Store Period Performance

I would say that you schedule is incomplete. Why don't you have activities for submittals & fabrication this would solve your problem and NOT have bogus start dates. 

every major activity especially that you are billing for should have the following chain of activities

create & submit (whaterver product or component) submittal

review & approve (whatever product or component) submittal

fabricate or procure (whatever product or component) 

deliver (whatever product or component) to site

Install (whatever product or component)

this way if anything in this chain gets delayed you will see where the delay is and the impact of the delay 

Hello Paul,

 I have co-workers that are using "store period performance" and using it to run Earned Value in Primavera.  I have seen that this takes an entire group of administrators to keep the data updated.  ie. they are updating it with weekly financial periods.  Now I have several other groups that are requesting to use this "add-on" in Primavera, which I too believe is more trouble than it is worth.  We have had stored data that was messed up, and when we called the vendor even told us not to use it.  I am looking to get some "pros and cons" for using this part of Primavera. 

Hi Kashyap,



P3 has a history function, where you can store history automatically, alternatively, I suggest you store it manually, in seperate directories for every date you update, the history option being the first option.

I prsonally would stay away from bogus dates. Record history as it is.



Tegards





Philip

Paul,

I did not write about P3 in my posting. I am sure that you are right estimating its capabilities. And I did not mean billing and accounting. I don’t recommend to use PM software for this purpose too (and time sheets also). Usually the data entered in PM software are based on current work results and frequently are not supported by corresponding documents used in accounting.



Vladimir

Vladimir



I agree that Period actuals are necessary for analyzing project performance trends.



But the question I felt was not in relation to project trends, it was for billing, for billing I always recommend a timesheet system, using a scheduling software as a timesheet system is a time consuming exercise.



In relation to project performance trends there are other methods when using P3, other than Period actuals, which off more flexibility. P3 Period Actuals is very inflexible. For example if you wish add a new activity which you are required to assign past period actuals too, I know this should not happen but it does, a new activity will not have the past periods and one has to copy an existing activity with the required number of periods in order to add an activity with past periods.



It is my opinion that P3 period actuals is an inflexible tack on function that is difficult to use and I avoid it.



Paul E Harris

Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia

Planning and Scheduling Book Publishers, Training & Consulting

www.eh.com.au

Kashyap,



I think you have no way around that limitation of the "Store Period Performance". If you just use the period performance data for pay request, it can be done easily by using custom data item. In other words, "Store Period Performance" is only useful when you want to see all the historical period cost/resource data for individual activity or project at one glance such as cost/resource cumulative curve. If you just need the data from previous period such as pay request, I recommend you to use custom data items and global change to copy data over, etc. If necessary, you can use Excel to plot the cost/resource cumulative curve.



Attached is the write-up by me regarding Store Period Performance. Please review for your reference. Go to the http://www.htcprojectcontrols.com/SB003.pdf



Eric Chou, PE

HTC Project Controls, Inc.

www.HTCProjectControls.com

Paul, I strongly disagree.

Period actuals are necessary for analyzing project performance trends.

And besides time sheets will not help. Not only time matters, but also cost and material consumption, volumes done, etc.

Vladimir

This is the usual problem people have when they try using a scheduling package for time sheeting. You will forever have problems.



I suggest you get yourself a time sheet system for this purpose and do not bother with store period actuals, it is more trouble than it is worth.



Paul E Harris

Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia

Planning and Scheduling Book Publishers, Training & Consulting

www.eh.com.au

Hi, Kashyap

I’d suggest inserting extra activity for each billed activity in your schedule. The point is to retain schedule logic – by this way you can assign real start dates for billing activity and then close it. The cons of this method are some routine work to be done. But in future you’ll be rewarded for this.

Cheers,

Andrew

Hi Kashyap,



If the resources price/Unit & through will be of any help to you?



At least in cash-flow statements it does get reflected.