ACTIVITY DURATION TYPES WITH EXAMPLE EXPLAINED IN PRIMAVERA

Original or Planned Duration = (Budgeted or Planned Units) /(Budgeted or Planned Units/Time)

Given Case : Consider a software company where a resource is assigned a designing work
of a particular website. It is estimated that the design work would be completed within 5
working days of the resource. The particular resource has shift duration of 8 hours /day.
Find what happens to Original duration, budgeted units/time and Budgeted units when
i.Original duration changes to 10 days ii. Budgeted units/time changes to 10hours/day and
iii.Budgeted units of work changes to 20 hours

Findings:

Original Duration =5 days ,

Budgeted units/time = 8h/d

From the formula we know Budgeted units = Original Duration X Budgeted units/time = 8 x 5 = 40 hours

Type I :- Fixed Units / Time

Units/time for the resources remains fixed; Even when activity duration or budgeted units changes. Used
when resources with productivity output per time period is fixed. Mostly used when Activity type is
R e s o u r c e D e p e n d e n t A c t i v i t y . Eg:- Say a consultant or Coding activity

for a programmer. Then if the number of working hrs. on the job increase then original duration of the
activity changes automatically and vice versa.
Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

Page 1

Changes made

Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time

Fixed Units /Time

Activity
Duration
Type

Original Duration
(in days) 10days

Budgeted Units
(hours of work)
40 hours

Budgeted Units /
time (hours/day)
8h/d

1. Original
Duration from
5 to 10

Changed to 10

10*8 = 80 (vary)

(fixed)

2. Units from 40
to 20

20/8 = 2.5 i.e

3 days
approx(vary)

Changed to 20

(fixed)

3. Units/Time
from 8 to 10

40/10 = 4 (vary)

40

Changed to 10
(fixed)

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

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Type II:Fixed

Duration & Units/Time

Activity duration and units / time remains fixed; even if remaining units changes. Mostly used when
Activity type is T a s k
D e p e n d e n t
A c t i v i t y i.e (Duration of the activity is
fixed).

Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time

Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time

Fixed Duration & Units / time

Activity
Duration
Type

Changes made

Original Duration
(in days) 10days

Budgeted Units
(hours of work) 40
hours

Budgeted Units /
time (hours/day)
8h/d

Original Duration
from 5 to 10

Changed to 10
(fixed)

10*8 = 80 (vary)

(fixed)

Units from 40 to 20

Changed to 20

(fixed)
(vary)

(fixed)

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

Page 3

Units/Time from 8 to
10

Type III :- Fixed

(fixed)

50
(vary)

Changed to 10
(fixed)

Units

if you want the activity units to be fixed even when duration or resource units per time changes. Total
amount of Work is fixed. Increasing resources decrease the activity duration. Used when Activity type is
R e s o u r c e D e p e n d e n t A c t i v i t i e s . Eg:- say You have taken a contract
to load and unload ships in your nearest harbor. You have n Boxes to be unloaded from the ship to the
port yard (Amount of work is fixed irrespective of the increase or decrease in resources or duration)

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

Page 4

Changes made

Original Duration
(in days) 10days

Budgeted Units
(hours of work) 40
hours

Budgeted Units /
time (hours/day)
8h/d

Original Duration
from 5 to 10

Changed to 10

40 fixed

4 (vary)

Units from 40 to 20

2.5 i.e 3 days

approx. (vary)

Units/Time from 8 to
10

4 (vary)

Changed to 20
fixed

40 fixed

Changed to 10

Fixed Units

Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time

Activity
Duration
Type

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

Page 5

Type IV :- Fixed Duration & Units

Activity duration to remain constant even when the units/time changes. Mostly used when time period
and the total amount of work are fixed. Used when Activity type is T a s k D e p e n d e n t
A c t i v i t i e s . Rate at which a resource can work on the activity can be changed.
Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time
Changes made

Original Duration
(in days) 10days

Budgeted Units
(hours of work) 40
hours

Original Duration
from 5 to 10

Changed to 10
fixed

40 fixed

Budgeted Units /
time (hours/day)
8h/d
4 (vary)

Original Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted Units/Time

Fixed Duration & Units

Activity
Duration
Type

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

Page 6

Units from 40 to 20

5 fixed

Units/Time from 8 to
10

5 fixed

Changed to 20
fixed

50 fixed
(Vary)

4 (vary)

Changed to 10

Note: milestones are activity with 0 duration. Duration types for milestones cannot be edited.

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

Page 7

Summary

Duration
Type

Given Original Duration 5days; Budgeted Units 40hours; Budgeted Units/

time 8hours/day. The following table summarizes as of what happens to the
variables in each of the activity duration types.

Fixed
Units /
Time
Fixed
Duration
& Units/
Time
Fixed
Units
Fixed
Duration
& Units

Original Duration
Changes from 5 to 10

Units changes from

40 to 20

Units / time
changes from 8 to
10

Budgeted
units

Budgeted
units/time

Original
Duration

Budgeted
units/time

Original
Duration

Budgeted
units

80h

8h/d

2.5d

8h/d

4d

40h

80h

8h/d

5d

4h/d

5d

50h

40h

4h/d

2.5d

8h/d

40

40h

4h/d

5d

4h/d

50

References:http://www.simplexgroup.com/duration-type-in-primavera-p6/
http://www.planningplanet.com/forums/primavera-version-pm5-pm6/415371/duration-types
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E35157_01/helpmain.htm?toc.htm?define_activity_duration_types.htm
http://primaverablog.in/2011/11/changing-duration-type-for-activities/
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E17266_01/p6help/help/en/helpmain.htm?toc.htm?6631.htm

P.Prasanth, Business Analyst Trainee, Cadd center software solutions, Chennai

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