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Demonstrating Multiple Phases in Multiple Colors on One Line in P6

Prepared by:Marie GunnersonGlobal Primavera ManagerParsons Brinckerhoff

Technique for summary in one project or summarizing multiple projects

Session ID#: 15438

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Presenter Information – Marie Gunnerson

■ Professional ▪ Manages Primavera software for Parsons Brinckerhoff▪ Provides internal training in Primavera P6 and for clients

■ Volunteer▪ OPSIG Co-chair▪ Project Management Institute (PMI)

— PMBOK® Guide

— Practice Standard for Scheduling

▪ Other— GAO Schedule Assessment Guide

■ Personal▪ Home is Boston, MA▪ Travel has its benefits

Company Information■ Global professional services firm supporting

clients across the lifecycle of infrastructure projects

■ Approx. 14,000 employees in 150 offices worldwide

■ Broad range of Services and Markets

▪ Strategic Consulting; Planning; Design; Program and Construction Management; Operations and Maintenance

▪ Transportation; Power & Energy; Buildings; Mining; Environmental; Water and Wastewater; Urban and Community Development

■ The Professional Services Division of the Balfour Beatty Group, an international infrastructure services organization

Communicating Project Schedule Information (with actual human beings)

Problem■ Bottom-up project schedule provides a good estimate■ But lots of detail

Need■ Simple, clear depiction of plan

Insight■ Compress activities into several phase segments per line■ Differentiate the multiple segments with color

Solution■ Multi-bar Gantt Chart

Multi-bar Gantt Concept

■ Represent a number of activity bars with a segmented bar:

Example Traditional project schedule GanttMulti-bar Gantt Chart

The Multi-bar Method

Using P6 PPM

What Do the Human Beings Want to See?

■ What is the purpose of the chart?

■ What key information is to be conveyed?

■ What level of summary is required?

■ What is the color scheme?

■ What other data is to be included in the layout?

Analyze Requirements Against Data

■ Review existing project schedule data

■ Identify the activities to be summarized

■ Determine the number of Multi-bar segments

■ Evaluate means of determining segment end points

■ Identify data to be added to create Multi-bar Gantt chart▪ Dates▪ Activity codes

Required Elements for Multi-bar Method

■ User defined bars for Multi-bar segments

■ Start and Finish dates to delineate Multi-bar segments

■ Technique to determine Start and Finish points

■ Configuration of segments

■ Layouts for Multi-bar views▪ Group & Sort▪ Filters▪ Columns

User Defined Bars

■ Created in Bars dialog box■ One bar for each Multi-Bar segment■ Defined by Start and Finish dates

▪ Start and Finish points of segments

▪ Duration for segments

Start Finish

Multi-bar Start and Finish point techniques■ Technique 1

▪ Differentiated user defined bar segments

▪ User Defined Fields to hold date information

■ Technique 2

▪ Collapsed bars to create segments

▪ LOE activities

▪ WBS summary activities

User Defined Fields Start and Finish PointsTechnique 1

Identify User Defined Fields Needed for Multi-bar

■ Number of fields depends on number of segments

▪ Define segments with start date or finish date data types

■ Segment duration fields

▪ Define segment duration with numeric data type

■ Use a “placeholder” user defined date field for activities with only one segment

Technique 1

Methods for Entering User Defined Fields Start and Finish Dates

■ Manual data entry

■ Import/Export via Excel

■ Global Change

Technique 1

Manual Data Entry in LayoutTechnique 1

Tips for Manual Data Entry of Multi-bar Start and Finish Dates

■ Add column for each User Defined Field required for Multi-bar

■ Table view will provide most space for data entry

■ Save version of layout with columns for data entry and update

■ Save a layout to display for Multi-bar without columns

Technique 1

Steps for Import/Export of Multi-Bar Start and Finish Dates■ Add some data into each field using manual data entry■ File/Export to Spreadsheet to create Excel import worksheet ■ Create Multi-bar template for export

▪ Selecting User Defined Fields to be included in template▪ Three key fields required by P6

