Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
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htm#Baseline%20Review
2. What are the difference between free float and total float?
Free Float: The amount of time the selected activity can be delayed, without
delaying the immediate successor activities.
3. What is a constraint?
A restriction you impose on an activity
ftp://ftp.sfwmd.gov/pub/plannom/P6%20or%20Contractor%20Files/PDF_Instruction_Files/P6%20co
ntraint%20types%20and%20definitions.pdf
can delay an early finish or accelerate a late finish to satisfy the imposed date.
Web Support
Primavera plan, documents and other information can be converted to HTML directly from the software. MS Project doesn't have such option.
Steps
Steps in Primavera allows you to create sub-activities (steps) of an activity. Each step can have its own start and finish date, and a completed step can
be marked as completed. This useful feature is missing in MS Project.
Expenses
Besides Costs, in Primavera project expenses e.g training, travel, etc can also be added, in MS Project we can not.
Custom Fields
Both MS Project and Primavera allows us to create custom fields. But MS Project even allows us to set complex formulas or use fields and add
additional values to it, to use in the custom field. In Primavera we can create a blank custom field, but can not set formulas to it, so users have to
manually enter values in each in the field, for each column.
Columns
Primavera P6 has many useful columns. It comes installed with over 200 columns, each giving you different information. Some column category to
name include EVM, Budgeting, Costs, etc. On the other hand in MS Project, there are only around 40 columns.
Project Website
The Primavera P6 software can create a comprehensive website comprising of complete project details including activities, resources, reports, risks,
issues, WBS, and everything that has been entered in the software. This website is very valuable feature and is not present in MS Project.
There are many more minor differences between Primavera P6 and and MS Project but above list is of major and prominent differences between the
two software.
WBS
In Primavera P6 WBS is created separated from activities. Once WBS has been created, then we can add activities with each WBS element. Whereas
in MS Project, activities are indented to make them look like WBS.
6. What is WBS?
WBS is a hierarchical (HI RAR IKAL)and incremental decomposition of the project into phases,
deliverables and work packages
How to Create a Work Breakdown Structure
Creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) helps you be both comprehensive and specific when managing a
project: Thinking in detail is critical when planning your project, but you also need to consider the big picture. If you
fail to identify a major part of your projects work, you wont have the chance to detail it. A work breakdown structure
is key. The diagram here shows that the entire project, represented as a Level 1 component, can be subdivided into
Level 2 components, and some or all Level 2 components can be subdivided into Level 3 components.
You can continue to subdivide all the components in the same manner until you reach a point at which you think the
components you defined are sufficiently detailed for planning and management purposes. At this point, you now have
Level n components, where n is the number of the lowest-level component in a particular WBS branch. Level n
components are called work packages.
Milestones can add significant value to project scheduling. Milestones allow project management to
much more accurately determine whether or not the project is on schedule.
http://eastwoodharris.com/activity-types-and-milestones-in-primavera-p6-version-8-2/
copy of the current project to use as the baseline or you can convert another project in the EPS
hierarchy to a baseline for the current project.
To help categorize, or track, multiple baselines for a single project, you can assign each baseline
a type that reflects its purpose, for example, initial planning baseline, What-if project baseline,
customer sign-off, or midproject baseline.
Regardless of the number of baselines you store for a project, at any given time you can only
select at most two baselines for use in making comparisons in P6. The project-level baseline is
used for project/activity usage spreadsheets and profiles, as well as for earned value calculations.
You can convert another project in the EPS hierarchy to a baseline for use in comparisons with
the current project. Before converting a project to a baseline, if you still want to have access to
the original project, you should make a copy of it. Once you convert a project to a baseline, it is
no longer available in the project hierarchy. You can restore a baseline, making it available again
as a separate project in the project hierarchy, in order to modify it or update it.
Table of Working with Baseline Elements
Item
Description
Define Baselines: Use Define Baselines to add, modify, convert, and restore projects and baselines.
