schedule management user guide - oracle help center the new project will inherit the project code...

SScchheedduullee MMaannaaggeemmeenntt UUsseerr GGuuiiddeeVVeerrssiioonn 1188

AApprriill 22001188

3

Contents

About This Guide ............................................................................................................................... 7

Schedule Overview ........................................................................................................................... 7

Create a Project for Schedule Management .................................................................................... 7

Project Templates Overview .................................................................................................................. 8

Add a Project Template ................................................................................................................ 8

Add a Project ........................................................................................................................................... 9

Add a Project Proposal ......................................................................................................................... 10

Assign a User or a Group Access to a Project ..................................................................................... 11

Assign a Project Calendar .................................................................................................................... 12

Set the Default Calendar ..................................................................................................................... 12

Assign a Code to a Project ................................................................................................................... 13

Add an Image to a Project .................................................................................................................... 13

Assign a Location to a Project ............................................................................................................. 14

Assign a Manager to a Project ............................................................................................................. 14

Add a File to a Project .......................................................................................................................... 15

Modify a Project Currency .................................................................................................................... 15

Set the Data Date for a Project ........................................................................................................... 16

Configure Schedule Settings for a Project .......................................................................................... 17

Configure Default Activity Settings for a Workspace .......................................................................... 17

View the Construction Value ................................................................................................................ 19

Configure Activity Defaults for a Project.............................................................................................. 19

Configure Default Activity Calculation Settings for a Workspace ...................................................... 21

Configure Calculation Settings for a Project ....................................................................................... 22

Set the Default My Activities Settings ................................................................................................. 23

Configure My Activities Settings for a Project ..................................................................................... 24

Configure the Auto Numbering Defaults for a Project ........................................................................ 25

Add Integration Parameters to a Project ............................................................................................. 26

Run a Synchronization Job ................................................................................................................... 26

Configure the Projects Inventory Panel ............................................................................................... 27

Change the Status of a Project ............................................................................................................ 27

Delete a Project .................................................................................................................................... 28

Project Collections Overview ........................................................................................................... 29

Create a Project Collection .................................................................................................................. 29

Add a Project Collection ....................................................................................................................... 29

Add a Project to a Project Collection ................................................................................................... 29

Open a Project Collection ..................................................................................................................... 30

Schedule Management User Guide

4

Project Import/Export Overview ...................................................................................................... 30

Import P6 Data into Prime Projects ..................................................................................................... 32

Export Prime Projects Data to P6 XML ................................................................................................ 33

WBS Overview ................................................................................................................................. 33

Create a WBS ........................................................................................................................................ 34

Add a WBS ............................................................................................................................................ 34

Add a WBS from a Template or Other Project .................................................................................... 35

Assign a Manager to a WBS ................................................................................................................. 35

Add a File in a Files Detail Window ..................................................................................................... 36

Activities Overview .......................................................................................................................... 36

Create an Activity .................................................................................................................................. 37

Add an Activity ............................................................................................................................ 37

Create an Activity by Import ....................................................................................................... 38

Create an Import Template for Importing Activities ......................................................... 38

Import Activities from Microsoft Excel ............................................................................... 38

Assign an Owner to an Activity................................................................................................... 39

Assign an Activity to a WBS ....................................................................................................... 39

Assign an Activity Type to an Activity ......................................................................................... 40

Assign a Duration Type to an Activity ........................................................................................ 40

Assign a Percent Complete Type to Activity .............................................................................. 41

Enter Activity Status Information ............................................................................................... 41

Enter Activity Duration Information ........................................................................................... 42

Enter the Activity Unit Information ............................................................................................ 42

Add a Constraint to an Activity .................................................................................................. 43

Assign a Role to an Activity ........................................................................................................ 44

Staff a Role Assignment ............................................................................................................ 45

Assign a Resource to an Activity ................................................................................................ 45

Assign a Curve to a Resource or a Role Assignment ............................................................... 46

Working with Activity Files .......................................................................................................... 47Add a File in a Files Detail Window ................................................................................... 47

Link a File to an Object ...................................................................................................... 47

Preview a File ...................................................................................................................... 47

Check Out a File ................................................................................................................. 48

Check In a File .................................................................................................................... 48

Add a Relationship to an Activity ............................................................................................... 48

Assign a Risk to an Activity ........................................................................................................ 49

Add a Task to an Activity ............................................................................................................ 50

Associating Activities with Scope Assignments and Work Packages for Scope Management Overview...................................................................................................................................... 50

Link a Work Package to an Activity .................................................................................... 51

Link a Scope Assignment to an Activity ............................................................................. 52

Assign a Code to an Activity ....................................................................................................... 52

View Relationships Using Trace Logic ....................................................................................... 53

