Scheduling and Constraints

P6 is not just a way to enter sets of tasks into a pretty chart. Behind P6 is the scheduling engine and a set of algorithms which use a combination of project data and application settings to generate a schedule. The scheduling algorithms used are based on the Critical Path Method (CPM), a well-established technique for project scheduling that has a depth and history well beyond the scope of this book. CPM scheduling, simply put, is a method designed to answer two questions: When is the soonest I can deliver results based on my current estimates? On which items should I focus in order to deliver on a desired date? In this chapter, we will cover: Scheduling activities Understanding scheduling algorithms Settings at the user level Settings at the project level Settings at the global level Settings at the activity level

Scheduling activities
Ideally, before using Oracle Primavera, a company or organization should have some scheduling or project management standards in place as approved and supported by upper management. This is particularly important for companies that will be using Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM), which enables and encourages a collaborative and multi-user environment. There are settings ranging from the user to the application level that can have powerful effects on reporting, progressing, and scheduling project data.

Issues and Risks

What is life without risks and danger, the excitement of the unknown? Well, that may be fine for your leisure time, but when managing a project, risk is something you want to actively manage. If you cannot avoid it, at least you can measure and control it to some degree. The risks to projects are as diverse as projects themselves. In fact, some risks may be positive, such as when durations may have been over-estimated. Such risks are also called opportunities. Here are a few examples of project risks: There may be a shortage of skilled labor, possibly requiring higher salaries and/or delays to the project schedule A critical piece of equipment may have a known failure rate, and such failure could cost the project time and money A permit may have a delay, setting back several activities Material prices can fluctuate, affecting the cash flow of the jobeven in a positive manner P6 has a number of facilities for monitoring thresholds in your projects, tracking issues, and managing risks. The enterprise version of P6 has extended features and is a more robust solution for managing risk than the professional version. Thresholds are triggers that fire when certain values exceed a defined limit. When a threshold is exceeded, it can generate an issue, which is then assigned to a specific manager who is responsible for addressing the issue. Issues are automatically created by thresholds or can be created manually. They are used to document, track, and monitor problems that arise. An issue may have no impact on cost or schedule. The difference between an issue and a risk is that an issue has actually occurred and a risk is assumed possible but not yet occurred. Often an issue is a former risk that has now occurred.