Add Baselines: When you add a baseline, give it a name, assign it a type, and decide if you want to make it the Project Baseline or User's Primary Baseline for the currently selected project. Baseline designations are made in the projects rows of the table highlighted in blue.
Convert a Project to Baseline: Save a copy of the baseline before you convert it. Convert a project to use it as a baseline for a current project.
Restore a Baseline: Use restore a baseline to modify a baseline project. You must first unlink a baseline from its current project by restoring it as a separate project. You can then work with this restored baseline project as you would any other project in the EPS.
Baseline Type: Assign baseline types to baselines to help categorize multiple baselines for a single project. Configure the available baseline types along with your other Enterprise Data settings.
Project Baseline: Lists the available baselines for the selected project. Select the baseline to use as the project baseline. If a baseline does not exist, the current project is the default value.
User's Primary Baseline: Select the user's primary baseline from the list of available baselines. If a baseline does not exist, the current project is the default value.
this....
eg BCWP for above example
Week 1 100 TASK 1
Week 2 200 TASK 2
Week 3 200 TASK 2
Week 4 300 TASK 3
Week 5 400 TASK 4
Week 6 500 TASK 5
In the above example by week three you have completed 2 tasks... your budget for these two tasks was
200 hence BCWP = 200. But the BCWS will not alter..cos it is what you planned!
All you need now is ACWP = Actual cost of work produced. ie how much have you spent at a given
time! In the same example it may look like this.
eg ACWP for above example
Week 1 100 TASK 1
Week 2 200 TASK 2
Week 3 300 TASK 2
Week 4 400 TASK 3
Week 5 500 TASK 4
Week 6 600 TASK 5
ie due to the problems with task 2 you end up a week late and 100 over budget! you can work out the
cost/schedule/budget variences at any point in a project by subtracting the BCWS ACWP BCWP from
each other.
Cost Variance
Cost variance analysis is equally important to schedule variance analysis because project costs obviously
need to stay within the budget. It is disastrous for both the company and its client if project costs exceed
budgeted values. Unless there is a good explanation for the overage, the client is left with a poor
impression of the company it hired to complete the project -- not to mention less money in its pocket.
Cost variance analysis compares the budgeted costs of the project to the actual costs of the project by line
item. This can quickly tell a project manager the portion of the project budget that is over the original
estimated amount. For example, if the company budgeted a certain amount of money to cover the project
license and permit costs and the county in question raised the fees unexpectedly, the "License and
Permits" budgeted line item will show a cost variance that is over budget.
Related Reading: How to Compute the Direct Labor Price Variance
14. What is a Budget and how do you compare budget against Actual
cost?
https://www.fmsd.gsu.edu/archibus/schema/ab-system/help/archibus_fm_help/Content/ls_propfinancials/budget_vs_cost_reports.htm
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/budget-variance-analysis-60250.html
http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/project-help/project-management-goal-manage-costs-and-the-budget-HA101951699.aspx
Actual Costs are costs which have occurred and can be reliably measured. Budgeted Costs are costs which have been estimated,
possibly by using Forecasted Costs.
What is an S-curve?
An S-curve is defined as:
"A display of cumulative costs, labor hours or other quantities plotted against time. The name
derives from the S-like shape of the curve, flatter at the beginning and end and steeper in the
middle, which is typical of most projects. The beginning represents a slow, deliberate but
accelerating start, while the end represents a deceleration as the work runs out."[1]
Types of S-curves
There are a variety of S-curves that are applicable to project management applications, including:
Well, now the new full release under Oracle P6 R.8 is a very sophisticated one, and i believe will elevate
PM into a whole new ball game.
Both P3 3.1 and Primavera P6 are project management tools that allow users to plan and control
projects with a high degree of accuracy, keeping them on time and under budget. Due to technological
limitations and other factors, development of P3 has been discontinued. However, Primavera P6
includes the addition of a number of new features requested by our user-base including the ability to
track and unravel multiple float paths, enhanced graphical reporting with features like multiple,
formatable curtains, and the long awaited option to UNDO! New features and enhancements will
continue to be added to this product with each successive release.