■ Finish Export

■ Enter User Defined Fields data in Excel spreadsheet▪ Enter data, not formulas

■ Don’t change column headers in rows 1 and 2▪ Don’t add columns

■ Save edits■ File/Import Spreadsheet (XLS) with Multi-bar data into project

Technique 1

Import/Export User Defined Fields Technique 1

Global ChangeTechnique 1

Hints for Calculating User Defined Fields with Global Change

■ May be easier to create 2 Global Change specifications than 1

■ Equation: User Defined Field = result of expression

■ Define equation to calculate Multi-bar data points▪ User Defined Field Start and Finish dates▪ User Defined Field Segment Duration

■ All standard warnings about Global Change apply▪ You can cancel after viewing▪ Keep log - just in case

Technique 1

Examples of Global Change EquationsTechnique 1

■ Know total duration, use factor to calculate segment duration

Phase-II-OD = Original Duration x .5Phase-III-OD = Original Duration x .33

■ Know segment durations, calculate total duration through addition

Original Duration = Phase-I-OD + Phase-II-ODOriginal Duration = Original Duration + Phase-III-OD

■ With duration, calculate start and finish datesPhase-II-Start = Phase-I-End + 1Phase-II-End = Phase-II-Start + Phase-II-OD

Start and Finish Dates with Technique 2

■ Add an activity per phase to serve as the Multi-bar summary activity that reflects duration of the phase▪ LOE activities▪ WBS summary activities

■ Add activity codes as required

■ Add relationships for LOE activities

■ Schedule the project to calculate dates for Multi-bar summary activities

LOE Activities Added and Scheduled

■ This is the first bullet of text■ This is the second bullet of text at the same level

▪ This is a sub-bullet of text— This is a secondary sub-bullet of text (and should be as far sub-

bullets indent)– This tertiary sub-bullet will be seldom used, but available

▪ This is another sub-bullet of text■ And this is the third bullet of text

Technique 2

Define Collapsed Bar Segments

■ Add user defined bars for each phase

■ Add filter for each bar for Multi-bar summary activities

■ In Bar settings check “Show bar when collapsed”

Technique 2

Configuration of Multi-bar Segments

Tips for Configuring Multi-bar in Gantt Chart

■ One bar per segment is needed▪ Order matters▪ Name included in legend

■ Carefully select:▪ Time scale – “User Dates”▪ User Start Dates▪ User Finish Dates▪ Filter for each phase for Technique 2

■ Bar style for shape and color■ Bar labels may be placed on segments■ May need underlying bar for relationship lines if Multi-bar user

define start and finish dates don’t coincide with calculated dates

■ Create Filter to select Multi-bar activities to collapse to■ May require more than one filter

Filter to Multi-bar summary activities

Creating the Multi-bar Layout

■ Technique for calculating Multi-bar dates affects layout▪ Technique 1 using activities may be grouped or not▪ Technique 2 using collapsed activities requires grouping

■ Determine columns to be included in data table■ For Group & Sort determine what data to group on

▪ Activity Codes▪ WBS▪ Level

■ Usual decisions for sort, display options, and color schemes■ Select filter to limit view to Multi-bar bar summary activities■ SAVE THE LAYOUT!

Give the Multi-bar View to the Human Beings

Or this Multi-Bar View with Technique 2

Using the Multi-bar Methodto Summarize Projects

This is a subtitle or bulleted list

Applying Multi-bar Method at Project Level

■ Works best where projects have common elements■ Use Multi-bar techniques to create Multi-bar activities in each

project▪ Designate activities to represent “phases” for each project

■ Use Activities rather than Projects window■ Open all projects you want in Multi-bar Gantt chart■ Filter activities to the Multi-bar activities in each project■ Open Multi-bar layout you have saved■ Modify and save layout for project level view■ If use Technique 2 group by project to get project Multi-bar

Summary of Projects with Multi-bar View

Sample data for demonstration only. Not to be construed as actual project data or to be used for project planning.

Multi-bar Method Demonstration

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Features That Would Enhance Multi-bar

■ Calculated user defined fields at activity level

■ User defined fields values calculated from other activities

■ Enhanced bar formatting

▪ Bar thickness

▪ Bar label placement for User Dates

■ Allow same bar formatting at project level as activity level

Thank you for attending- at the end of the day!

■ Marie Gunnerson

■ gunnerson@pbworld.com

■ +1-617-960-4884

■ Co-chair OPSIG▪ www.primaverasig.com

■ LinkedIn

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