Primavera P6 Training -The last session in December 2008

Special discount for those who ae interested to attend the Primavera P6 training from 29-31/Dec/08 and 01/Jan/09 (4 days). The course fee is only $ 1,800/participant (original fee=$2,000/participant). Please click on the folowing hyperlink to view the course outline.
You may contact Kent : 012-2538283 or email to kent@icpsprojects.com for more information.

2009 JANUARY TRAINING SCHEDULES

The Primavera P6 & Microsoft Projec 2007 Training Schedules are published. Please login to www.icpsprojects.com to view the course outlines. Special arrangement can be made for those (at least 2) who are interested to attend the Primavera P3-ver 3.1 course.

Primavera P6 Training Schedule

The P6 training will be scheduled to start on 14-17 of December. Hurry up to register. Call Kent: 012-2538283, or email to kent@icpsprojects.com

Please logon to: www.icpsprojects.com for more courses.

TRAINING SCHEDULE IN DECEMBER

Please be informed that the training schedule for MS Project 2007 and Primavera 6 in December has been published. Those who are interested to register the course(s) are welcome to call Kent: 012-253 8283 or email to kent@icpsprojects.com. Thanks.

New Course - Delay Claim Analysis Using primavera P6

This new course is designed specifically for Primavera P6 users who have already completed the Primavera P6 training. If you are interested to know more about this course, please logon www.icpsprojects.com/delayclaim.html for more information.

Why Should We Update the Project Schedule?

Project owner X told me yesterday: Why should we update the schedule since we are on schedule?
Project manager Y said: We have not made any progress this period, why should we update the project schedule?

There has never been a valid reason for not updating the schedule. Because the time has elapsed, doing nothing is doing something. The only way to determine the current progress status is to update the schedule. Remember that unless actual progress occurs exactly as planned, the critical path will change as actual progress is recorded over the life of the project.

Accordingly, even if no progress was made in the current period, the schedule still needs to be calculated based on a current cut-off date. If indeed no progress has been made, all activities on the critical path based on the last update will have slipped by amount of time since the last update and activities formerly not on the critical path may now be critical.

The reporting, or update, period is typically established at the beginning of the project and, once it is agreed upon, the project schedule should be updated at this interval regardless of progress made. Also established at the beginning is the updating process: Who is or are responsible for recording the actual progress on site? Is there any standard format or system for recording progress? Who is responsible for updating the schedule (project manager or project engineer? planner?) and which of the major stakeholders (owners? sponsors?) are to review and agree on the recorded progress and the actual dates?

Once the progress data is agreed upon, update the schedule and examine the current progress status and, if cost-loaded, the earned value. Compare the current progress status versus the targeted (as-planned) schedule to check whether the project is either on track or slip and the earned value is performed as planned

If created and maintained properly, the schedule will be an accurate reflection of real world conditions and a useful tool for planning and monitoring the balance of the project. Do not make the mistake of assuming that the construction schedule is a static document; it must be periodically updated to be useful. Remember to record activity percent complete, start and finish dates and change the data (status) date prior to re-calculating the schedule.

Please post your comments or email to kent@icpsprojects.com for further discussion.

Hands-on Training in November Schedules

Table above for the training in Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project 2007.
You may log on to www.icpsprojects.com for more information about the courses.

Kent Chan 012-253 8283,
kent@icpsprojects.com
www.icpsprojects.com

Primavera P6 Training Schedule

The training is scheduled to start on 20-23 of October. The whole course takes 4 days from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Please login to www.icpsprojects.com to see more information about the course. The course modules cover 4 levels:

Level 1 : Planning without respources
Level 2 : Tracking progress without resources
Level 3 : Scheduling with resources, roles and budgets
Level 4 : Monitoring and controlling a resourced schedule

Drop a few lines to kent@icpsprojects.com for further information and advice.

Primavera P6 Training starts from here....

New and experienced users:
Get a better undestanding and practical training in Primavera P6. The whole course takes 4 days from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Please login to www.icpsprojects.com to see more information about the course. The course module covers 4 levels:

Level 1 : Planning without respources
Level 2 : Tracking progress without resources
Level 3 : Scheduling with resources, roles and budgets
Level 4 : Monitoring and controlling a resourced schedule

Drop a few lines to kent@icpsprojects.com for further information and advice.

P6 file imported to Project 2007

Question by Ong:
Does P6 keep all the format (eg. level (this is most important), linkage, resources, cost etc) when export to Ms Project format?

