(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?
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Hi,
I've recently been asked to produce a consolidated schedule that consists of the contractors' schedules and the owner's schedule linked together.
I've created the interface relationships between all schedules and everything works like a charm, except when it comes to updating them.
The updates are sent by the contractors as XER files, and importing them to the consolidated schedule creates following problem:
the external links to the other schedules do not exist in each of the contractor's schedules, so what I tried doing was to import the XER into an existing schedule (my consolidated schedule) as an UPDATE, but to retain the external links I had to uncheck the "Delete" option under 'Activity Relationships'.
What this causes, is that every time the contractor deletes the links in their schedule, it gets ignored in the update, hence my version is not 100% aligned. We have requested the contractors to keep schedule changes log, but keeping up with all changes is too labor intensive when the contractor changes the sequence of their works etc.
Just wanted to ask how is this kind of thing normally managed?
I thought I'd export all external links to Excel and re-import them after each update, but unfortunately P6 doesn't export any of the external links even when all the interconnected projects are open at the same time.
ANy help will be much appreciated.
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Hi Tomasz,
Option #2. By using MS Excel, Import/Export functionality. Yes you are right, you cannot export the external links to Excel using the Export from File Menu eventhough you will open both projects. You need to do some workaround, you can only export the external links if you will use the Reports functionality located at Directory Bars. When you have done this, you can now open your exported files from P6 and do some vlookup functionality using your Reports and Export file from Excel sheet then Import back to P6.
Option #5. By using the Update Baseline, this functionality in Primavera is quite complicated and make sure that you will only check those boxes according to your requirements. Otherwise, you have to create a backup of your master programme prior of performing this action. In order to do this, open the updated contractor's programme then go to Project Menu --> select Maintain Baselines.. click Add, select "Convert another project to a new baseline of the current project", then double click on your master programme, click update and follow the attached first image with corresponding checkbox and click on the "Update Options..." follow again the second image with corresponding checkbox provided on it. When all done, click on the "Update" located at the right upper corner underneath the Close button.
http://s1360.photobucket.com/user/primavera6v8/media/updbl_zpscb4bb978.png.html
http://s1360.photobucket.com/user/primavera6v8/media/updbl1_zpsb6000af3.png.html
The first checkbox means, you are going to update the dates such as Actual and the early dates (e.g. Start and Finish) including the current Data Date, the second checkbox, you are going to update the existing resource and role assignments from master programme and the third checkbox, you are going to update the actual units and cost according to the update of the contractor's progamme (e.g. actual units and cost) for those resource and cost loaded activities only.
I hope it assists you.
Cheers,
Arnold
Sandy: can't use one schedule - the contractor has the ownership of their schedule we just use it for our overall schedule.
I can't also create the reflection and give it to the contractor for that very same reason.
Arnold,
The images you've attached are not showing up, but in any case I don't understand how do you use "maintain Baselines" to update your master schedule using a newly imported schedule?
Anyway, option 1 not possible due to server sercurity - no access to the back end of P6
option 2 - I tried exporting the external links to Excel and importing them into the newly imported schedule, but P6 doesn't include external links when exporting the relationships - even if you open both schedules at the same time, the export prodcuces two separate excel files with internal links for each project.
option 3 - issues discussed but currently the only working option.
option 4 - not working as you mentioned
option 5 ? as asked above.
Cheers
Tomasz
Hi Tomasz,
There are lots of workaround in your case:
1. By using MS Access, directly connected to MSQL Database, working with care.
2. By using MS Excel, Import/Export functionality, this is safe.
3. By using Reflection, however you should be done at the start and the copy should come from your master schedule/programme. You can create a reflection from your master schedule and provide a reflection copy to the contractor and let them update it.
4. By using the Modify Import Configuration, but in your case it doesn't work due to external link. You can retain the external link however, what if the contractor added some activities, relationships, so on and so forth.
5. By using the Update Baseline.
In my case I normally, utilize MS excel and Access. In Excel, you need to have a vlookup function, and this is very easy to update, no harm to your database or it does not directly affect your current programme. You need to create a User Defined Fields (UDF)., while in Access you need to have an external data like to Append a copy…, Import the source…, Link to the data source…, and you must connected to the MSQL P6 database. It’s quite complicated and you are working directly with the P6 database and this is somewhat unsafe.
I suggest you can utilize the Update Baseline feature as shown in the attached image. All you have to do is to import the contractor's updated programme and create as a new project, when done, go to Project menu --> Maintain Baselines... select Add and select Convert..., your Master Programme then select Update:
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Arnold
If you work with the schedules in the same project but separate WBS it is easier to manage the interconnecting links.
Hi Tomasz,
If I understood you correctly, what you want is to import contractor's programme without importing the external link from other projects. If this the case, then you must change the "Keep Existing" to "Do not Import" under the "Relationships to External Projects".
Cheers,
Arnold
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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