Primavera p6 Tips

The Essential Guide to Printing
Layouts in Primavera P6
NOVEMBER 19, 2012 BY MARY WILLIAMS 11 COMMENTS
Primavera P6 provides the ability to display project schedule information using

Layouts. Layouts are customizable views of project information and are the
primary method for printing Gantt Charts, Profiles, Spreadsheets, and Trace
Logic views. Schedules are tough to read and all members of the project team
can benefit from an easier way to interpret their schedules. Did you know that
you can customize the display of schedule information by using the Layout
Options Bar?
The Layout Options Bar is used to create customized layouts that fulfill your
project reporting requirements. The Layout Options Bar is located in the
Activities Window.
The Layout Options Bar enables you to customize/incorporate the
following (in addition to other options):
Bars
Columns
Table Font & Row
Group & Sort
Filters
This Primavera P6 training tutorial addresses the procedures for printing the
Layouts once you have customized them to your needs.
Step 1: Open the layout that you want to print using the Layout Options Bar.
The layout displayed below is: X Current vs. Baseline Bars. This layout
includes the Activity Table on the left and the Gantt chart on the right. The
Gantt chart includes both current and baseline bars. Click the Print Preview
icon on the toolbar (see yellow arrow).
Step 2: In the Print Preview Dialog Box, you can use the toolbar at the top left
to access various print/view options.
Step 3: We will access the Page Setup option, which is the first icon from the
left. Page Setup consists of 5 tabs, and we will review each of those tabs.
The first tab is the Page tab, which can be used to select page orientation,
scaling and paper size.
Step 4: The Margins tab allows you to establish the top, bottom, left and right
margins.
Step 5: The Header tab enables you to select the appearance of the Header.
You can divide the header (see yellow arrow) into up to 5 sections and can
control the contents of each section. You can also identify on which pages you
would like to include the Header, as well as the height of the Header. In our
example, we will divide the Header into 3 sections. We will put a logo in the
first section, insert the Project Name & Layout Name in the second section,
and the Date/Time in the third section.
To insert the logo into section 1, click the drop-down list for section 1 and
select Picture (see red arrow below),
Step 6: Use the browse button to select the filename of the logo (see yellow
arrow) . Click the Apply button on the right to preview the layout with the new
modifications. Notice that the logo is barely visible (see green arrow below)
because the Header height is only .25.
Step 7: Increase the Header height to 1 and click Apply to view the result.
Notice that the logo is now more prominent.
Step 8: Lets work on the 2nd Section of the Header. Currently, the 2nd section is
set to display the Layout Name (see Red arrow). We would like to display the
Project Name in addition to the Layout Name and would also like the Project
Name to be displayed as red text.
Step 9: In section 2, select Text/Logo (see yellow arrow) to identify the desired
contents. Click the drop-down list at the bottom left to pick Project Name (see
red arrow).
Step 10: Use the text formatting tools to format the text for the contents of
section 2 (see red arrow). Click the Apply button to view the results. You can
see that the text for Project Name has been set to red using the text formatting
tools.
Step 11: We will let Section 3 of the Header reflect Date/Time (see red arrow).
Step 12: The Footer Tab works exactly as the Header tab.
Step 13: The Options tab will be available if your Layout includes a Gantt
chart, Profile, Spreadsheet, or Trace Logic. You can identify the Timescale
Start and Timescale Finish. These can be predefined dates or you can specify
a custom date. We have selected DD (Earliest Data Date) for the Timescale
Start and PF (Latest Project Finish) for the Timescale Finish. Of course, youll
want to ensure you descrunch the Gantt chart if youre printing it with this trick.
Notice the other print options that can be selected. We will explore those
options with the subsequent images.
Step 14: The preview displayed below depicts printing the Gantt chart, only
without the Activity Table.
Step 15: The preview below selects to print the Activity Table, displays all
columns on the Activity Table, as well as the Gantt chart.
Step 16: The preview below displays only those Activity Table columns visible
on the layout versus all columns.
Step 17: This preview displays only the Activity Table (ie. No Gantt chart).
Step 18: View the finished product. Use arrows on the toolbar to navigate
through the preview. Use the print setup & print icons to establish printer
options. You can also publish the layout to an HTML file (red arrow identifies
the print preview dialog box options).
PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 1

CREATING A CUSTOM UNIT OF MEASURE
Author: Angelo Bucon
Publish Date: February 15, 2012
Prescience Technologys Primavera Support engineers are

adept at getting the most out of Primavera. Each month, they
TM
share some tips with our PrescienceAdvantage Support
clients to help them make the most of their Primavera
installation. Starting this month, we will now share an excerpt
from the Primavera Support newsletter.
Tip 1: Creating a Custom Unit of Measure
While Primavera has a number of pre-defined fields, its inevitable that it

wont cater for every single scenario. User-Defined Fields (UDFs) enable you
to add an unlimited number of custom fields and values to the project
database. Resource UDFs enable you to create a custom unit of measure, so
you can track critical items.
For example, when building a construction schedule, you may need to track
how many bolts per hour your trades people can fit. By following the steps
below, you can create a custom unit of measure Bolts per hour.
1.
Log on to P6 Web
2.
Click the Administer menu
3.
Select Enterprise Data
4.
In the Resources (Units of Measure) tab, click Add (the plus symbol, or
Insert)
5.
In the Unit Abbreviation column, type in the new unit of measure as an
abbreviation for example,
BPH
6.
In the Unit Name column, type the full name of the new unit of
measure for example Bolts Per
Hour
7.
Click Save (the disk symbol or Ctrl+S.)
PrescienceAdvantageTM Primavera Support
A PrescienceAdvantage Primavera Support agreement is flexible, scalable
and value driven. It offers functional and technical Oracle Primavera
assistance, delivered remotely or on-site, if needed. To find out more about
setting up a customised Support Agreement for your site, simply
email info@prescience.com.au or call us on 1300 086 816.
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HOTKEYS: THREE WAYS TO GET MORE TIME IN
YOUR SCHEDULING DAY
Publish Date: March 9, 2012
Time is always of the essence when it comes to planning and

scheduling, but there is a simple way that you can reduce the time
spent on schedules and performing common tasks in Primavera P6.
Primavera P6 HotKeys
Its not rocket science but familiarising yourself with the HotKeys available in
both the Client and Web versions of Primavera P6 will make your life easier.
HotKeys are shortcuts using a combination of various keystrokes to perform
particular common actions. Three HotKeys that we find particularly useful
are:
1.
Ctrl+Alt+ Direction Arrows Traditionally, you would use the Move

Arrows function available on the Edit Menu for manipulating the
hierarchy when creating and maintaining WBS elements, i.e. in P6 Web
when creating sibling or child WBS elements. However, sometimes that
option may be missing from the Activities
toolbar.
2.
F9 How many times each day do you follow the menu to the
Schedule function? Using the F9 key will save you time!
3.
Ctrl + F There can be hundreds, if not thousands, of activities within
a project, and
finding the right one, scrolling through line by line, can take a long time.
But using the Find function means you can enter exactly what you are
looking for and be there quickly.
If you have any issues using these Hot Keys or have another issue that
youre having trouble with, dont hesitate to contact the
PrescienceAdvantage Primavera Support Team.
PrescienceAdvantage Primavera Support
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PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 3 HINT