While P3 maintains each project as a separate group of files each existing completely independently of
the others. Primavera P6 stores all projects in a single database, allowing greater flexibility to view,
manage, and analyze projects singularly, as part of a master project, program, or enterprise. This single
database design increases efficiency, consistency and repeatability, saving organizations time and
money.
Additionally, while P3 has used the extremely reliable Btrieve database engine since 1985, its 16-bit
technology is quickly becoming outdated. Primavera P6 is built using the platform of the future. Project
data is stored in a central project database that resides on a server running Microsoft SQL Server, MSDE,
or Oracle. This type of relational database management system offers many advantages over the file
structure system used in P3. For one, not all projects are managed separately because data is stored in a
central database, rather than on the users PC, Primavera P6 enables managers to access project data
anywhere, at any time.
Unlimited number of activities per project
Assign multiple Codes, Resource Assignments, Expenses, etc to multiple activities at once
Activity ID up to 20 characters; Activity Name up to 120 characters
Can add Expenses on activities without Resource Assignments
Attach Documents and Notes to activities
Unlimited Activity Steps per activity with Notes, PCT and Completion Indicators
Step Templates
More robust Auto-increment Activity ID options
Durations with 2 decimal places
4 different duration types
3 Percent Complete types
Mixed duration units
Easily switch to view Durations in years, weeks, days or hours
Assign a Primary Resource to an activity (typically the resource responsible for coordinating an activity's
work)
Organize activities in Assign Predecessor and Successor boxes by WBS, Project or Primary Resource
Create relationships by manually drawing relationships on Gantt Chart without having to display
relationship lines
Better drawing/placement of Relationship lines on Gantt Chart
Can assign Predecessors or Successors to multiple activities at the same time
Can link an unlimited number of activities from different projects at one time
Open ended are considred also the activities that are linked together with a start to start relation.
No matter how much you change the duration or the Finish date of the predecessor the succesor
is not afetced.
Practically, there will always be open-ended activities, but you can always provide artificial link
(irrelevant for me) to close it.
Consider a project like a puzzle, where you group it part by part, and each part has its own end.
An open ended activity means that the activity in question, has no eny relation with the end of
the project. It can be finished anytime even after the sun exploding. Fortunataly or unfortunately
developers noticed that this problem arise often, so when they start the backward calculation
(that is the phase for calculating late activity times) they set a maximum value which is the
project end. This will result that their latest finish will be the end of the project.
What we teach, that all these activities has to be exemined carefully, because they are usually
sign of a mising logic. (you simply forgot to define their successor)
Anyway the same thing when you have too many open started activities, but this occurs in a
fewer case.
There are some rules which should be kept, so we teach that before going nto technical details
always check the following:
Open ended activities provide flexibility. For my opinion, this is useful when you are scheduling
group of activities (or projects under a project group). With this you can allow for any logic that
you may find practicable. Or I guess, this is what they call "soft logics".
By the way, I'm refering to the development of a schedule.
Is it bad practice Mike?
Hi Abhishek
An open end activity is one that has no outgoing link.
It is bad planning practice as it makes any criticality meaningless.
Such activities can usually be detected because both free float and total float will be the same.
Activity Details
Use the Activity Details to view and edit detailed information about the selected activity. The
Activity Details appear in the Activities window.
The available tabs are:
General
Use the General tab to define general information for the selected activity, including the
activity's duration type, activity type, and percent complete type, priority level, assigned work
breakdown structure (WBS) element, and cost account.
Activity Type:
The selected activity's type, or how the activity's schedule is calculated. An activity's type can be
Task Dependent, Resource Dependent, Level of Effort, Start Milestone, Finish Milestone, or
WBS Summary.
A Task Dependent activity is scheduled according to the activity's calendar rather than
calendars of assigned resources.
