of UDFs WBS Categories Create WBS Categories by selecting Administer, Enterprise Data, Projects, and WBS Categories: WBS Categories are assigned to and removed from WBS Nodes by inserting the WBS Categories column into the General tab. One use of a WBS Category in the Windows Client could be, for example, to tag the WBS Nodes with the phases, such as Design, Procure and Install and then the Activities may be grouped by WBS Category and then WBS or some other Activity Code. In the Web it is not possible to Group or Filter activities with the WBS Category. This topic is covered in more details in chapter 5 KEY MASTER DATA CONFIGURATION EPS & WBS. i WBS Categories may also be used in the Tracking Window of the Windows Client WBS User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 126

27 Activity Codes (Global, EPS & Project) An Activity Code is created in a table and has a Value and Description. These are created in the same way as Project Codes and will not be covered in detail. Activity Codes may also be assigned a color, which enables the Activity bars to be colored according to their Activity Code. Normally the Administrator would create EPS and Global Codes and project schedulers would create Project Activity Codes. The value is assigned to an activity and the description is looked up from the table. An activity Code must exist in the table before it is assigned but may be created when assigning a code: The activity code may be used to Group or Filter activities and allows a higher level of discipline and control than UDFs Activity User Definable Fields - UDFs Activity UDFs are created in the same way as Project UDFs. Calculated fields are not available, but are available in Project UDFs Cost Accounts Cost Accounts are created and assigned to Resource and/or Expense assignments, so costs of a specific type may be added up to create an Accounting Budget. Normally, in other software, a default Cost account is assigned to a Resource and then when a Resource is assigned to an activity, the Resource Assignment adopts the default Costs Account assigned to the Resource and does not usually require changing. In Primavera, the default Cost Account is assigned to the Project and all Resource Assignments adopt the default Cost Account, which makes the Costs Account field in P6 less useful, as every Resource assignment will have to be edited if the default is not valid Expense Categories Expense Categories are managed here. These categories may be assigned to Expenses and allow Expense to be summed up by a Category. This function may be used to set financial budgets by exporting the total cost per Expense Category to a financial management software package. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 127

28 Expense User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs Step Templates An activity may be broken into Steps, allowing progress to be measured against an activity in a measurable way. Steps for a document could be for example: Start 10% First Draft 40% Internal Review 30% Complete 20% A Step Template allows for Steps to be assigned to activities quickly and they may be edited after they have been assigned to an activity, without affecting the Step Template. For Steps to calculate, the User must: Check the Activity percent complete based on steps check box in the Projects Preferences, Calculations tab, Select Physical in the % Complete Type for each activity that is to be measured by steps in the General tab of Activities Window, Step User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs Assignment User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs. These are UDFs that may be assigned to a Resource Assignment. If you wish to make a note of why this resource has been assigned to an activity, you may choose to use an Assignment UDF. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 128

29 Rate Types Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide Primavera has five resource rates types and the Resource Rate Types form enables you to rename the titles of the rates. You may have, for example, rates for: Standard rate Internal consulting, External consulting, An organization must decide if it wishes to use multiple rates and then, include guidance in their procedures documentation. It is recommended that those rates not being used should be renamed DO NOT USE Resource Calendars These were covered in the Master Data chapter Resource Codes Resources may be assigned Resource Codes, which may be used to record information about a resource that may be taken from a pick list, such as the office, employment type (full or part time), gender (Male or Female) etc Resource Curves Resource Curves enable a non-linear assignment of resources to schedules in the same way as P3 and Microsoft Project. These are often used on long activities where a linear resource assignment is not required. Resource curves are assigned in the Curve column in the Assignments tab of the Activities lower pane Resource User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs. Resources may be assigned Resource UDFs to record personal details that are not suited to using Resource Codes, such as address, next of kin name, etc. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 129

30 Units of Measure Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide These are created here and are used in conjunction with material resources, but not Expenses Risks Risks are an optional module in P6 for organizations to manage their Risks and this section will outline what data has to be created, and in what order, in order for users to use the Risk functions in P Risk Categories Risk Categories are hierarchical categories that are used in conjunction with the Risk Module to Group, Sort and Filter your Risks. Your Risk Management policy and procedures should be consulted and used to create you P6 Risk Categories: Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 130