HELP IS HANDY
Publish Date: April 10, 2012
An oft-overlooked tool in Primavera P6 Professional and Optional

Client is the Hint Help functionality. Unlike some other built-in help
systems, this one is simple and quick to use.
Hint Help saves you time because you get all the information you need
almost at a glance, without having to keyword search though a huge help
system or user guide. Short descriptions are provided for most data column
values. The hint explains how the values are calculated or what they
represent.
You can turn Hint Help on or off at any time. Once you turn it on, any
available hints appear each time you hover over, or select, a field.
We hope you find this feature as helpful as we do. Once again, if you have
any problems using Hint Help or have another issue that youre having
trouble with, dont hesitate to contact the PrescienceAdvantage Primavera
Support Team.
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ENSURING ACTUALS ARE REPORTED AGAINST
THE RIGHT PERIOD
Publish Date: May 7, 2012
Have you ever wondered why, no matter what data you

enter, your reports just dont seem right? It may be because
in P6, by default, actuals are distributed evenly across the
time periods. This means that the reports dont reflect what
has actually happened in a business in a specific time period.
As an example, imagine youre setting up a schedule for a mine, with an
activity start date of 1 April, to track the actual amount of coal being
produced each month. Lets say the amount of coal being produced is 30,000
tonnes during April and 40,000 tonnes during May.
st
When reporting, P6 will distribute the total amount of production (70,000

tonnes) evenly across the two months, allocating 35,000 tonnes each to April
and May. This means that reports dont reflect the real result.
There is an easy way to ensure actual data is reflected against the right
period. You simply need to do what is calledStore Period Performance, so
that a report can show both actuals and forecast values.
To find out more about how to do this, contact the Prescience Primavera
Support team.

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PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 5 MAKE

SURE YOU SUMMARIZE REGULARLY
1
Publish Date: June 10, 2012
In Primavera P6 Professional, the Summarize

function updates a set of Summary Tables in the Primavera
P6 database.
These Summary Tables provide huge performance benefits for the system
because they allow the user to see a list of projects, and some high-level
details about them, without loading vast amounts of unnecessary activity
and resource detail into the clients memory. Instead, P6 simply loads a small
subset of the projects high-level data.
But there are other benefits. Summarizing will also ensure that the project
table is showing the correct values whether or not the project is open. It also
has another unexpected benefit: your reports will be correct.
If you dont summarize after you have made any kind of change, and
someone runs a report on your project using the Projects subject area, that
report will not reflect your changes. Reports based upon the Projects subject
area will only show the correct data if youve either summarized it, or the
person running the report opens your project. If they dont, it will be out of
date.
To find out more about the Summarize function, contact the Prescience
Primavera Support team.
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PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 6 USE

THE RIGHT DATE FIELD
1
Publish Date: July 11, 2012
With dozens of date field options in both Oracle Primavera P6

EPPM (Web Client) and Primavera P6 Professional, it can be
tricky figuring out exactly which one to use at any given time.
Date Fields
Two date fields that often get confused are Planned Start /
Finish and Early Start / Finish. For any Activity that has not yet begun,
Planned Start represents the date the activity is scheduled to begin. These
dates are automatically set equal to the Early Start date by the program (P6)
and cannot be updated manually.
Once an Actual Start is applied, P6 leaves the Planned Dates unchanged
while the Early Dates are recalculated and move as the scheduling Data date
changes. Once an Actual Start is applied, the Planned Dates will, usually, no
longer equal the Early Dates.
To ensure all of the dates align, under the Calculations Tab within the project
level, ensure that the setting Link Planned and At Completion for Not-Started
Activities, is selected. Otherwise, you might find that the Original Duration
could be different from the At Complete Duration for any Activities that have
not yet started, resulting in major differences between Planned Dates and
Early Dates.
Another Date Field combination which can be confusing is Anticipated
Start / Finish Date. These dates are used during the project planning
stage, and can be set at the Enterprise Project Structure (EPS), Project, or
WBS level. These dates are displayed at EPS level bars and columns when
there are no activities. These dates remain as historical records when
activities are added.
Hopefully this quick overview of some of the most common Date Fields will
help to keep your schedule on track. If are uncertain about any other date
fields, dont hesitate to get in touch with us.

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PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 7 DATA

TRANSFER USING EXCEL
Author: Prescience Technology
Publish Date: August 14, 2012
Importing to and exporting from Primavera P6 projects using Excel

spreadsheets is a necessarily complex process but it can save you
time if you are working with hundreds of activities. Its particularly
helpful, but not limited to, tasks like assigning new (or modifying
existing) activity names, assigning or modifying activity resources,
importing activity codes and entering actuals.
Steps for importing and exporting from Excel

By following some simple steps, you can ensure that you minimise the amount of
rework required when importing and exporting files to and from Excel.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Understand the way data is structured and the levels of data that can be
accessed.
Know what you can and cant alter before importing back into P6.
Get the formatting right especially for date fields.
Take time to prepare the data, including the templates.
Make a copy of your project before importing into the existing one just in
case something goes wrong.
Activity codes and resource codes should have been assigned (they must
exist) in the project dictionary before attempting to import.
Activity IDs should not be changed otherwise they cant be imported.
Do not delete or modify the USRDATA worksheet in any way. This contains
some data that is required for importing Excel files
By following these simple tips, you will ensure a smooth data transfer.

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PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 8 DATA

TRANSFER USING XER
Publish Date: September 5, 2012
Following on from last months post, in this extract from the monthly
newsletter we provide to our Support clients, we share some tips on
the capabilities and restrictions of what data can be imported and
exported from Oracle Primavera P6 EPPM using the XER file format.
Using the XER file format

XER supports all project, resource and role information developed using
Primavera P6. It is especially important if you want to make backup copies of
a project, or for saving projects and transferring them to another machine
that is not connected to your server i.e. a remote laptop.
This format also enables you to export data between different versions of
Primavera P6 Professional from release 5.0 all the way up to the current
release 8.2. This is a useful format because the Primavera P6 export feature
allows you to export a project to any previous version of P6, you can then
send your project to a contractor or user who may have an earlier version of
P6.
A few things to keep in mind when you are using the XER format to transfer
data:
1.
When you import a project that contains relationships to external projects

that do not exist in your database, the module will preserve the external
activity dates when you schedule the project if you select the Ignore
Relationships To and From Other Projects option in the Schedule Options
dialogue box.
2.
When you import an XER project file that contains financial periods, the
financial periods in the XER file must exactly match the financial periods in the
Financial Periods dictionary. If they do not match, no past period actual data will
be imported.
3.
No risk data is imported / exported when using XER format.
4.
The XER format supports all project data, while the XML (Excel) format does
not. Ideally, you should not use the Export wizard to back up your entire
database.
By following these simple tips, you will ensure a smooth data transfer any
time you use XER.

assistance, delivered remotely or on-site, if needed. Find out more about
setting up a Support Agreement for your site, or call us on 1300 086 816.
TM

EXPORTING LAYOUTS AND FILTERS
Publish Date: October 11, 2012
In this Tip we share an extract from our update to our Primavera

Support clients about how to export and import Layouts and Filters in
Primavera P6. This is especially helpful if you want to share Layouts
with other users or for example provide your manager with a Layout to
refer to your own personal project view.
L AYO U T S A N D F I LT E R S
By default, Layouts and Filters do not export with the XER format. However,
they can be manually exported by doing the following:
To export Layouts:
Go to View, Layout, Open, Select the Layout then select Export.