A Resource Dependent activity is scheduled according to the calendars of assigned resources.
This activity type is used when several resources are assigned to the same activity, but may work
separately.
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A Level of Effort activity has a duration which is determined by its dependent activities.
Administration-type activities are typically Level of Effort.
A Start/Finish Milestone is a zero-duration activity with no resources, marking a significant
project event.
A WBS summary activity has a duration which is determined by a group of activities that share
a common WBS level. Resources that drive activity dates cannot be assigned to WBS summary
activities.
You can select a new type.
Duration Type:
The basis for estimating the selected activity's completion time. An activity's duration type can
be Fixed Units/Time, Fixed Duration & Units/Time, Fixed Units, or Fixed Duration & Units.
For Fixed Units/Time, the resource units per time are constant when the activity duration or
units are changed. This type is used when an activity has fixed resources with fixed productivity
output per time period. You most often choose this duration type when you are using resource
dependent activities.
For Fixed Duration & Units/Time, The activity duration is constant and the units are changed.
This type is used when the activity is to be completed within a fixed time period regardless of the
resources assigned. You most often choose this duration type when you are using task dependent
activities.
For Fixed Units, The activity units are constant when the duration or resource units per time are
changed. This type is used when the total amount of work is fixed, and increasing the resources
can decrease the activity duration. You most often choose this duration type when you are using
resource dependent activities.
For Fixed Duration & Units, the activity duration is constant and the units/time are changed.
This type is used when the activity is to be completed within a fixed time period and the total
amount of work is fixed. You most often choose this duration type when you are using task
dependent activities.
% Complete Type:
The way in which the percent complete for the selected activity is determined
An activity's percent complete type can be Units, Duration, or Physical.
For Duration, the selected activity's Activity % Complete is tied to its Duration % Complete.
For Units, the selected activity's Activity % Complete is tied to its Units % Complete.
For Physical, you may enter the selected activity's Activity % Complete in the Physical % field
on the Status tab.
Activity Calendar: The selected activity's calendar. To select a new calendar, click
.
WBS: The selected activity's assigned work breakdown structure (WBS) element. To assign a
new WBS element to the selected activity, click
.
Responsible Manager: The name of the organizational breakdown structure (OBS) element
assigned to the selected activity's WBS element.
Primary Resource: The name of the selected activity's primary resource. The primary resource
is the person responsible for the overall work on the activity and for updating activity status in
Timesheets. To select a new primary resource, click
.
Status
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Use the Status tab to define the selected activity's duration, constraint, start and finish dates,
labor and no labor units and costs, and material costs. You can also use the Status tab to view the
selected activity's float, actual, and completion percentages.
Duration
Original: The expected number of work periods required to complete the selected activity. You
can type a new time value and unit.
Actual: The actual number of work periods spent on the selected activity. If the selected activity
is complete, type a new number.
Remaining: The remaining number of work periods needed to complete the selected activity. If
the selected activity is in progress, type a new number.
At Complete: An estimate of the duration at completion time for the selected activity. (At
Complete Duration = Actual Duration + Remaining Duration). If the selected activity is in
progress, type a new at complete estimate.
Total Float: The amount of time the selected activity can be delayed, without delaying the
project's finish date.
Free Float: The amount of time the selected activity can be delayed, without delaying the
immediate successor activities.
Status
Started: Mark to indicate that the selected activity has started. The field beside this checkbox
displays the activity's planned start date. If the selected activity has started or is complete, this
field displays the activity's actual start date. To select a start date, click
.
Finished: Mark to indicate that the selected activity is complete. The field beside this checkbox
displays the activity's remaining finish date. If the selected activity is complete, this field
displays the activity's actual finish date. To select the actual finish date, click
.
Exp Finish: The date the activity's primary resource expects the activity to end. Only the
primary resource can edit this date.
When you add an Expected Finish date, the calendar defaults to the date and time of the activity's
Early Finish date.