31 Risk Scoring Matrices This module allows a Qualitative Risk Analysis on projects using the traditional method of creating one or more Risk Scoring Matrix. The Matrix is built up from user defined Probability, Impact and Tolerance and the matrix is assigned to projects. Risk Thresholds must be created before the Risk Scoring Matrix may be completed Risk Thresholds Risk Thresholds are created for: Cost, by cost or percentage and assigned between 2 and 9 levels. Probability, between 2 and 9 levels. Schedule, by value in days or percentage and assigned between 2 and 9 levels. Tolerance Risk Thresholds are created before the Risk Scoring Matrix may be completed. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 131

32 Risk User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs and used to assign additional Risk data that may not be assigned in the Risk module Issues Issues are an optional module in P6 for organizations to manage their Issues and this section will outline what data has to be created, and in what order, in order for users to use the Issue functions in P Issue Codes Issue Codes enable you to group and sort issues on user defined fields such as Issue Type or Issue Criticality Issue User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs for assigning any relevant data to an Issue Documents Documents are an optional module for organizations to manage their documents in P6 and this section will outline what data has to be created, and in what order, in order for users to use the Document functions in P6. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 132

33 Document Categories Document Categories are an organizational specific set of categories which may not be hierarchical and are assigned to documents to Group, Sort and Filter on documents Document Statuses Document Statuses are an organizational specific set of categories which may not be hierarchical and are assigned to documents to Group, Sort and Filter on documents Document User Definable Fields - UDFs These are created in the same way as Project UDFs. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 133

34 8.4 Miscellaneous Defaults Default Project in the Professional Version of P6 When multiple projects are opened: The system selects the Default Project when two or more projects have been opened at the same time. The Default Project Scheduling Options are used to calculate all the open projects. Select Project, Set Default Project to open the Set Default Project form where you may change the default project: All open projects WILL have their Scheduling Options set to the same as the Default Project after the projects have been scheduled. The Help file indicates that the Default Projects scheduling and leveling settings are used for scheduling. It is also the default project for new data such as activities or issues when the projects are not grouped by WBS. NOTE: When more than one Primavera project is opened at the same time and each project has different scheduling options, then the non-default project s scheduling options are changed to be the same as the default project s, without warning. These non-default projects may calculate differently when opened with other projects. In addition, the next time a non-default project is opened in isolation it may calculate very differently from the previous time it was opened in isolation. To prevent this, either all projects in each database must have the same scheduling options, or access to projects carefully restricted, or ensure users only open one project at a time. An example of changing the default project when each project has different options is demonstrated in the following picture. The first has retained logic and the second has progress override. Activity PG3-2 has moved forward in time as it is now being scheduled with Progress Override after initially being scheduled with Retained Logic. These types of unexpected changes may significantly affect your project and may occur when two or more projects, each with different scheduling options, are opened together. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 134

35 8.4.2 Default Project in the Web Tool There is no Default Project in the Web as in the Windows Client. When opening multiple projects in the Web it calculates differently to the Windows Client. The Windows Client has a Default Project option that does not exist in the Web. In the Web tool the Schedule Options of the project listed at the top of the opened projects list (which will rearrange when you close the form to an alphabetical list) is used to calculate all projects and (unlike the Windows Client) will not change the Schedule Options of the other opened projects. Thus, a change to your Project ID, when opened with other projects, may result in a project calculating differently, if the project is pushed down the list of opened projects and when the project at the top of the list has different Scheduling Options. In the Windows Client the Schedule Options of the Default Project are used to calculate all the open projects and the Schedule Options for non-default projects are then changed permanently to those of the Default Project, so they will never calculate the same way when opened on their own. Changing the Schedule Options may change the way the schedule calculates and users must be very careful if considering changing any of them. You may wish to copy the schedule, baseline it, and then change the options to see what the effect is on the schedule calculation. 8.5 Things to Avoid When Setting Up Master Data There are a number of considerations when setting up Master Data in P6, and many other Enterprise systems: It is best to create codes that do not have: Spaces particularly at the beginning or end of a code, these would be dropped off on export and a duplicate created on import, Numbers with leading zeros these are often dropped off by products like Excel, Special characters e.g.!@#$%^&*()_, these are not liked by many other products when data is being imported or exported, Codes that look like a date format e.g r , these may be converted to a date when imported into another product like Excel, Commas as these are often used as field separators and the data will end up in the wrong fields. Avoid long descriptions for Code Descriptions, Calendars, resources etc. as this will allow users to see all the description in a narrow column. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 135