Answer:
Yes, all the formats you mentioned will be exported to Project 2007, but you need to do some modification in the Advanced tab from the Task Information dialog box for some tasks; examples like deadline, constraints fields and/or constraint type...

Change the Project Start date in P6

1. Select the project you want to change the project start date in the
Project Workspace.
2. Select View, Show on Bottom, Project Details…
3. Click on the Dates tab: change the dates both in the
Planned Start and Data Date fields.

4. Open this project by right-clicking it in the Project workspace
and then select Open Project

5. Press F9 and check the date in the Current Data
Date field; make sure that the data date is the one just you have
changed.

6. Click on the Schedule button.

Quickly enter the same text in multiple table rows

In some table format display columns, you can use the Fill Down feature to quickly enter the same text in successive rows.
• To copy text from one row to successive rows within a column, select the row containing the text you want to copy and the rows you want to copy the text to, and then choose Edit, Fill Down.
• See example:

Export Primavera P6 project to Microsoft Project file

1. Open the projects you want to export.
2. Choose File, Export.
3. Choose Microsoft Project and select the type of file to which you want to
export.
4. Choose Project.
5. Mark the Export checkbox for all projects you want to export. Double click
in the Export File Name field if you want to change the name and location of
the Microsoft Project file.
6. Add a new template or modify the existing template (if necessary). The
template contains options for exchanging data with Microsoft Project.
7. Click Next to review the settings for your export.
8. Click Finish.

If your project is very far behind time, try one of this method..

Shortening the critical path

The critical path is a series of activities that determines a project's completion time. The duration of the activities on the critical path controls the duration of the entire project; a delay to any of these activities will delay the finish date of the entire project. Critical activities are defined by either the total float or the longest path in the project network.

To shorten the duration of a project, focus on the critical path. Filter the critical activities and make any of the following adjustments:
• Enter shorter original and remaining durations (work faster).
• If resources are assigned to an activity, reduce the durations of those resources or increase the number of units assigned to reduce the duration of the activity itself (use more people or equipment).
• Change the appropriate calendar, changing some nonworkdays to workdays (more worktime).
• Use start to start relationships to overlap activities (work on more activities at once).
• Divide long activities into several shorter-duration activities, so that portions of the activity can be overlapped (work on several portions of an activity simultaneously).
Activities can appear critical without being on the critical path, if they are part of an open-ended chain. To make these activities appear noncritical, so that you can focus on the critical path, choose Tools, Schedule. On the General tab, clear the Make Open-Ended Activities Critical checkbox.

Using the Data Date in Primavera P3 and P6

For all P3 and P6 users:

The data date is the last date you recorded progress in the form of actual dates, percent of work completed, revised remaining duration, or actual quantities or costs.

Activities are scheduled from the project data date, using the project start date as the initial data date.

Be sure to change the data date and reschedule a project each time you record progress for activities. For example, suppose you update the schedule every Tuesday and the current data date is Tuesday, November 4. When one week elapses and it is November 11, update progress through the end of the day November 10, then advance the data date to November 11. The schedule revises based on the actual dates, delays, and other changes you recorded during the past week.

Always assume that the data date starts the workperiod; the data date can be the beginning of the hour, day, week, or month. Work accomplished on the data date is not included because it is the beginning of the period.

During the project, the data date moves forward toward the project completion date. The actual dates can serve as historical data for planning another project.

If you have problem understand what I explained, please call Kent 012-2538283 or email to Kent: kent@icpsprojects.com for discussion.

Primavera training in P3 and P6

If you are not sure whether to choose P3 or P6 for your project planning, then consult Kent Chan for advice. You can access the training courses in www.icpsprojects.com.

Kent

Primavera P6 Simplified

For newcomers and experienced users:
Get a better undestanding and practical training in Primavera P6. The whole course takes 4 days from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Please login to www.icpsprojects.com to see more information about the course. The course modules covers 4 levels:

Level 1 : Planning without respources
Level 2 : Tracking progress without resources
Level 3 : Scheduling with resources, roles and budgets
Level 4 : Monitoring and controlling a resourced schedule

Drop a few lines to kent@icpsprojects.com for further information and advice.

Primavera or MS Project

Which software do you choose to use in your project planning? Primavera or MS Project?
Do you understand what is called total float? Do you face any problem when your project is ahead of time, yet you are not able to see the positive value in the Total Slack column in MS Project? You are welcome to provide tips how to solve this problem if you know. Primavera does not have this problem to show the positive value in the Total Float column it seems. (note: Total slack in MS Project = Total Float in Primavera).
Feel free drop me a few lines if you like to contact me personally at the following: kent@icpsprojects.com