This will create a .plf file (Primavera Layout File) which can be sent along with
the XER file.
Note: More than one Layout can be exported at once. Each one saves
individually using the Layout name with a .plf extension.
To export Filters:
Filters can be manually exported with the Layouts by copying them to the
Layout via the P6 feature Copy As Layout.
Go to View, Layouts, Open the required Layout.

Go to View, Filter By, Customise.
Within Filter options create or select required filter and then select Copy as
Layout. The filter dialogue box will then show that the highlighted filter is now a
Layout specific filter, so when the Layout is exported the filter(s) will also be
exported.
Export using the Primavera PM XML export format instead of the XER file
format.
Check the box that says Export all project level Layouts.
The project will have a .zip extension and will contain the Project XML and the
Layouts.
To import Layouts:
Choose View, Layouts, Open.

Select Import.
Browse to the location of the Primavera Layout File (.plf).
Decide whether the Layout should be user specific or global. If yes is
selected, it will be available to all users; if no, it will only be available to the user
who imported it.
By following these simple tips, you can ensure that you can share your
schedules with others, so they can see the same information as you.

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BASELINING IN PRIMAVERA P6
Publish Date: November 28, 2012
When creating a project schedule, prior to applying any progress to

that schedule, its necessary to first create a Baseline. This extract
from the Primavera Tip we shared with our Support Clients explains
why we need a Baseline, and shares a couple of common traps you
can fall into when baselining projects.
WHY BASELINE?
Baselines are basically snapshots of a project plan against which the

projects schedule (original dates, durations), costs and performance can be
measured. It helps to establish the basis against which you are going to
deliver your project and measure its success.
P6 allows you to create many baselines for comparison to the current
schedule and gives each user the ability to assign up to three baselines to
the current schedule for data comparisons. But its important to use this
capability with restraint.
What happens if you get it wrong?
If you create an excessive number of baselines, rather than using Reflection

Projects to test what-if scenarios, you may end up using a great deal of
system memory which can cause performance issues.
Another common trap is the Baseline Actual Start date not being reflected on
the Baseline Start date in the current project. This is because the Earned
Value Calculation (Admin Preferences, Earned Value tab) is set to Budgeted
Values. This causes the baseline date to always show the baseline planned
values. Instead, if At Completion Values is selected, the baseline dates will
use the Baseline Start and Finish dates which then reflect an Actual Start
from the baseline.
Users can also find that baseline dates do not match Current Schedule dates
for a newly created Baseline. If the Baseline was not Scheduled prior to being
stored, it is possible that it will show Dates that do not follow the Relationship
logic in that Schedule. So you must Schedule that Baseline Project to ensure
that logically correct dates are in the Baseline Project.

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SCHEDULE PERFORMANCE PORTLET
This extract from the Primavera P6 Tip we shared with our Support
Clients explains how to use Dashboards to ensure all the relevant
information regarding the status of a project is in one centralised
location.
Dashboards
A common pitfall in project management is misinterpreting project
information or, in some cases, even just finding information scattered
throughout the different parts of the program, within different fields and
layouts. Users often also need different information, depending on their role.
Thankfully, the developers of P6 EPPM R8.2 recognised these issues and
developed a series of portlets (sections of project information that you can
view in a Dashboard). This ensures all the relevant information regarding the
status of a project is in one centralised location.
Dashboard views can be customised to each P6 user and can be configured
to show only the information critical to the role. There are many different
types of views or portlets available in the dashboard view of Primavera P6
R8.2. These include:
Schedule performance;
Gantt chart;
Resource allocation; and
Portfolio analysis.
Schedule Performance Portlet
The Schedule Performance portlet calculates and displays data in cost or

labour units. It is used to view both current and forecast schedule summary
performance information, in either cost or labour units.
Interpreting the information
The portlet uses a number of key symbols to quickly highlight the data on
which you should focus. These visual indicators are based on performance
thresholds you define:
Critical: Indicates that a WBS, project, or portfolio requires significant

corrective action.
Warning: Indicates that a WBS, project, or portfolio needs attention and is
performing below expectations.
Acceptable: Indicates that a WBS, project, or portfolio is performing within
an expected range.
Exceptional: Indicates that a WBS, project, or portfolio is exceeding
expectations.
Tips to optimise your Dashboard
The Schedule Performance portlet calculates and displays data in cost or

labour units based on the option selected on the Global tab in My
Preferences.
You can click a project name in the portlet to display the Performance Status
page; the page displayed depends on your module access.

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RESOURCE PORTLET
Publish Date: April 9, 2013
This extract from the Primavera Tip we shared with our Support
Clients explains how to use Resource Portlet Dashboards to
determine which resources are over or under allocated and ensure
resources are being used effectively.
Dashboards Resource Portlets

The Resource Allocation portlet in Primavera P6 is another feature that can
ensure the overall success of a project. Often companies want to minimize
costs by using the least amount of resources required to complete a project.
This can cost in the long run because projects cannot be completed on time
due to the fact that the resources are over or under worked. Project
managers can view the resource portlets and determine which resources are
over/under allocated, and level the resources out to make sure that all
resources are used in the most efficient and optimum way.
Resource Team Summary Portlet
The Resource Team Summary portlet allows you to view resources, their
primary role, and the number of active projects for a team you select. The
portlet lists those members of the resource team that you have access to,
based on resource security. If you choose to view a resource team that is
available only to you, all resources that you have added to the team are
listed.
Tips
Resource usage data is based on summary data, so it reflects values as of the

last date the summarizer was run for a project.
To control the number of items that display in the portlet, click Customize at
the top of the page. Then, specify a number for Maximum number of rows
displayed in dashboard portlets. When the number of items exceeds the maximum,
Next and Previous links display.
Clicking on a selected resource takes you to a spreadsheet or histogram view
of that resources allocation details.
Resource Analysis Chart Portlet
The Resource Analysis Chart allows you to view a variety of chart formats
plotting the total (remaining plus actuals) units or costs for a resource,
resource team, or resource code you select.
The histograms display resource data summarized by calendar in weekly

increments.
Tips
The Resource Analysis Chart uses summary data, so it reflects values as of

the last date the summarizer was run for the source projects.
In the histogram or area chart, move the mouse over the corresponding area
or bar to display numeric allocation totals for a project or project code.
An option setting for each project determines whether this view displays
summary data based on resource assignments at the activity or project/WBS level.
P R E S C I E N C E A D VA N TA G E T M P R I M AV E R A S U P P O R T