When you edit an Expected Finish date, the calendar defaults to the date and time that is
currently in the Exp Finish field.
%: If the selected activity's percent complete type is set to Duration, the selected activity's
duration percent complete is calculated from the original and remaining duration.
If the selected activity's percent complete type is set to Units, this field displays the selected
activity's unit percent complete, as calculated from the actual and remaining units.
If the selected activity's percent complete type is set to Physical, this field displays the selected
activity's physical percent complete, which is manually entered.
Note
The activity must be started to edit the % field.
Suspend: Enter the date on which the activity's progress stopped.
Note
The activity must be started to enter a Suspend date.
Resume: Enter the date on which the suspended activity's progress resumed.
Constraints
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Primary: The selected activity's primary constraint type: start on , start on or after , start on or
before , finish on , finish on or after , finish on or before , as late as possible , mandatory start , or
mandatory finish . You can select a new type.
Date: The selected activity's constraint date. Click to select a new date.
Secondary: The selected activity's secondary constraint type. This list is filtered based on the
value you select in the Primary field. You can select a new type.
Date: The selected activity's constraint date. Click to select a new date.
Note
You can enter a constraint date only after you select a constraint type.
(Non)Labor Units/(Non)Labor Cost/Material Cost
Budgeted: The expected number of labor or nonlabor units or cost, or material cost the selected
activity will use, depending on your current display. You can type a new budgeted value.
Actual: The actual number of labor or nonlabor units or cost, or material cost the selected
activity has used, depending on your current display. If the selected activity has started, type a
new actual value for units. You can enter actual cost on an activity that has not yet started.
Remaining: The remaining number of labor or nonlabor units or cost, or material cost the
selected activity will use, depending on your current display. If the selected activity is in
progress, type a new remaining value.
At Complete: An estimate of the labor or nonlabor units or cost, or material cost at the
completion of the selected activity (At Complete Units(or Cost) = Actual Units(or Cost) +
Remaining Units(or Cost)). If the selected activity is in progress, type a new At Complete
estimate.
Resources
Use the Resources tab to add, edit, and remove resource assignments for the selected activity,
including each resource's budgeted and actual hours for the activity and the role assignment for
the activity. You can also define the activity's primary resource and change the rate type used for
the resource or role assignment. The rate type determines which price/unit is used to calculate
costs for resource and role assignments.
You can change the columns that display under the Resources tab. To change the displayed
columns, right-click in the Resources table, then choose Customize Resource Columns.
Resource table: All resources assigned to the selected activity. To sort the display, click a
column label.
Add Resource: Assigns a resource to the selected activity.
Add Role: Assigns a role to the selected activity.
Assign By Role: Assigns a resource to the selected activity according to role.
Remove: Removes the selected resource or role from the selected activity.
Predecessors
Use the Predecessors tab to add, edit, and remove predecessor relationships for the selected
activity.
You can change the columns that display under the Predecessors tab. To change the displayed
columns, right-click in the Predecessors table, then choose Customize Predecessor Columns.
Project ID: Identifies the project.
WBS: Lists WBS codes for the selected activity's predecessors.
Activity ID: Lists activity IDs for the selected activity's predecessors.
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Notebook
Use the Notebook tab to define the selected activity's notes.
Notebook Topic: Any note categories or topics for the selected activity. You can select a note
topic. Note topics are predefined by the project administrator.
Notebook Description: A description of the selected note. The title of this section changes to
match the currently selected Notebook Topic. All Timesheets users assigned to the selected
activity can view this description. You can type a new description. You can use HTML editing
features, which include formatting text, inserting pictures, copying and pasting information from
other document files (while retaining formatting), and adding hyperlinks.
Add: Assigns a notebook topic to the selected activity.
Delete: Removes the selected notebook topic from the selected activity.
Steps
Use the Steps tab to define the selected activity's steps or procedures.
Step Name: Lists the selected activity's steps or procedures in chronological order. You can
select a step.