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37 8.6 Workshop 6 Configuring Administer Settings Objective There are many settings that have to be configured. We will look at some of the more important ones that must be understood and changed. Assignment 1. Select Administer, Application Settings, General: The Start Day of Week is best changed to Monday so the first day of the week on a Calendar is a Work day and a date that people would be interested in as opposed as a Sunday which is the default and normally a Non Work day that no one is interested in the date. Activity Duration is the duration new activities are assigned when created and should be left large, say 5 days, so new activities will be seen on a Gantt Chart when created. Industry Selection decides which terminology is displayed for Professional Users. Select the most appropriate for your company. Open P6 Professional, open a project and observe the terminology in an Activities, Status tab. 2. Select Administer, Application Settings, Time Periods: Time Periods ensure that the hours per Time Period is never unchecked otherwise summary durations of calendars that are not 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week will never be correct. 3. Select Administer, Enterprise Data, Currencies: The entries under Base Rate have to be edited, so if you are in Australia the ID of USD is edited to read AUD and the Name is changed to Australian Dollar. If your company is not using any other currency then delete all the other currencies so people cannot select another currency and mess up the costs. 4. All other Codes, UDFs and other database attributes should be planned and defined. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 137

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39 13 DATA IMPORT AND EXPORT TOOLS 13.1 Importing and Exporting Project Data with P6 Web Different Versions of Primavera run on different databases including Oracle and Microsoft databases. Primavera will only operate with the database format that it was installed and set up with. Primavera will not open a stand-alone project file, does not supply a reader, and any project data has to be imported into a database before it may be opened. Importing a complete project, either in Microsoft Project format or from another P6 database, may bring in large quantities of unwanted data or is likely to calculate differently from the source that it originated from. There are many third party tools available to remove unwanted data when importing a project from another source and these should be considered. You may be required to import a project that has been created in another program supplied by someone from within or outside your organization and Primavera is equipped with a set of tools for importing projects from other sources Understanding XML XML stands for Extensible Markup Language and is a computer language that enables both machines and humans to read the document. Primavera XML Microsoft Project XML UNCEFACT XML.. The language that the data is saved in are all the same XML, but the formatting and content of each is different. It is important that users clearly identify what the source of the XML file is when importing and exporting in order to pick the correct tool to manage the data. Therefore when you save data in these file formats it is recommended that you place the format of the data in the file name so when you look at the file which will have a *.XML extension you will know what format the data is in File Types handled by the P6 Web Tool P6 Web Client is able to import and/or export data to and from the following file types: Excel Primavera XML Microsoft Project XML UN/CEFACT XML Excel is used to import and export some data from a database. Primavera XML, Microsoft Project XML and UN/CEFACT XML. Are used to export and import (except UN/CEFACT XML) complete projects. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 217

40 Oracle Primavera P6 Version 8 and 15 EPPM Web Administrators Guide 13.2 Excel Data Import and Export with P6 Web Excel - the Primavera Web tool will: Export and Import a list of Project Activities to and from Excel This function is far less powerful than the P6 Professional tool, You will need to be in the P6 Activities view to access the appropriate menu, The function will export and import the visible column data, The Create Import Template will create a blank spreadsheet with appropriate headers which may be populated and imported. e pl m Sa ok Bo ith w o tw ch A list of Projects may be Exported to Excel from the EPS view: This will export the columns of data that are visible in the P6 view. s er t ap ly on Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 218

41 Other datasets that will be exported in Excel format are: Locations from the Administer, Enterprise Data menu: Risk data from the Risk page: A List of Reports data from the Reports page, The Reports tab is only available when Oracle Primavera BI reports have been installed. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 219

