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Activity needs to end on the days it starts

7 replies [Last post]
Nicolas Gauthier
User offline. Last seen 6 years 31 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 22 Oct 2012
Posts: 4
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Hi everybody,

I searched the forum but did not find the answer I'm looking for.

I have a 6 hour activity (in an 8 hour day) that I need to start and stop on the same day. The curing time does not allow me to continue the next morning. I've assigned some resources to this activity, equipment and labour.

The problem I have is that it's predecessor ends around noon. When I schedule the project it splits it over 2 days.

My projects are fairly standard in terms of the sequence of activities. This activity is repeated for nearly every project I create. I know that I can introduce a lag, but I would rather avoid it if possible. I fear that I would have to go back and edit the lag for each project everytime I add a new one that uses the same resources.

A nudge in the right direction is greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your assistance

 

Using Primavera P6
Skill Level : new to Primavera

Replies

Rafael Davila
User offline. Last seen 2 hours 34 min ago. Offline
Joined: 1 Mar 2004
Posts: 5229

Vladimir.

You said, "This work-around is applicable if duration of continuous activity is known." Just another reason not to use the workaround, not even Spider workarounds, better use Spider functionality specific for this. Now I know the workarounds are not 100% equivalent.

Thanks for the warning.

Regards,

Rafael

Rafael,

adding milestone or applying lag calendar is applicable only if uninterruptible activity duration is known.

So using Spider I suggest to stay with the standard option - just define which activities shall be continuous.

But P6 has no such option and does not permit to assign separate lag calendars. That is why I suggested to use intermediate milestone. This work-around is applicable if duration of continious activity is known. For Spider users it is not necessary.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Rafael Davila
User offline. Last seen 2 hours 34 min ago. Offline
Joined: 1 Mar 2004
Posts: 5229

There are 3 options I know work in Spider, options 1, option 3 and option 4 on the following figure.

  • option 1 [this I prefer] use specific functionality for this purpose [continuous].
  • option 4 [maybe] not needed in Spider as option 1 is easier and less prone to error, though good to show off one of the many uses for lag calendar different to predecessor and successor activities calendar.
  • but option 3 no way as it adds an extra milestone activity that must be updated [can be an issue with out-of sequence if not done correctly], can be error prone. In addition I do not like to use unnecessary milestones for many reasons, updating and resource leveling with optimization stand out among them. I try to use milestones only when required for logic, redundant no way.

Photobucket

Nicolas Gauthier
User offline. Last seen 6 years 31 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 22 Oct 2012
Posts: 4
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Thank you all for your quick response.

I'll play around with the suggested solutions. I'll write to the forum if I run into other difficulties.

 

Thanks again

Nic

Raymund de Laza
User offline. Last seen 27 weeks 6 days ago. Offline
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 762

Hi Nicolas,

Make your planning durations in hours or create a separate calendar for the curing that have a working hours till the midnight.
Show the working hours in the dates column and set the start and finish in terms of time.

 

Hope this will help.

Dieter Wambach
User offline. Last seen 6 years 49 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 1350

Hi Nicolas

I just can agree Vladimir; a parameter just as "uninterruptible" doesn't exist in P6 as far as I know. So a work-around has to be created.

P6 calculates in decimals of a minute. Some years ago Oracle/Primavera promised to us (to heads of planning of German EPC-Contractors to include a parameter equivalent to uninteruptible, but unfortunately our quantity of licences is too small - obviously.

Questions:

- If the predecessor ends at noon; will the successor start the same or the following day.

- What will happen if later?

- How is the quality of the reported progress?

- Frequency of update

Regards

Dieter

You asked about special activity property (non-interruptible) that exists in Spider Project but does not exist in P6.

If you know that activity duration the solution may be suggested. Insert milestone activity that precedes an activity that shall be finished before the end of the day. Create a special calendar for this milestone where work day ends six hours before the end of the standard work day. Link preceding activities with your activity only through this milestone.

I don't know other solution for P6. If it will not help switch to Spider Project and you will not have problems with modelling any situation.