Contents

5

Apply Activity Uncertainty ........................................................................................................... 54

Activities Field Definitions .......................................................................................................... 55

Cut or Copy and Paste an Activity ........................................................................................................ 61

Add a Discussion to an Activity ............................................................................................................ 61

Print the Activities Page Layout to a PDF ............................................................................................ 62

Views Overview ............................................................................................................................... 63

Create a View on the Activities Page ................................................................................................... 63

Add an Activity View ................................................................................................................... 64

Configure an Activity Column ..................................................................................................... 64

Configure an Activity Filter ......................................................................................................... 65

Configure Activity Grouping........................................................................................................ 66

Configure Activity Sorting ........................................................................................................... 66

Configure Activity Gantt Bars ..................................................................................................... 67

Configure Activity Gantt Settings ............................................................................................... 68

Configure Activity Network Settings .......................................................................................... 69

Apply a View .......................................................................................................................................... 69

Apply a Filter to the Current View ........................................................................................................ 69

View the Activities Gantt Chart ............................................................................................................ 70

Modify Activity Details in the Gantt Chart ........................................................................................... 71

View the Progress Spotlight ................................................................................................................. 71

View the Activity Network ..................................................................................................................... 72

Scheduling Overview ....................................................................................................................... 73

Schedule a Project ............................................................................................................................... 73

View the Scheduling Log ............................................................................................................ 75

Baselines & Snapshots Overview ................................................................................................... 76

Set a Project Baseline .......................................................................................................................... 77

Add a Project Snapshot ........................................................................................................................ 77

Reset a Project Baseline ...................................................................................................................... 78

Leveling Overview ........................................................................................................................... 78

Configure the Leveling Priority ............................................................................................................. 78

Level a Resource or Role ..................................................................................................................... 79

View the Leveling Log ................................................................................................................. 80

Schedule Scenarios Overview......................................................................................................... 80

Add a Scenario...................................................................................................................................... 80

Manage a Scenario .............................................................................................................................. 81

Set a Scenario as the Current Schedule ............................................................................................. 81

Monitor Background Services ......................................................................................................... 82

Updating Activity Progress Overview ............................................................................................... 82

Alerts and Thresholds Overview...................................................................................................... 83

Create an Alert ...................................................................................................................................... 83


6

Add an Alert .......................................................................................................................................... 84

Add a Threshold to an Alert ................................................................................................................. 84

Set an Alert Delivery Option ................................................................................................................. 85

Creating Alerts: Example ...................................................................................................................... 85

Legal Notices .................................................................................................................................. 87

7

About This Guide

This guide explains how to use the Schedule app in Oracle Prime Projects to develop and manage a project schedule.

Project managers and project schedulers should read this guide.

Schedule Overview

Oracle Prime Projects combines established schedule management principles with a set of collaboration tools to provide a comprehensive solution to organize and manage a schedule of activities required to complete a project. Using the Schedule app, you can define a list of activities, specify relationships and constraints, and assign required resources. You can then use the data to logically sequence the activities into a project schedule using the Critical Path Method. Activity statusing capabilities enable project team members to communicate the status of project activities to the project team.

Key Features

Create a list of activities that must be performed to complete your project objectives.

Set relationships and constraints for enhanced activity scheduling.

Schedule projects or project collections using the Critical Path Method to establish activity dates and identify the activities critical to the success of the project.

Create views to configure table and Gantt chart display options for the Activities page.

Assign users to activities and communicate the status and progression of activity work.

Level projects by role or resource to eliminate overallocations.

Create what-if schedule scenarios to anticipate and evaluate alternative scheduling solutions.

Create a Project for Schedule Management

To create a project for schedule management:

1) Add a Project (on page 9)

2) Assign a User or a Group Access to a Project (on page 11)

3) Assign a Project Calendar (on page 12)

4) Assign a Code to a Project (on page 13)

5) Assign a Manager to a Project (on page 14)

6) Set the Data Date for a Project (on page 16)

7) Configure Schedule Settings for a Project (on page 17)

8) View the Construction Value (on page 19)

9) Configure Activity Defaults for a Project (on page 19)


8

10) Configure Calculation Settings for a Project (on page 22)

11) Set the Default My Activities Settings (on page 23)

12) Configure My Activities Settings for a Project (on page 24)

13) Configure the Auto Numbering Defaults for a Project (on page 25)

14) Change the Status of a Project (on page 27)

Project Templates Overview

Project templates are reusable models of projects you can store and use later to save time and standardize your operations.

A template includes all the details, best practices, and de facto standards your organization associates with projects of a particular type. Use project templates to create a library of predefined project structures that can later be used as starting points for new projects.