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PRIMAVERA P6 R8.3 IS HERE
Publish Date: May 3, 2013
Weve been road-testing the new release of Primavera P6 R8.3 and

are very excited about the new features and enhancements to both
Primavera P6 EPPM (web client) and Primavera P6 Professional. In
this extract from our Primavera Support Clients Tips and Tricks
newsletter we discuss some of the key features.
Setting a Default Start Page
A great starting point (no pun intended) of Primavera P6 R8.3 provides

a setting to specify the default start page when a user logs in, simplifying the
user experience and saving time by taking users to the exact page they most
frequently use. This is set via the Content tab of the Details page for a User
Interface View or the View tab in My Preferences.
XML Import/Export Enhancements
A user can now exchange XML project files with previous versions of
Primavera P6 from R6.2 SP4 onward. Also, all features supported by the P6
Professional XER format constraining of external relationships during
import, inclusion of Price/Unit in resource assignments and importing of Past
Period Actuals are supported in XML format as well.
P6 R8.3 also enables a user to import or export multiple
projects simultaneously. When exporting multiple projects, the projects are
combined into a single XML file. Thus importing multiple projects requires the
projects to be contained in a single XML file.
Granular Control over Data during XML Import
Continuing the Import theme, a new screen in Primavera P6 R8.3s

XML project import process enables a user to view data in the incoming file
and adjust it as necessary before importing it into the database. This feature
is especially useful to project managers who import third-party schedules
that contain unwanted data such as resources, codes, and UDFs. In previous
versions of P6, users had to manually scan and then modify the data before
importing.
Renaming Columns
My personal favourite is that you can now rename columns in the Web
Interface. This feature ensures the application terminology aligns with the
organization and enables users to work with column names that are
familiar. Right-click a column header and select Rename Column to
launch the Rename Column dialog box. The dialog box displays the columns
default name and provides a New-name field in which you can edit the
default name or type in a different name.
New Relationships Detail Window on Activities Page
The last feature we will cover is one that I think most P6 users will quickly
appreciate. Primavera P6 R8.3 (Web Client) offers a new Relationships detail
window on the Activities page that enables a user to create and manage
predecessor and successor relationships within the same window. The
window provides the same capabilities as the separate Predecessors and
Successors detail windows, and is also still available within the Primavera P6
R8.3 Professional Client.

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PRIMAVERA P6 R8.3 FEATURES YOU MAY HAVE
MISSED!
Many of you may have had the fortune of road testing the new
Primavera P6 R8.3 update. In this extract from our Primavera Support
Clients Tips and Tricks newsletter we continue our overview of some
further features and welcome enhancements.
Viewing the Hierarchy for Activity, Project, and Resource Codes in Primavera P6 R8.3
To help solve the problem of duplicate codes, P6 R8.3 displays the full
hierarchical chain for assigned project, activity, and resource codes in the
Codes detail window. Previous releases of P6 displayed only the lowest
hierarchical level.
Displaying the full chain in the detail window can provide useful information
without requiring a user to navigate to a codes dictionary to view the
hierarchy. In addition, a new column in the Codes detail window on the
Activities page indicates whether an assigned activity code is an EPS, global,
or project-level code.
To access this feature, click the Codes detail window on the EPS or Activities
page in the Projects section, or on the Resources tab on the Administration
page in the Resources section.
Find and Replace Option
P6 R8.3 enables a user to find and replace text in displayed columns on the
EPS, Activities, and Resources Assignments pages, making it easier to
change items in the project plan. A Find option was previously available;
the Replace option is new. The new option is available via the Edit menu, the
Edit toolbar, or the right-click menu.
To access this feature click Replace on the Edit or right-click menu or click
the icon on the Edit toolbar.
Copy Activity Options
P6 now enables a user to select the data to include when copying and
pasting activities on the Activities page. This feature can save significant
time and effort by reducing the time to manually add or remove data when
editing or building project schedules. The feature applies to single or multiple
activities within a single project or across multiple projects.
On the Activities page, users can copy/paste one or more activities. The Copy
Activity Options dialog box displays when you paste the activities. Clear the
check boxes for data you do not want to include, and then click OK.
To access this feature, on the Activities page, the Copy Activity Options
dialog box displays as part of the copy/paste operation.
Improved Printing from the EPS and Activities Pages
My personal favourite new feature in release 8.3 is the ability for a user to
print from the EPS or Activities page and include only the Project or Activity
Table with no Gantt chart, offering the flexibility to create a more tabular
report.
Previous versions of P6 printed both the table and the Gantt chart (even
when the Gantt chart was not displayed on the screen). The same was true
for Print Preview (the preview included the Gantt chart whether or not it was
displayed on screen). In P6 R8.3 both Print Preview and Print include only
what is displayed on the screen.
You can also specify a date range when printing (or previewing) the Gantt
chart.
On the Activities page, choose dates or use rolling options to define a date
range, eliminating the need to repeatedly open the view to set the time
frame.
To access this feature, on the EPS or Activities page in the Projects section,
click Page Setup on the Actions menu (or click the Page Setup icon from
within Print Preview), and then use the Print Range options on the Sheet tab.
P R E S C I E N C E A D VA N TA G E T M P R I M AV E R A S U P P O R T

TM

USING PRIMAVERA P6 CALENDARS EFFECTIVELY
It surprises me that many people dont really know how to use a

calendar effectively within Primavera P6. When you think about it, no
one really teaches you how to use them properly and as a result
theyre most likely not being used efficiently. In this extract from our
Primavera Support clients newsletter we give you an overview of
calendars within P6 and provide a few answers on some common
questions.
Primavera P6 Calendars
Calendars enable you to define available workdays and work-hours in a day.

You can also specify public holidays, recognised holidays, companys RDOs
and project-specific work/non-workdays. You can establish an unlimited
number of calendars to accommodate different work patterns.
You can also assign calendars to each resource and activity to determine
time constraints in a uniform way. For example, based on its calendar, a
resource might not be available; or, if the resource is available, the activity
might not fit the calendar requirements. P6 uses your calendar assignments
for levelling resources, scheduling, and tracking activities.
The Primavera P6 application supports three types of calendars:
Global Calendar: If a calendar is defined under this category, that calendar
can be assigned to any project, activity and resource in the database.
Project Calendar: This category of calendars can be assigned to a specific
project (and/or its activities). If a calendar is defined under this category then
that calendar can be assigned to that specific project (and/or its activities)
only. These calendars cannot be assigned to any resource. If we link the
project calendar to the global calendar then any change made in the global
calendar will be reflected in the project calendar but not vice versa.
Resource Calendar: This category of calendars can be assigned to a
specific resource. These types of calendars are used in a special case where
the availability of the resources (Material/Machinery/Labour etc.) is critical.
These calendars cannot be assigned to a project or its activities. If a resource
calendar in P6 is linked with a global calendar then any change made in
global calendar will be reflected in the corresponding resource calendar but
not vice versa.
Changing the P6 Calendar Type
You can change the type of calendar you created from a resource calendar to
a global calendar, a personal calendar to a shared calendar, or a shared
calendar to a personal calendar.
1.
2.
3.
Within P6 Web, click the Administer menu and select Enterprise Data.
In the Enterprise Data pane, expand Resources and click Resource Calendars.
On the Resource Calendars page, click on a personal or shared calendar.
To change a calendar from a resource calendar to a global calendar, on the