Completed: Indicates the selected activity's completed steps. To indicate that a step is complete,
mark the appropriate checkbox.
Step Description: Displays the name of the selected step. You can type a description or any
other relevant information. You can use HTML editing features, which include formatting text,
inserting pictures, copying and pasting information from other document files (while retaining
formatting), and adding hyperlinks.
Add: Adds a step after the selected step.
Add from template: Adds steps from user-defined Activity Step Templates.
Delete: Deletes the selected step.
Moves the selected step to an earlier stage in the selected activity.
Moves the selected step to a later stage in the selected activity.
To add these additional columns, right click on the Steps tab and choose Customize Steps
Columns.
Step % Complete: Enter the percent complete for the selected step. This field indicates progress
on the step. Step % Complete is used to calculate the activity percent complete when you mark
Activity Percent Complete Based on Activity Steps checkbox in the Calculations tab in the
Projects window.
Step Weight: Type a value for the weight of the step. The higher the value you enter, the more
importance is attached to that step in the activity.
Step Weight Percent: Based on the total weight for all steps in the activity, the Project
Management module calculates and displays the percent for each step. This column is 0 percent
for nonweighted steps. The step weight percent value is calculated based on the step weights
assigned to the activity. For example, assume an activity has four steps: step 1 has a weight of 2,
and steps 2, 3, and 4 each have a weight of 1. Step 1 would have a calculated Step Weight
Percent of 40 and steps 2, 3, and 4 would each have a calculated Step Weight Percent of 20.
User Defined Field columns: If you are the activity's primary resource, you can add or modify
additional information about the step, such as start and finish dates, cost or other text. Define
user fields in Enterprise, User Defined Fields. Right-click in the columns area and choose
Columns to select the user field columns.
Feedback
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Use the Feedback tab to share activity-specific messages or notes with Timesheets-licensed
resources. Within the Timesheets application, all assigned resources can review the message you
send and the primary resource can respond.
Notes to Resources: Enter any comments you want to record about the selected activity. All of
the activity's resources can view these comments.
Feedback from Primary Resource: Displays comments about the selected activity from the
activity's primary resource.
New: When the primary adds or revises notes, the New checkbox is marked. After reviewing
notes, clear the checkbox to indicate that you have reviewed the primary resource's feedback so
that you will be notified of subsequent new feedback from the primary resource.
WPs & Docs
Use the WPs & Docs tab to add, edit, and remove work product and document assignments for
the selected activity. You can also view details about and/or open an assigned work product or
document.
Title: Lists the selected activity's assigned work products and documents. To sort the display,
click the Title column label.
Status Code: Displays the status of the selected activity's work products and documents.
Work Product: Mark this checkbox to indicate that the document is a work product.
Assign: Assigns a document to the selected activity.
Remove: Removes the selected work product or document assignment.
Details: Displays details about the selected work product or document.
Expenses
Use the Expenses tab to add, edit, and remove expense assignments for the selected activity.
You can change the columns that display under the Expenses tab. To change the displayed
columns, right-click the Expenses table, then choose Customize Expense Columns.
Expense Item: Lists the selected activity's expenses. To change an expense, double-click it.
Cost Account: List the Cost Account to which this expense item is assigned. To change the Cost
Account, double-click it.
Expense Category: Lists each expense's assigned expense categories for the selected activity.
To change an expense category, double-click it.
Accrual Type: Lists accrual type for the selected activity's expenses. The accrual type
determines how the expense is distributed: at the start of the activity (front-loaded), the end of
the activity (back-loaded), or uniformly across the activity (linear). To change an expense's
accrual type, double-click it.
Budgeted Cost: Lists the expected total cost for each of the selected activity's expenses. To
change an expense's budgeted cost, double-click it.
Actual Cost: Lists the actual cost for each of the selected activity's expenses. To change an
expense's actual cost, double-click it.
Remaining Cost: Lists the remaining cost for each of the selected activity's expenses.