For example, say your organization is responsible for managing the construction of store Smith Wholesale in multiple states. The WBSs and resources are essentially the same. A template in this situation enables you to quickly create the project and add any unique requirements for the projects in the different states.

A project template can be created from scratch or can be created using an existing project or template. When a template is created from an existing project, all the actual values, including dates, units, and durations, and location fields are cleared. If the data in the project being copied is not included in the parent workspace where the project template exists, the data is promoted to the parent workspace. This data includes resources, roles, configured fields, dashboards, units of measure, calendars, and curves.

The following data is not copied into project templates from existing projects:

Scope data, including the PBS, scope items, and work packages.

Relationships between projects.

Risk matrixes and thresholds stored at the workspace level. Project-level matrixes and thresholds are copied.

Add a Project Template

Project templates are created when the organization manages similar, repeatable projects. A project template can be created from scratch or can be created using an existing project or template.

The following data is not copied into project templates from existing projects:




To add a project template:

1) In the object selector, select Projects, and then select View All Projects.

2) In the Projects inventory panel, select the group where you want to store the project.


9

Note: The group may be the workspace name or another grouping name if a Group By option is selected for the table. If the table is organized by a group other than workspace, then the new project will inherit the attribute for that group. For example, if the table is grouped by a project code, the new project will inherit the project code for that group.

3) Select the Add Project menu, and select Template.

4) In the Create New Project Template dialog box, complete the following fields:

Template Name: Enter the name of the project template.

Template ID: Enter a unique identifier for the project template. The ID defaults to the project template name.

Workspace: Select which workspace the project template should be added to.

(Optional) Copy From Another Project: Select an existing project or template, if appropriate.

(Optional) Project Currency: Select a new currency if the default is not applicable to the project template.

Exchange Rate: If a different currency is selected, enter the exchange rate.

5) Select Add.

6) In the inventory panel, select Close.

Add a Project

A project can be created from scratch or can be copied using an existing project or template.

The following data is not copied from existing projects or templates:




To add a project:

1) In the object selector, select Projects, and then select Add Project.

2) In the Add Project dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name: Enter the name of the project.

ID: Enter a unique identifier for the project. The ID defaults to the project name. Project IDs are unique per workspace.

Workspace: Select which workspace the project should be added to.

(Optional) Copy from Another Project: Select an existing project or template.

(Optional) Project Currency: Select a new currency if the default is not applicable to the project.


3) Select Add.



10

You can also initiate this task directly from the Projects inventory panel.


2) In the table, select the group where you want to store the project.

Note: The group may be the workspace name or another grouping name if a Group By option is selected for the table. If the table is organized by a group other than workspace, then the new project will inherit the attribute for that group. For example, if the table is grouped by a project code, the new project will inherit the project code for that group.

3) Select the Add Project menu, and then select Project.

Tips

The project is set to Active by default.

You can create a project collection directly from the Projects inventory panel to easily manage a subset of projects that are important to you or a group. Select multiple projects, select the Context menu, and select Create Project Collection.

Add a Project Proposal

Add project proposals when new projects are required to go through a formal workflow process to move from the proposal stage to become approved projects in the planning stage.

Note: A workflow must be available to add project proposals. The workflow process will determine if the projects will be approved and put in a planning state or rejected.


2) In the table, select the group where you want to store the project.

Note: The group may be the workspace name, or another grouping name if a Group By option is selected for the table. If the table is organized by a group other than workspace, then the new project will inherit the attribute for that group. For example, if the table is grouped by Location, then the new project will inherit the location for that group.

3) Select the Add Project menu, and select Proposal.

4) In the Add Project Proposal dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name: Enter the name of the project.

ID: Enter a unique identifier for the project. The ID defaults to the project name.

Workspace: Select which workspace the project should be added to.

(Optional) Copy From Another Project: Select an existing project or template.

(Optional) Project Currency: Select a new currency if the default is not applicable to the project.



11

Workflow: Select the workflow to use for the project proposal review and approval process.

5) Select Add.


Assign a User or a Group Access to a Project

Users can be assigned to projects individually or through user groups. Each user or user group must be assigned a project permission set. A user group may have been configured with a default permission set. This permission set can be changed for the project assignment at any time.

To assign user access to a project:

1) In the object selector, select a project.

2) In the sidebar, select Summary & Settings.

3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Security.

4) Select the Assign menu, and then select User or Group.

5) In the Assign User or Assign Group dialog box, enter the user or group name.

6) Select the name, and select Next.

7) In the Permission Set column, select a permission set for each permission type.

Note: If you assigned a user group that is configured with a default permission set, you can keep the default or select another if necessary.

8) Add any other optional permission sets applicable to that user or group.

9) Select Assign.

10) Select Save.

11) In the Summary & Settings panel, select Close.

