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updating and resources in P6

4 replies [Last post]
Wed, 2009-03-18 10:51
Brian Yung
User offline. Last seen 11 years 5 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 26
Groups: Civil Engineering
Good day ladies and gentlemen,

I am fairly new to scheduling with P6 and I have several questions that I would like to get some clarifications on.

I’ll use the following example to illustrate my issue:
Activity: Concrete Pour
Original Duration: 15 days
Assigned Resources: Formwork, Concrete
Budgeted Formwork: 75m2
Budgeted Concrete: 125m3

Updating:
- I drag the spotlight to my data date (let’s say to the 12th day of the duration)
- I indicate the "Actual Start" date
- I input the actual resource values (formwork: 75m2; concrete 0m3)
- I "schedule" the schedule to the data date

Result:
- I noticed that the bar extends as if the activity has started but nothing has been done.
Actual Duration = 12
Remaining Duration = 15

If I go and change the finish date back to the original planned date, the duration % complete will show 80%

If I go check on the resources, the actual units are not the ones that I have inputed, they basically reflect the duration % complete percentage

formwork: 60m2
Concrete: 100m3

Can anyone help me for these two issues?

Ultimately I would like to:
- show the unit% complete (which remains 0%) all the time
- update the schedule without always changing the finish date of each activity.

I am currently doing tests before actually updating a schedule that has over 3000 activities.


Thanks

Brian
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Replies

Tue, 2009-03-24 04:15
#1
Dieter Wambach
User offline. Last seen 8 years 7 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 1350
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, TILOS
Brian

When I started with P3 and later P3e the books of Paul Harris didn’t exist - at least not in Germany. I never read them. The opinions I read in PP is that they are excellent and have many good examples.
Update progress using P6 first needs a concept: Timesheets?, frequency, Progress Spotlight (Y/N), duration types, some project-related parameters - especially under the tab "Resources" -, usage of dates ("planned dates"), ...

Together with P6 a training database with many examples is delivered. Install and use it to test new functions.

Good luck!

Dieter
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Mon, 2009-03-23 16:41
#2
Brian Yung
User offline. Last seen 11 years 5 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 26
Groups: Civil Engineering
Hi Dieter,

You are right about me starting to use a software without going through a manual first. After I realized that there was more than what I thought involved, I started reading a lot of material. One of them is Paul E Harris’ P6 book which I have gone through.

The only thing that I don’t feel comfortable with is updating the schedule.

Unfortunately I don’t have access to P6 now as my pc is going through maintenance. I will look a the topics that you suggested me.


Thanks,

Brian

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Fri, 2009-03-20 03:01
#3
Dieter Wambach
User offline. Last seen 8 years 7 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 1350
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, TILOS
Anoon
For my opinion Brian started to use a software without training or study of a manual.

Brian
Your questions are related to the usage of a P6.

Please check the following items in the help-function or the ref-manual:

- Autocompute actuals
- View "Projects" detail tab "resources" --> then "F1"
- Usage of "Spotlight"
- Update progress
- View "Activities" --> detail tab "General" --> check for duration type.

Sorry that I didn’t give the answer you expected but I’m convinced that long term this is the better way.

Good luck!

Dieter

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Thu, 2009-03-19 04:27
#4
Anoon Iimos
User offline. Last seen 3 years 21 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Posts: 1422
Groups: Pinoy Planning Planet Community
Hi Brian,

I believe the one who can give best advice on this is Mr. Mike Testro (not to mention C.J.O.). If I may suggest, you break down your activities so as to create always a finish-to-start (FS) link. For example: Your activity "Concrete Pour" can be broken down into the following: 1. Layout -FS-2. Formwork -FS- 3. Reinforcement -FS- 4. Place Concrete. Now you need to define your duration as accurately as possible. Again for example, placement of concrete will take only hours (not days if using pumps).

HTH
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