(Remaining Cost = Budgeted Cost - Actual Cost) To change an expense's remaining cost,
double-click it.
At Completion Cost: Lists the at completion cost for each of the selected activity's expenses.
(At Completion Cost = Remaining Cost + Actual Cost) To change an expense's at complete cost,
double-click it.
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Vendor: Lists the business or organization to which each of the selected activity's expenses are
payable. To change a vendor, double-click it.
Auto Compute Actuals: Indicates if an expense's actual cost is automatically calculated
according to the selected activity's completion percentage. To auto compute an expense, mark
the appropriate checkbox.
Add: Adds an expense to the selected activity.
Delete: Deletes the selected expense.
Note
To sort the display, click a column label.
Summary
Use the Summary tab to view summary information for the selected activity, including the
activity's budgeted, actual, and remaining units and costs.
Display Units: Choose to view summary details about the selected activity's budgeted, actual,
remaining, percent complete, at completion, and complete variance units for labor, nonlabor, and
duration.
Display Cost: Choose to view summary details about the selected activity's budgeted, actual,
remaining, percent complete, at completion, and complete variance costs for labor, nonlabor,
material, expenses, and total.
Display Dates: Choose to view summary details about the selected activity's current, original,
actual, remaining, early, late, and baseline start and finish dates.
Contract Manager Docs
Use the Contract Manager Docs tab to view Contract Manager (formerly known as Expedition)
documents associated with the selected activity.
Document: Lists Contract Manager documents related to the selected activity.
Type: Lists the document's type, which is defined in Contract Manager.
BIC: Lists the person responsible for the document.
BIC Initials: Lists the initials of the responsible person.
View: Displays the selected document.
For Expedition 8.54, the document displays in Expedition Print Preview.
For Contract Manager/Expedition 9.0 and higher, enter your Contract Manager/Expedition
username and password. The document displays in your default web browser.
Refresh: Updates the list of documents to reflect changes made in Contract Manager.
Relationships
Use this tab to view and manage predecessors and successors from a single Activity Details tab.
To enlarge either the Predecessor or Successor area, drag the split bar separating the right and
left panes. The Predecessor area functions identically to the Predecessor tab, and the Successor
area functions identically to the Successor tab. The data stored on the Relationships tab is
synchronized with that on the Predecessors and Successors tabs.
Predecessors
Project ID: Identifies the project.
WBS: Lists WBS codes for the selected activity's predecessors.
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Activity ID: Lists activity IDs for the selected activity's predecessors.
Activity Name: Lists names of the selected activity's predecessors.
Relationship Type: Lists each predecessor's relationship type for the selected activity. To
change a relationship type, double-click it. The following relationship types are available: finish
to start, finish to finish, start to start, and start to finish.
Lag: Lists the lag time value associated with each of the selected activity's predecessor
relationships. To change a lag time value, double-click it.
Activity Status: Lists the status of each of the selected activity's predecessors.
Primary Resource: Lists the primary resource for each of the selected activity's predecessors.
The primary resource is the person responsible for the overall work on the activity and for
updating activity status in Timesheets.
Assign: Adds a predecessor to the selected activity.
Remove: Removes the selected predecessor from the selected activity.
Go To: Displays the selected predecessor activity's information.
Note
To sort the display, click a column label.
Successors
Project ID: Identifies the project.
WBS: Lists WBS codes for the selected activity's successors.
Activity ID: Lists activity IDs for the selected activity's successors.
Activity Name: Lists activity names of the selected activity's successors.
Relationship Type: Lists each successor's relationship type for the selected activity. The
following relationship types are available: finish to start, finish to finish, start to start, and start to
finish. To change a relationship type, double-click it.
Lag: Lists the lag time value associated with each of the selected activity's successor
dependencies. To change a lag time value, double-click it.
Activity Status: Lists the status of each of the selected activity's successors.
Primary Resource: Lists the primary resource for each of the selected activity's successors.
Assign: Adds a successor to the selected activity.