Resource Calendars toolbar, click Promote to Global Calendar.
To change a personal calendar to a shared calendar, or to change a shared
calendar to a personal calendar, on the Resource Calendars toolbar, click
Convert to Personal Calendar or Convert to Shared Calendar.
Applying a calendar as the default project calendar
A new specific calendar has been created for an existing project. How do you
apply this calendar as the default project calendar for this project only?
Within P6 Professional, open the project, but remain in the Projects screen.
Click on the Defaults tab and change the default calendar as appropriate.
This will set the default activity for new activities, but will not change the
calendar for existing activities.
Copying and pasting calendars
It is not possible to directly copy and paste Calendars in P6, however there is
an option to base the calendar on an existing calendar.
When creating a calendar in the P6 client, you can base the calendar on
either a resource calendar or a global calendar.
When creating a calendar in P6 web, you can base the calendar on
either a resource calendar, global calendar, or project calendar (if both
projects are open).
Changing the calendar for multiple activities
1.
Display a column for Calendar.
2.
Change the first activitys calendar to the calendar that you require.
3.
Highlight all the activities making sure that the cell is on the last activity in
the Calendar ID column.
4.
Choose Edit, Fill Down.
P R E S C I E N C E A D VA N TA G E P R I M AV E R A S U P P O R T

setting up a Support Agreement for your site, or call us on 1300 086 816

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
PRIMAVERA P6 WEB AND P6 PROFESSIONAL?
Youll often hear the suite of Primavera Project Management software

described in a variety of ways like P6 Power Client, P6 Windows
Professional, P6 PPM, P6 Standalone, P6 Web or even P6
EPPM. In this edition we recap on the differences between P6
Professional and P6 Web.
P R I M AV E R A P 6 W E B A N D P 6 P R O F E SS I O N A L
Over the years, Primavera has been adopted as the recognised standard in
numerous industries worldwide to manage complex and capital intensive
projects. Oracle Primaveras project management software has gone through
many changes and revision updates. Primavera P6 was expanded from its
original Windows platform to offer an additional internet based version which
is now referred to as Oracles Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio
Management (EPPM).
What is Primavera P6 Professional?
Oracle Primavera P6 Professional Project Management (PPM) is more

commonly known as P6 Windows Client, or it can also be referred to as the
Windows Client, Optional Client or even P6 Standalone. We usually refer
to it as P6 Professional.
P6 Professional was designed to be

scalable to manage large-scale, sophisticated projects on an enterprise wide
database. It was referred to as the power client because it enabled power

users such as planners, schedulers and project managers to organise,
manage and control projects with upwards of 100,000 activities. P6
Professional was the perfect tool for these power users to plan, create,
schedule, execute and deliver their projects on time and within budget.
One advantage of P6 Professional is that projects can be worked on in
exclusive mode or can be checked-out so that project managers can work
on a project independently on their computer. Others will still be able to look
at the project in read-only mode and wont be able to make any changes
until the project manager checks the project in to merge it back into the
database. For example, a project manager can check-out a project, go on
site in the field where they wont have access to the companys
network/database, then make updates to the schedule. When the project
manager is re-connected to the companys network/database, they can
merge the updated project back into the database.
The P6 Professional client can be purchased separately under the product

name Primavera P6 Professional Project Management.
Or it comes bundled with the Primavera P6 EPPM licence (which includes both
P6 Windows and P6 Web as well address shortly).
Features of P6 Professional:
S u p p o r t o f w o r k b re a k d o w n s t r u c t u re s ( W BS ) , u se r- d e fi n e d fi e l d s
a n d c o d e s , c r i t i c a l - p a t h - m e t h o d ( C P M ) s c h e d u l i n g , a n d re s o u rc e
l e ve l l i n g .
Multiple users can access the same projects concurrently.
Issue tracking.
Management by threshold.
A tracking feature that enables you to perform dynamic cross-project rollups
of cost, schedule, and earned value.
Work products and documents that can be assigned to activities and
managed centrally.
Time-scaled Logic Diagrams (in particular P6 Visualizer).
Resource and role administration.
A report wizard that creates customised reports to extract any data from the
P6 EPPM database.
Tiled and tabbed window layouts for easy navigation.
Configurable menus and toolbars.
Enhanced page breaks on grouping bands.
Email reports as attachments.
Streamlined installation process.
What is Primavera P6 Web?
Primavera P6 Web is Oracle Primaveras project management tool with a

web browser interface. All you need is internet access and a web browser to
plan, schedule and manage projects. This allows project teams to have
anytime, anywhere access to project information through the flexible web
based user interface.
P6 Web features not only the planning and scheduling project management
aspects that people are familiar with from the P6 Professional Client, it also
has highly customisable graphical interface dashboards and portlets that
allow users to view both individual projects and a portfolio of projects. P6
Web allows executives to analyse groups of projects (portfolios) for high level
planning, such as resource capacity planning, risk, and budgetary planning.
P6 Web is part of a broader product offering from Oracle, called Primavera P6
Enterprise Project Portfolio Management, or EPPM for short.
Primavera P6 EPPM comes pre-bundled as a product suite that includes:
P6
P6
P6
P6
P6
P6
Professional for EPPM.

Web.
Team Member Application.
Progress Reporter.
Integration API.
EPPM Web Services.
Both P6 Professional and P6 Web access the same enterprise database of

projects.
Why is this significant? It means that power users or advanced planners and
schedulers can still use P6 Professional for their projects. At the same time,
executives, managers and project managers can conduct higher level
planning, resourcing, portfolio management, administration and team
collaboration all through P6 Web.
Administrative Features of P6 EPPM:
All administrative and most enterprise-level tasks for the P6 Professional

Client exist in the P6 EPPM database, and are accessed through P6 Web.
Administrative features relocated from P6 Professional to P6 Web are:
Global Dictionaries, including EPS, OBS, Project Codes, Activity Step

Templates, Cost Accounts, Funding Sources, Risk User Defined Fields.
Users.
Security Profiles.
Admin Preferences.
Admin Categories.
Currencies.
Timesheet Dates.
Financial Periods.
Time Approval.
Job Services replaced with Scheduled Services.
Project Risks replaced with Risks.
Methodology Manager Module replaced with Project Templates.
PRESCIENCEADVANTAGE PRIMAVERA SUPPORT

PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 17 THE

ART OF GROUPING, SORTING AND FILTERING
The grouping, sorting and filtering areas of Primavera P6 can be

challenging, but with these handy Primavera P6 tips, you will be
creating some great views and producing some top reports in no time.
Grouping and Sorting

