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Budgeted Total Cost Data Lost when Imported

14 replies [Last post]
Eric Preisendanz
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I have searched all over the internet for a solution to my problem. I have found many similiar posts but all the solutions have not worked. Here is what I am having trouble with:

I have a 2500+ activity schedule that is cost loaded with resources that all have a price/unit of $1/unit. Every resource has a UOM of "units". These activities get paid 20% when the activity has started and 80% when the activity is complete. For every resource, I have both "auto compute actuals" and "calculate costs from unit" checked as well as "resources can be assign to the same activity more than once".

 

For Example:

Activity A1000 is assigned a resource with 350 budgeted units. Therefore, the budgeted cost is $350. When the activity is started it will be 20% complete to give us $70. The remaining $280 will be paid when then activity is complete.

 

Here is my problem:

The activities are cost loaded from all the resources and are perfect on my XER file. When I go to export the file and then import the file to another computer, most (if not all) the resources have lost the budgeted units and budgeted cost. The resources are still assigned to the activities. During the export/import, I am selecting "update existing" for all the resources and activites.

I also tried exporting my resource assignment to excel. That worked fine. All the assignments were there with their correct budgeted unit/costs.

 

I can not figure out where I am going wrong. Please help!

Replies

Zoltan Palffy
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you must have the proper rights on the other machine for importing.

Also during the import process at the Update Project options select modify and under Data Type: Global for the Resource item under the action column make sure that you select INSERT NEW

Sugun Kumar Darisi
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Can any one, Give us a detailed solution for this Change in budgeted total cost when we are importing XER to other system.

Andrew Podolny
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Zoltan.Yes you can say that it does the Global Change on XER. But the key point it does it BEFORE XER files being imported into P6.If you imported cost linked file into P6 it's already too late to do global change. The problem is in resource unit prices - in the native database P6 keeps 8 digits after dot for all unit prices but when the schedule is exported into XER format the number of digits after dot is reduced to 2 only.So when this schedule imported on other computer the cost is recalculated based on 2 digits unit prices and there is no way to get initial cost. Regards,Andrew
Zoltan Palffy
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Andrew 

Your unlinking does the same thing the global change does it that not true ?

I do like the utility 

Andrew Podolny
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Zoltan.

When P6 imports xer it recalculates cost automatically if they are connected to units. Global change afterwards doesn't fix the problem - the Unit Prices are already skewed.

Global change will work only if host computer do it prior to exporting schedule into XER which is  very rare (almost never) based on my experience.

Regards, Andrew

Zoltan Palffy
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Andrew why do you need simple utility that allows you to disconnect the Cost from Units 

run a global change 

tools global change

Select subject area as 

Actviity Resource Assignments

Where Calculate costs from units equals Yes

then Calculate costs form units = No

Change then committ changes 

 

Andrew Podolny
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Hi salmin
There are few points to be considered when importing XER cost loaded schedule.
1. Make sure that all currencies used in schedule and on your PC have same conversion rates.
2. When importing global data  in particular resources and roles make sure your import configuration is set to "Insert New"
3. Most probably the XER file has resource units and cost "connected" together. That means P6 after importing will recalculate all cost assignments based on unit prices and because of limitation of XER format the outcome might be different (sometimes quite different) from the original. In order to avoid this I've wrote simple utility that allows you to disconnect the Cost from Units (it also purges POBS junk - but this isn't primary purpose). You can grab it here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wqcqa1qxdlzm393/XER_POBS.exe?dl=0
No installation required. Just drop your XER file(s) onto form and select "Unlink Units from Cost" - the new XER will be created. Import this file instead of original and I'm pretty positive you will have same Cost information as original schedule.
Regards,
Andrew

Zoltan Palffy
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do a global change and uncheck calculate costs from units

salmin Ahmed
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I am facing the same problem here . I have inserted a new calender and resources when importing . I have checked that the duration and project status remained the same . i created a new empty database and imported the file there but still the problem has not been solved . Please if anyone solved this problem help me . thaanxx

salmin Ahmed
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I am facing the same problem here . I have inserted a new calender and resources when importing . I have checked that the duration and project status remained the same . i created a new empty database and imported the file there but still the problem has not been solved . Please if anyone solved this problem help me . thaanxx

Ravi Katare
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Hi,

Could you please confirm the following points;

1. Is there any change in activity duration where bugdeted unit values get losts.

2. Have you any common calender name in two different machine (original schedule and imported schedule)

3. Have you any common Resource IDs in two different machine (original schedule and imported schedule)

4. Activity status

- Ravi 

Andrew Pearce
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Hi Guys,

Just seen this post we have had similar issues, please advise solution

Andrew Pearce
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Posts: 175

Hi Guys,

Just seen this post we have had similar issues, please advise solution

izajuliana mohd i...
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Can be resolve...

I'll guide you personally...

Email me at izajuliana@yahoo.com.my