Remove: Removes the selected successor from the selected activity.
Go To: Displays the selected successor activity's information.
Note
To sort the display, click a column label.
Activity Details appear on several tabs. To specify which tabs you want to display and their
order, click the Display Options Bar, then choose Bottom Layout Options, or right-click in the
Activity Details tab area and choose Customize Activity Details.
In addition, the following fields and buttons are available at the top of each tab:
Previous
: Displays information about the previous activity.
Next
: Displays information about the next activity.
Activity: The selected activity's ID. You can type a new ID.
Activity Name: The selected activity's name. You can type a new name.
Project: The ID for the selected activity's project.
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3- Flags can not be constraint only driven by predecessor where as milestone can.
17. What is an open end activity?
The open end activity is the activity that does not have any successor. Normally open
end activity is not accepted willingly in schedule because the total float will be calculate
from the end of the project and these entire activities late dates gather at the end of the
project and can not be prepare a logical late start plan.
19. What is the difference between Retained Logic & Override Logic?
I will really appreciate please some one answer these for the sake of others knowledge
20. What is the difference between Continuous & Interruptible scheduling?
Same as above
22. How do u measure & compare the progress?
I measured the Progress in term of EV (Earned values) such as EMH (Earned man-hours)
which is equivalent to the progress achieved by the define progress steps for each
activity multiply with SMH (Standard man-hours)
EMH can be calculated as EMH= SMH * % age of activity as describe above.
Comparison can be done in various different ways, tabular and graphically after getting
the planned values from the base line program.
24. When updating a plan, what key people and/or systems would you expect to need
information from? What, if any, analysis of the updated programme would you
perform? Who would you distribute your work to?
Normally all good companies have the monitoring system including the progress break
down steps agreed between all stack holders of the project to update the plan. But if
you dont have any kind of these program then I will always contact with the concern
activity / package supervisor and collect the information on a well define format. In
short the minimum people require for the updating of progress.
1- Job supervisor
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2- Quality control ( for the acceptance of job until this you are unable to finish 100%
a single)
3- After performing any kind of analysis the distribution should be as follow
minimum
4- Project Manager
5- Construction Managers (Concern discipline for action and other for information)
6- Job supervisor
7- Department heads in co-operate office
8- QA/QC and safety for info.
These will be my answer addition to Mr. stephen, it is not guarantee that
interviewer will agree with your opinion and approach towards planning.
Now, as to the other questions that I can answer:
1. What is total float?
The amount of time that an activity can slip without delaying the end of the
project. Usually computed as TF = LF EF.
2. What are the difference between free float and total float?
FF is a special type of TF. Whereas TF is the amount of time that an activity
can slip without delaying the end of the project, FF is the amount of time that
anactivity can slip without delaying the early dates of a successor.
3. What is a constraint?
A limitation that reduces the efficiency with which a project can be
accomplished. Scheduling constraints come in three main falvours: NET, NLT
and ON, standing for No Earlier Than, No Later Than, and (surprisingly!) On.
These are input to a schedule, are usually calendar-based, and override the
predecessor/successor logic, thus often causing positive or negative float on
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1) In project management, float or slack is the amount of time that a task in a project network can be
delayed without causing a delay to:
subsequent tasks ("free float")
project completion date ("total float")
An activity on critical path has "zero free float", but an activity that has zero free float might not be on
the critical path. Total float is associated with the path. If a project network chart/diagram has 4 noncritical paths then that project would have 4 total float values. The total float of a path is the combined
free float values of all activities in a path.
The total float represents the schedule flexibility and can also be measured by subtracting early dates
from late dates of path completion.[1] Float is core to critical path method.
Example
Consider the process of replacing a broken pane of glass in the window of your home. There are various
component activities involved in the project as a whole; obtaining the glass and putty, installing the new
glass, choosing the paint, obtaining a tin tty once it has set, wiping the new glass free of finger smears
etc.
Some of these activities can run concurrently e.g. obtaining the glass,
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