By default some of the criteria for the Group By column have a hierarchy
that can be reported on, for example items such as Activity Codes and
WBS. Adding a second or multiple Group By criteria in Group and Sort
allows you to group the layout by more than one field.
When those criteria are added to the Group By column, the To
Level column may also need to be adjusted. The To Level column tells
the Project Manager how far down the hierarchy to show groupings. If
multiple levels are not used, set the To Level to 1 to free up additional
Group By columns, therefore allowing the entry of more criteria.
Grouping and sorting in Primavera P6

Get used to also clicking the Sort tab. This arranges how activities are
ordered in a layout by specifying sorting criteria. Sort activities
chronologically, alphabetically, numerically, or hierarchically depending on
the data items you select. When you use both grouping and sorting to
organise your layout, the data are grouped first and then sorted.
When you add a hierarchical item to the Group By list, it will display all of the
available levels for that item as specified in the Admin Preferences. If you are
only using four of those levels, set the To Level to 4. You will then have
space for another hierarchical item to be grouped beneath the first item.
If you do not wish to show hierarchy, uncheck Indent to allow you to
group by additional hierarchical items.
Mixing AND and OR Options in Primavera P6 Filters
A filter set up in Primavera P6 temporarily limits the projects or activities that

appear on screen, according to criteria you establish. Creating a filter where
all the conditions are either And or Or for each row is pretty
straightforward. However, if you want to mix them up a little its not as
obvious in P6 Professional. This quick tip will show you how.
Example: I want to find all milestones in a project that have a date variance
that is not equal to zero. In other words, I want to see any milestone that is
now sitting on a date other than its baseline date.
Because there are two types of milestone in P6 Professional Start and Finish
its often necessary to use the Or parameter to include them all. But if you
want to include some And conditions too, you need to do some extra
thinking.
Heres how the filter for the above scenario should look.
Mixing and and or filters in Primavera P6

The first two conditions above must both be met (the activity is not
completed AND variance is not zero), and either of the second conditions can
be met; in this case a start or a finish type milestone will meet the criteria.
To indent the Or condition rows under the And condition rows, we insert a
new row below the last And condition and assign the Any of the
Following option to it. All subsequent rows will have an Or option in the
first column until we insert another All of the Following option.
Once you get used to this method, you can build very powerful filters. You do
need to think these through before attempting to build them. Generally try to
start by building all the And conditions first, and then put Or options below
to avoid confusion and unnecessary complexity.


EARNED VALUE FORMULAS AND CALCULATIONS
Publish Date: January 6, 2014
Every Scheduler aims for a project to complete within budget and

schedule. Primavera P6 has the functionality to measure project
performance according to cost and schedule using Earned Value
measurement techniques. In this update we provide a brief overview
of some of the most common Earned Value formulas and calculations
used in Primavera P6.
Earned Value in P6
Some benefits of calculating Earned Value in P6 are the ability to caluclate
activity percent complete and view in graphical form to predict obstacles
early in a project schedule; forecasting project progress more effectively; and
developing an early understanding of progress according to budget and
schedule to identify problems as they arise.
Actual Cost (ACWP)
Actual Cost (ACWP) is the actual total cost incurred on the activity as of the
project data date. ACWP is the same as the Actual Total Cost.
ACWP = Actual Labour Cost + Actual Non-Labour Cost + Actual Material Cost
+ Actual Expense Cost
Budget At Completion (BAC)
This is always the Total cost from the Baseline, calculated using the Baseline
Budgeted Values or Baseline At Completion values depending upon the
Earned Value Calculation setting (Admin, Admin Preferences, Earned Value).
If the Earned Value Calculation is set to Budgeted Values with Planned
dates or Budgeted Values with Current Dates:
BAC = BL Budgeted Labour Cost + BL Budgeted Non-Labour Cost + BL

Budgeted Material Cost + BL Budgeted Expense Cost.
If the Earned Value Calculation is set to At Completion Values with Current

Dates:
BAC = BL At Completion Labour Cost + BL At Completion Non-Labour Cost +

BL At Completion Material Cost + BL At Completion Expense Cost.
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
A CPI greater than 1 means that Earned Value is greater than the actual
amount spent. A CPI of less than 1 means that the Earned Value is less than
the actual amount spent.
CPI = EV / Actual Cost

Cost Variance (CV)
Cost Variance is the difference between the Earned Value and the actual cost
of that activity.
CV = EV Actual Cost
Earned Value Cost (BCWP or EV)
Earned Value Cost (EV) is the portion of the budgeted total cost of the
activity that is actually completed as of the project data date. Also known as
the Budgeted Cost of Work Performed for the activity. The method for
computing the performance percent complete depends on the Earned Value
technique selected for the activitys WBS.
EV = BAC * Performance % Complete

Estimate At Completion (EAC)
EAC is the estimated cost at completion for the activity.
EAC = Actual Cost + ETC.

Estimate to Complete (ETC)
Estimate to Complete is the estimated cost left to complete on the activity.

The calculation can be customized at the WBS level (On the Earned Value
tab in the WBS view).
It can be computed as either:

ETC = Remaining Total Cost for the activity
ETC = PF * (BAC EV)
Where PF is a multiplier to weight the ETC calculation.This can be either 1,

1/CPI or 1/(SPI * CPI) or user defined amount.
Planned Value Cost (BCWS or PV)
Planned Value Cost (PV) is the portion of the budgeted total cost of the
activity that is scheduled to be completed as of the project data date
according to the baseline dates. Also known as the Budgeted Cost of Work
Scheduled for the activity. The Schedule % Complete specifies how much of
the activitys original duration has been completed so far based on the
baseline dates.
PV = BAC * Schedule % Complete
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
A SPI greater than 1 means that Earned Value is greater than the Planned
Value. A SPI of less than 1 means that the Earned Value is less than the
Planned Value.
SPI = EV / PV


RESOURCE CODES
2
Just like Project Codes and Activity Codes, Primavera P6 provides

Resource Codes that allow you to organise, group, sort, and filter
resources. Resource Codes also allow you to group and sort in the
Resource Assignments and Resource Profile views to give you a
better understanding of your resources allocation. In this update we
look at these codes that often go unused in most scheduling methods.
Creating a Resource Code

Well start by showing you how to create a Resource Code in P6 which we will
call Manager and a Code Value for it called PM.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click on Administer, Enterprise Data in the menu bar, and choose Resource
Codes.
Click on the Add Code icon.
Type the New Resource Code name Manager.
Click on the Add Code Value button, to add PM to the Manager Resource Code
and a description. You may add as many Code Values as you wish.
Click on Save in the resource code window to save your changes.
Assign Resource Code Values
You can assign code values to resources using the Codes

tab in Resource Details or by creating resource code columns in the
Resources window and then assigning values in the columns.
To use the Codes tab, click the Display Options bar and choose Details (the
box next to the Details command should be marked). Click the Codes tab,
then Assign.
To use columns, click the Display Options bar, then choose Columns,
Customize, and add one or more resource code columns.
A resource usage profile can also be grouped by Resource Codes. This allows
the user to click on, for example, the managers name in the profile and see
a rollup of all of the limits for the resource under that managers name. This
view is useful for creating a great capacity planning report. These views can
be accessed via the Resource page under Resource Usage or via the
Activities page by selecting the Resource Usage Profile tab.
Group and Summarise Using Resource Codes