42 13.3 XML Data Import and Export with P6 Web Primavera XML is a format introduced with Primavera Version 6.0 which can be used to exchange data from one primavera database to another primavera database. The Primavera XML file format conforms to the Primavera security settings within the tool allowing greater control over which data items can be imported. Version 15.1 introduced the ability to import and export Baseline Projects and users no longer have to restore a baseline to be able to export it in XML format. Version 15.2 now supports the export of Microsoft Project Version 13 XML files. Microsoft Project XML format - the Primavera Web tool will import and export complete projects from Microsoft Project files that are saved in Microsoft Project XML format. UN/CEFACT XML format. This format is mandated by many US Government agencies and it is designed to exchange schedule and cost data in a software-neutral format. This feature is of particular importance for all the users who work with U.S. Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies. To import or export an XML file: Select Projects, EPS Window and Select the Actions, Import/Export menu has the XML Import/Export icon: At this point there are a number of options including: Importing or Exporting a project, Selecting the files to import or the project to export, Creating or selecting a Microsoft Project Map. A Map is a set to of rules that decide how to handle data that may not be directly imported into P6, such what to do with MSP Summary Tasks. Creating a new project or updating and existing project, and The status of the import of a project. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 220

43 Read the Administrators Guide carefully before importing a project as this is a very complex operation and may import unwanted data into your database. It is recommended that you consider establishing a sacrificial database into which you import projects so that corporate databases are not filled up with unwanted data. It is also likely that you will receive a different answer in P6 than in Microsoft Project when importing or exporting a Microsoft Project file. Careful Checking is required. When Exporting a Microsoft Project file: Ensure there are no blank lines, Remove all special characters from resources. When importing a Microsoft Project into P6 you should: Check the calendars have been converted correctly, often 24 hour per day calendars are imported into P6 as 1 hour per day calendars. All Milestones are imported as Start Milestones and some may be required to be converted to Finish Milestones. Check Lag calculations as Microsoft Project uses the predecessor calendar to calculate lags. There are some articles on that outline the differences in the ways the two products calculate and some of the issues when transferring data between the two products. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 221

44 13.4 Importing and Exporting Data with P6 Professional Primavera File Types handled by the Professional Tool and/or Visualizer There are several Primavera proprietary file formats that you need to be aware of that the Professional tool will manage: XER Used to exchange one or more projects between Primavera databases regardless of the database type in which it was created and exports all project data. Earlier versions of XER files may be imported into later version databases. A layout (formatting) is not part of an XER file. PLF Used to exchange Layouts between Primavera databases regardless of the database type in which it was created. In Primavera Version 15.1 PLF files may now be imported into Visualizer. ANP Used to save the position of activities in an Activity Network. ERP Used to exchange Reports between Primavera databases regardless of the database type in which it was created. XML A format introduced with Primavera Version 6.0 which is used to import data from the Project Manager module. This is the same software language but a different format to a Microsoft Project XML file. Version 15.1 introduced the ability to import and export Baseline projects. PCF Used to exchange Global Changes between Primavera databases. VLF - Visualizer Layout File allows the import and export of Visualizer Layouts between databases. i XER files may only be imported using the Professional Client tools and not with the Web Client Non Primavera File Types handled by the Professional Tool In the professional tool select File, Import to open a wizard that will guide you through the process of importing projects into your database. Project (*.mpp).this is the default file format that Microsoft Project uses to create and save files. Microsoft Project 2010, Microsoft Project 2007 and Microsoft Project are three different formats. i Primavera will not import any mpp file when Microsoft Project 2007 or Microsoft Project 2010 is installed as these disable the mpp import function. Primavera will import and export to the following non Primavera file types using the wizards found under the menu commands File, Import and File, Export : Project (*.mpp).this is the default file format that Microsoft Project 2000, 2002 and 2003 use to create and save files. Importing these files requires Microsoft Project 2000, 2002 or 2003 to be installed on the PC. MPX (*.mpx). This is a text format created by Microsoft Project 98 and earlier versions. MPX is a format that may be imported and exported by many other project scheduling software packages. Microsoft Project XML format is supported in Version 6.2 and later. This allows import of a file created by Microsoft Project 2013, 2010, or 2007, or 2000 to 2003 XML without the installation of Microsoft Project. Primavera Project Planner P3 and SureTrak files saved in P3 format. A SureTrak project in SureTrak format should be saved in Concentric (P3) format before importing. i To import files saved in P3 format you need Btrieve loaded on your PC. Btrieve is loaded when P3 is installed. A demonstration version of P3 will load Btrieve onto your machine and enable P3 files to be imported. P3 may not be loaded on more recent operating Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 222

