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Cost tabular report different than cost graphic re

15 replies [Last post]
Wed, 2004-07-21 03:57
Joe Mansour
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Dear All,

I am encountering a problem in P3 3.1.
The cost spreading of an activity in graphic report is linear, i.e. cost spreaded equally on activity duration, while in tabular report it is loaded on the last day of that activity.

Can anybody help?

It should be mentioned that the cost is assigned directly and not through price per unit of the resource.

Joe
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Thu, 2004-07-22 11:58
#1
Dayanidhi Dhandapany
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Dear Joe,

I understand your intention, but unfortunately there is no direct way to show this in the report during execution stage. At least you can have an option to set TimeScale units as Month and set a blank space in the payment field lag, so that the money can be distributed throughout the working period(monthwise), you can be aware of how much money need to be released to your sub-contractor 30 days after their claim submission but you can’t display it in a report format, due to the fact that the resouce can be burnt as per the resource working calendar/base calendar.

Bu there is a way(non-realistic) to represent your requirement..........................you have to do some manipulation in the resorce lag in activity form.

so if you want to represent your logic in report format use 60days lag in the resource lag in the activity form and with a blank in the payment lag(timescale units should be month), run the report and see the effect. It works perfectly for me.

Cheers!!

Daya
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Thu, 2004-07-22 09:52
#2
Joe Mansour
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Daya,

Normally subcontractors are paid on a monthly basis, with a certain lag, to cover the payment period to the main contractor by the client in order to maintain cash flow in a good position.

For example,
Suppose an activity has 150 days duration starting in May and ending in September.
If the subcontractor’s statements are monthly with payments to be made after 30 days , the work of May must be paid by beginning of July, etc.

In P3, if you input 30 days lag in the timescale, the cost to the subcontractor will be 30 days after the completion of 150 days, i.e. by beginning of December!!

I know Primavera did not provide this feature, but there is something that does not make sense in their definition of payment lag.

Joe
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Thu, 2004-07-22 09:35
#3
Dayanidhi Dhandapany
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Hi Joe,

If you want to distribute the cost throughout 150days, why do you need to put 1 in the payment lag, just leave that area as blank. or if you mean to pay the money 1 day after the completion of work, you put ’1’ in the payment lag or if you want to pay the money on the completion date itself, use ’0’ in the payment lag. what is the meaning of distributing the cost after the completion of work(1-sep-03, in our case). no use, The job is done, hence you have to pay the money for the work-done at one shot on the same-day or on the next-day or may be 7days later or 30days later etc. As far as i know, Primavera did not provide the facility to distribute the cost after completing the job on installment basis.

I hope you can understand the logic now. Still if you have any doubt please don’t hesitate to contact me, i will try to clear the doubt at my best.

Regards

Daya


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Thu, 2004-07-22 04:54
#4
Dayanidhi Dhandapany
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Hello Joe,

Thanks for your compliments, The logic is simple, if you put 0 in the payment lag, you can make the payment at the completion of the activity. If you specify ’7’ you can make the payment(to your sub-contractor for example) after 7 days of completing the activity. Which means eventhough the activity is completed, you will not pay the payment to the sub-contractor until the specified number of days in the payment lag field. If you don’t specifiy anything in the payment lag field on everyday you are paying the money evenly to your sub-contractor.

Regards

Daya

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Thu, 2004-07-22 04:33
#5
Joe Mansour
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That’s great Daya.

I thank you very much.

But what could be the logic behind this?

Joe
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Thu, 2004-07-22 03:37
#6
Dayanidhi Dhandapany
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Hello Joe,

When i run your report CT-01 in the Tabular Cost Report, yes, i believe you, i saw the strange thing that the cost for the item was appeared as one lumpsump value at end of the finishing activity, i found the reason, take out the ’0’ in the payment lag under the timescale tab, then everything should be ok. you can see the proper distribution on everyday.

(Note: I’ve sent your p3file back to you. you can find the rectified CT-01 report)
i hope you can enjoy it now.

Regards

daya
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Thu, 2004-07-22 02:11
#7
Joe Mansour
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Daya,
The program is sent.
Alexandre couldn’t find the problem. If anybody else would be kind enough to assist, I will gladly send him the program.

Joe
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Wed, 2004-07-21 11:58
#8
Dayanidhi Dhandapany
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Dear Joe,

If you don’t mind send me your p3 file to plannerdaya@yahoo.com which will capable of receiving 10mb as fileattachment. Let me have a look and try to help you to solve your problem.

Regards

Daya
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Wed, 2004-07-21 05:04
#9
Joe Mansour
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I forgot to mention that the program is too big to send. It contains 3687 activities.

Joe
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Wed, 2004-07-21 05:02
#10
Joe Mansour
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Bonjour Alexandre,

I have to mention that I did not prepare this program, but it was referred to me.

The cost was allocated as a lump sum in "Budgeted Cost" box of the Cost window.

Merci

Joe
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Thu, 2004-07-22 06:16
#11
Joe Mansour
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Dear Daya,
If you put 1 in the payment lag, all the cost is put on the first day after the end of the activity. No cost has been put during the whole 150 days.

Joe
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Thu, 2004-07-22 05:56
#12
Dayanidhi Dhandapany
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Dear Joe,

I can represent your requirement/logic into the same P3 file, you assign 150 days duration to the activity ID. Choose Timescale units as Months (instead of days) in the Timescale tab, make sure payment lag field is blank, run the report, you can see that everymonth end the money will be distributed. If you want to delay the payment in the beginning of the first month, then you put ’1’ in the payment lag field.

Daya
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Thu, 2004-07-22 05:41
#13
Joe Mansour
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Daya,

Thank you again.
I have read the P3 help, and it is clear.
However, I am not yet convinced of the logic.
First, the payment lag should indicate :payment lag from the end of the activity.
Second, suppose an activity has a duration of five months.
The subcontractor, for example, is to be paid one month after the end of each month, for the work he has done in that month. If you put a 30 days lag in P3, it will show that the subcontractor will be paid all his entitlements 30 days after he has completed the work, which is not very logical.
I think the lag should mean shifting the value of work done during each period by a certain number of time units.

Joe
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