Another neat tip is to use Resource Codes for grouping and sorting in
Resource Assignments. In a Resource Assignment layout, click the Group
and Sort By tab. Grouping by Resource Codes enables you to quickly see the
activities that are assigned to a particular area of responsibility or that are
being performed by a specific group throughout your organisation. Click a
group band to see a summary or rollup of a particular group.
P R E S C I E N C E A D VA N TA G E P R I M AV E R A S U P P O RT


RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT SETTINGS
Publish Date: March 10, 2014
While the majority of users leave Resource

Assignments as the default setting, with a little piece
of know-how you can use this area to greatly benefit
your schedules. In this update we review how to set
up Resource Assignments within the user preference
calculations.
Resource Assignments
Accessing the User Preferences within P6 Professional, and then selecting the
Calculations tab, allows you to choose your Resource Assignment options.
Adding or removing multiple resource assignments on activities options
You can choose to preserve or recalculate units, duration, and units/time.

There are two options:
Preserve the Units, Duration, and Units/Time for existing

assignments: Select this option for units, durations, and units/time to remain
constant when additional resources are assigned to any activity. Regardless of the
duration type of an activity, the following equation is always true: Remaining
Units = Remaining Duration x Remaining Units/Time
Recalculate the Units, Duration, and Units/Time for existing
assignments based on the activity Duration Type: This option calculates a
resource assignments remaining values based on the activitys duration type,
specified in an activitys General tab.
Assignment Staffing
Options when assigning a resource to an existing activity assignment
When selecting a resource to staff an existing role assignment or replacing a

current resource assignment with a different resource, you can choose either
to always use the current units/time and overtime factor of the new resource
or, to be prompted every time so you can select the units/time and overtime
factor you want to apply to the assignment.
The following options are available:
Always use the new resources Units/Time and Overtime factor: The
manual future period values of the existing resource assignment may be re-spread
across future period buckets based on the new resources values.
Always use current assignments Units/Time and Overtime
factor: The unit values for the new resource are spread evenly over future period
buckets and the manual future period values for the existing resource assignment
are not changed.
Ask me to select each time I assign: Every time you make an assignment,
you will be prompted to use the units/time and overtime factor for the new resource
or the current assignment.
Options when a resource and role share an activity assignment
When selecting a resource for an existing role assignment or specifying a

role for an existing resource assignment, you can choose to always apply
either the resource or role rate (Price/Unit) to the assignment, or you can
choose to be prompted every time so you can select which rate to apply.
Note: The assignment Rate Source field indicates whether the resource or
role rate is applied to an assignment. The Rate Source, along with the Rate
Type, determines the price/unit value used to calculate costs for the
assignment.
Choose one of the following options:
Always use the resources Price/Unit: The manual future period values
for the existing role assignment may be re-spread across future period buckets
based on the new resources values.
Always use the roles Price/Unit: The manual future period values for the
existing resource assignment may be re-spread across future period buckets based
on the new roles values.
Ask me to select each time I assign: Every time you make an assignment,
you will be prompted to use the resources or roles price/unit.
P R E S C I E N C E A D VA N TA G E P R I M AV E R A S U P P O RT

Want more Primavera tips and tricks?

Buy a PrescienceAdvantage Primavera Support package today and well
send you regular tips to help you get more from Primavera. Find out more.
PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 21 EPS,

OBS AND RESPONSIBLE MANAGERS
What is a responsible manager that is assigned to a

project? You are a program manager reviewing
portfolio performance data and you see that many
issues are assigned to a responsible manager, and
need to set an Organization Breakdown Structure to
combine with the Enterprise Project Structure. All
these questions are very relevant in common
scheduling and provide the ability to assign various
viewing rights and privileges to managers and
planners. In this newsletter we will endeavour to
provide clarity on this issue.
RESPONISBLE MANAGERS
The Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) is a hierarchical based
structure that represents your organization. The Enterprise Project Structure
(EPS) is also a hierarchical based structure that represents how your projects
are organized.
The OBS and EPS are combined together through the responsible manager
field on the EPS structure, project folder and Work Break Structure (WBS)
level. The Responsible Manager field is the OBS and this determines what
users can gain access to the Project. When you create a user, you have to
give them Responsible Manager assignments in order for them to access
projects.
EPS and OBS need to have a one-to-one relationship. If you give a user a
Responsible Manager assignment (OBS) that is not tied to an EPS, Project or
WBS level, they will not see any projects when they log into P6 Professional
and P6 Web.
PROJECT ACCESS
Project access and security privileges are determined by a combination of
Responsible Manager/OBS assignment(s), Project Security profile
assignment(s) and where the assignments fall within the EPS structure.
FOR THE ENTIRE ARTICLE JOIN PRESCIENCEADVANTAGE PRIMAVERA SUPPORT


PRIMAVERA P6 TIPS AND TRICKS: TIP 22 HOW

DOES P6 SUMMARIZE DATA IN THE
SUMMARY/GROUPING BANDS?
A common issue that users face when they look at a

standard schedule is working out how Oracle
Primavera P6 creates the summary/grouping bands. In
some cases, it seems as if the figures dont add up!
Well, in this newsletter we endeavour to describe how Oracle Primavera P6

calculates and displays the summary information for costs and quantities,
custom user fields, dates, durations, float, progress, baselines, comparison
data, and how the calendars are used to calculate these figures.
Calculations and summary displays as seen above are based on the currently
visible activities. Its important to know that activities removed from the
layout by filters are not included in the calculations and summaries.
Note: You must schedule the project at least once before the correct duration
value is displayed in the group band. Additionally, when grouped by WBS,
you must hide empty grouping bands to display the most accurate value in
grouping bands (this behaviour is different from the web, which skips empty
WBS bands when rolling up data).
Costs and Quantities: Oracle Primavera P6 totals cost and quantity data
items, such as budgeted cost and budgeted quantity, by adding the values
for each activity in the summary.
User Defined Fields:

Oracle Primavera P6 summarises user defined fields according to their type.
For example, items representing start dates show the earliest start date, and
items for finish dates show the latest finish dates. A numeric user field is
totalled for the summarised activities. A text-based custom user field is
never summarised.
Dates: If you display early dates, the Oracle Primavera P6 shows the earliest
early (or actual) start and the latest early (or actual) finish dates. The same
rules apply for late dates and baseline early and late dates.
Durations: Oracle Primavera P6 summarises original and remaining duration
values. For activities with no progress, the original and remaining durations
are the number of work periods between the earliest start and latest finish
dates and the earliest remaining start and latest remaining finish dates
respectively. If the summary activity has an actual start date, Oracle
Primavera P6 calculates the original duration from the actual start date to
the latest finish date. In this case, Oracle Primavera P6 calculates remaining
duration from the earliest remaining early start date to the latest remaining
early finish date.