45 systems such as Windows 7 make the use of this function difficult without an old operating system. XLS. Primavera Version 5.0 has a new function allowing the import and export of data in Excel format. This is covered in detail in the next section as it is a powerful tool for creating projects. Read the Administrators Guide carefully before importing a project as this is a very complex operation and may import unwanted data into your database. It is recommended that you establish a sacrificial database into which you import projects so that corporate databases are not filled up with unwanted data Excel Import and Export Professional Tool Primavera has a built-in tool for importing to and exporting from Excel the following data when the user is assigned a Superuser security profile: Activities Relationships Resources Resources Assignments, and Expenses. To import or export data to Excel select File, Import or Export and follow the instructions in the wizards. Export Templates may be created and re-used at a later date with this tool. The following sheets are created upon export and these sheet names must not be changed: TASK containing Activity data TASKPRED containing Activity Relationships data PROJCOST containing Expenses data RSRC containing Resources data TASKRSRC containing Resource Assignments data USERDATA containing user data that should not be changed. These templates allow the user to specify what data is to be imported and exported; an example is below: Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 223

46 Notes and/or Restrictions on Export Using P6 Professional A few points to understand when using the Primavera Excel Import function: The following sheets are created on export and these sheet names must not be changed: TASK containing Activity data TASKPRED containing Activity Relationships data PROJCOST containing Expenses data RSRC containing Resources data TASKRSRC containing Resource Assignments data USERDATA containing user data that should not be changed. Do not change the language between importing and exporting. The first row of data in each sheet that is exported contains the database field name. The first row must not be changed otherwise the data will not be imported. The second row in the spreadsheet contains Captions that are deleted on spreadsheet import by the Delete This Row entry in the right column of the spread sheet. This Delete This Row entry may be copied to any line of data that is to be deleted from the P6 project on import. Dictionary data such as Activity Codes being imported must exist before the data is imported. Only Activity Codes may be imported, if you wish to import the Activity Code descriptions then you will have to use the Software Developers Kit (SDK). Only a maximum of 200 columns of data may be exported. Sub-units of time are not supported and the Sub-unit check boxes in the Edit, User Preferences..., Time Units tab should be unchecked. Percent Completes must be a value of between 0 and 100. Anything listed as a field may be exported. The User Preferences will affect how your data is exported and may give different values for resources Notes and Restrictions on Import When attempting to import data using this type of tool there are some guidelines that apply to many applications, not just to this Primavera tool: Create a test project and experiment with this function before using it on a live project. Export some data first as this exports the correct column headings and sheet names. Change or add data to the exported spreadsheet and import new data into the test environment. Then review that the data is importing correctly and that the schedule is calculating as expected. Back up or take a copy of your live project before importing into a live project. It is often better to import into User Defined Fields to ensure the data gets into the database and then Global Change into the desired place. Activity data must have the Activity ID and WBS Code as these are the unique identifiers for each activity within a database. The delete_record_flag in the far right hand column, titled Delete titled this row against line 2 of the Excel spreadsheet deletes the line 2 activity on import. The Delete This Row flag may be placed against any spreadsheet line and the activity will be deleted on import. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 224

47 Calculated fields may not be imported and are marked with an (*). See picture below: To see if the data field you wish to import may be imported, export the field and see if the field has an (*) by the second line description in the spreadsheet. Fields that may not be imported include but are not limited to: Most dates except the Actual Start and Actual Finish Expected Finish Actual, Remaining, and At Completion Durations Therefore if you wish to import dates to create un-started activities without importing the Original Duration then you will have to import the activity with Actual Start and Actual Finish dates where you want the activity to lie and use a Global Change to take-off the Actual Dates: When only exporting some data on an occasional basis then it may be easier just to copy and paste the data into a spreadsheet. i There is an article at or under Technical Papers that describes in detail how to use the SDK. If you wish to import dates into a database then you need to use the API. This has been removed from the P6 V8 Professional Client but is still available in the P6 V8 EPPM (Web) version. Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd 225