RENUMBERING ORACLE PRIMAVERA P6
ACTIVITIES
1
Have you ever been challenged by projects and

schedules that change, sometimes significantly, from
the way they were initially planned and scheduled?
We have seen a lot of projects, and in our collective memory, struggle to
remember a single one that was not tested by such changes, at some point
in its history. This creates a specific challenge for Primavera users, as making
changes to P6 activity IDs after they are already allocated can be a painful
and time consuming process. For example, suppose you have activity IDs
AB100, AB130, AB150, AB160, and AB180 and you want to change and
renumber them to CD500, CD530, CD550, CD560, and CD580 or you may
have added scope (additional activities) and want the activity IDs
renumbered in a numerical order. Doing this manually one-at-a-time is
inefficient and can be prone to errors.
This month we look at the Renumber IDs feature in Oracle Primavera P6
and how it can save you time and effort.
Using the Renumber Activity IDs Dialog Box

You can use the Renumber Activity IDs dialog box (found by selecting > Edit
> Renumber Activity IDs.) to specify how to renumber the selected activities
in your current project and, if applicable, to renumber the same activity IDs
in all applicable baselines for the same project. The selected activities can
have the activity IDs renumbered based on values you specify for example.
Increment Activity Based on Selected Activities: Select to increment activity

IDs using the increment value you specify.



IMPROVING P6 READABILITY
Last month we looked at the Renumber of Oracle Primavera P6

Activity IDs feature in Oracle Primavera P6 (P6) and how it can save
you time and effort. We are continuing that theme, this month, with
another simple feature that will save you time and effort; Line
Numbering.
In helping to make your scheduling days easier, we will also answer another
question often asked of our support team, How can I magnify the column
headers in P6? The most effective solution is to change the font or font size.
Read on to discover a couple of different ways to edit fonts and font sizes in
both P6 Windows Client and P6 Web.
TOP TIP #1: LINE NUMBERING

This feature is currently available for P6 release 8.2 onwards and only within
P6 Windows Client. Reviewing and discussing schedules with colleagues
during a meeting or presentation can be made easier and more effective by
adding the Line Numbers to a layout. Line Numbers can be particularly useful
if Activity IDs are not in numerical order or are long and complex.



PRINTING ACTIVITY LAYOUTS
Last month we looked at Improving P6 Readability and tips to

improve the visual aspects of your P6 Layout. This time we will focus
on how to ensure that what you see on the P6 layout screen will be
reflected in your print output.
The ability to provide easily understandable print outs from Oracle Primavera
P6 (P6) is mandatory for most P6 users, especially for reporting and
information sharing. Many Project Managers will request a one page print out
of a segment of a project to be used in either meetings or to be provided to
stakeholders.
An important part of setting any Activity Layout that you might use for
reporting is to make sure that the print settings are correctly set and saved
as part of the layout. You can modify the Activities layout screen using Filters,
Group and Sort or by manipulating the Page Setup options to tailor the
information printed.
Top Tip #1: Scale to Page Width

To see your filtered layout of a segment of a project on one sheet just follow
these steps.
How To:
Step 1: In the toolbar ribbon click on the Print Preview This will launch the
Print Preview screen.
Step 2: In the Print Preview screen click on the Page Setup icon (top
left).
Step 3: Click on the Paper size and set A3 then click Apply.
Step 4: In the Scaling menu select Fit timescale to and select 1, then
click Apply.



UPDATING AND SAVING A BASELINE
Publish Date: December 10, 2014
Last month we looked at Printing Activity Layouts and tips to assist

with the tailoring of the information printed. This month we cover
updating a baseline, and after saving a baseline, being able to see the
baseline bar against current project bars if your activity layout setting
is right.
Project planners can view project performance very quickly and easily
against the original baseline by reviewing graphical Gantt chart that shows
baseline and current project bars.
Baselines are a complete copy of an original schedule that does not change
even when the current schedule is updated. We can use these unchanging
schedules as a benchmark to note changes to later schedules after updates
and modification have been made.
This is why we have the Update Baseline Function.
Top Tip #1: Updating the Baseline

Once progress has been applied to the schedule and an appropriate Baseline
Schedule from the past is available; one can update an existing Baseline
Schedule. Proper use of the Update Baseline Utility gives you the ability to
effectively and efficiently evaluate the impact of progress versus nonprogress revisions between schedule updates.
How To:
Updating the Baseline is available in P6 client V.5 and later.
Step 1: In the Menu bar, click on the Project tab, select Maintain Baselines
and choose the baseline that will be updated. Click on Update tab.
Step 2: When the Update Baseline screen appears, select the options
required, and click on the run Update tab to perform the update.




DISPLAYING VARIANCE TO APPROVED
BASELINES
Publish Date: December 31, 2014
Last month we discussed Updating and saving a baseline,

and then being able to compare the baseline bar against Current
Project Bars by using Activity Layout settings.
This month we conclude our topic on baselines with a brief discussion on how
to display variances between a project and any baselines assigned to that
project within Oracle Primavera P6.
Top Tip #1: Reporting on Project Variance

Variance reporting in Oracle Primavera P6 requires that the project has a
baseline and it is assigned as either a Project Baseline or a Primary Baseline.
Baselines are assigned using the Assign Baselines menu
option under the Project Menu.
The menu allows a baseline to be as signed as a Project Baseline and up to
three existing user baselines which are known as Primary, Secondary or
Tertiary baseline.
With a baseline in place it is possible to report any activity that has moved
away from its baseline date in the current project schedule.



UNDERSTANDING SCHEDULING OPTIONS
Last month we discussed Displaying Variance to Approved

Baselines, and then being able to compare the Baseline Bar against
current project bars by using Activity Layout settings.
This month, we move into looking at some Scheduling Techniques such
as Scheduling Options available in Oracle Primavera P6 and the first option
we will look at this month is the Retained Logic compared to Progress
Override.
Top Tip #1: Using Progress Override to schedule work out of

sequence
We all know that project execution does not always go as planned.
Sometimes it is necessary to start work before preceding activities are
completed, for example, installation of a piece of equipment which follows
the completion of painting of minor carpentry. Perhaps the resources planned
to do the work are not available on the Planned date, however can
complete the work earlier.
The Progress Override within Primavera P6s setting allows the Scheduling
engine to schedule work out of sequence by ignoring the logic and taking
into account the Start and Finish Dates set by the user.
To access the Progress Override setting, first click on Schedule button (or
press F9) and then the Options tab in the Schedule Window.
Primavera P6 provides three options for scheduling progressed activities

Retained Logic
This is the normal scheduling setting and the Primavera P6 scheduling engine
does not calculate Remaining Duration until all preceding Activities are
complete.
Progress Override
The Progress Override option is used where the Network Logic needs to be
ignored, as discussed above.
Actual Dates
The Primavera P6 scheduling engine uses the Actual Dates to calculate early
and late dates.



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