You can also do this in the Projects inventory panel.


2) In the table, select a project, and then select the Security detail window.

Tips

If you added the project in the application, you are automatically assigned access to the project with the Administrator permission set assigned.

The Search feature searches the entire list of users for matches. During that initial search, it will stop after finding 500 results, then filter out those who have already been assigned. For this reason, your maximum number of search results might vary. To limit the number of results, be as specific as possible when entering a name in the search field. For example, enter the first and last name of the user.


12

Assign a Project Calendar

Each project must have a calendar assigned. The default calendar in the workspace will automatically be assigned as the project calendar. The calendar can be changed to suit the needs of the project.

To assign a project calendar:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Details.

4) In the Details section, in the Calendar field, select a calendar.

5) Select Save.


Set the Default Calendar

The default calendar is set at the workspace level and is available to projects, resources, and roles within that workspace. One calendar must always be defined as the default.

Note: The application has a built-in default calendar. The settings in this calendar cannot be changed. After another calendar has been assigned as the default, this calendar can be deleted.

To set the default calendar:

1) In the object selector, select a workspace.


3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Dictionaries, and then select Calendars.

4) In the list of calendars, select the Default option for the calendar.

5) Select Save.


Tips

If the calendar you selected was only available to Project or Resource/Role, then both options are automatically selected when you select a new default calendar.

This setting is used in the following apps:

Contracts and Commitments

Cost and Funds

Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

Tasks


13

Assign a Code to a Project

Assign codes to projects to help track projects based on attributes they share. When managing a large number of projects, project codes enable you to filter and group information across the organization.

To assign a code to a project:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Codes.

4) Select Assign.

5) In the Select Code Value dialog box, expand the code, and select the code value.

6) Select OK.

7) Select Save.




2) In the table, select a project, and then select the Codes detail window.

Add an Image to a Project

A project image is shown in some areas of the application, such as news feeds. You can upload your own image or choose from existing images.

To add an image to a project:




4) Select Select Image.

5) In the Select Image for Project dialog box, choose one of the following:

Under the Upload New Image section, in the Image field, select Browse, and then select an image.

Under the Choose from Existing section, select Gallery or Uploaded, and then select an existing image.

6) Select Select.

7) Select Save.


You can also perform this task within a project news feed:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select News Feed.


14

4) On the News Feed page, select Upload Image.

Tips

To restore the default project image, select Reset to Default in the Select Image for Project dialog box.

Assign a Location to a Project

Assign locations to projects so you can later produce reports based on geographical location and filter views by location. Locations are also used in the spatial search feature and required to configure companies.

To assign a location to a project:


2) In the table, select the project row.

3) Select the Location detail window.

4) Choose an existing location, or enter a new location.

5) To choose an existing location:

a. In the Name field, select Select.

b. In the Select Location dialog box, choose a location, and select OK.

6) To add a new location:

a. In the Name field, enter a name for the new location.

b. Enter the address, and select Locate. Alternatively, you can enter the Latitude and Longitude and select Locate.

Notes:

Input longitude and latitude in the format that is appropriate for your geolocation service. Enter longitude and latitude in decimal degrees or directional designators.

Select a country when locating using longitude and latitude to improve results.

c. To save this address at the workspace level, select Save location for future use.

7) (Optional) In the Description field, enter a description of the location.

8) Select Save.


Assign a Manager to a Project

Assign managers to projects to identify the project manager or person responsible for managing the project.

The person who created the project is automatically assigned as the manager.

To assign a manager to a project:


15




4) In the Details section, in the Manager field, select a manager.

5) Select Save.




2) In the table, select a project, and then add a manger in the Manager field.



Cost and Funds

Field

Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

Strategic Alignment

Tasks

Add a File to a Project

Add relevant files, such as costing spreadsheets, contracts, specifications, and audio and video files, to your projects to support project data.

To add a file to a project:


2) In the sidebar, select Documents.

3) In the page selector, select Files.

4) In the table, select a folder, and then select Add File.

5) In the Upload File dialog box, select a file, and then select OK.

Modify a Project Currency

Projects inherit the base currency by default, but you can set a custom project currency. A project can be viewed in the project currency or the base currency. A workspace currency must have an exchange rate defined to appear in the list of currencies available to the project.

To modify a project currency:




16


4) In the Currency section, in the Project Currency field, select the project currency.

5) Select Save.


The Exchange Rate field is automatically populated with the exchange rate defined at the workspace level.

Note: The project currency cannot be changed if costs exist for a project.



Cost and Funds

Portfolio Analysis

Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

Strategic Alignment

Tasks

Set the Data Date for a Project

The data date is the progress point, or "as-of date," for activities in the project. Project status is up-to-date as of the data date.

The data date is also used for updating the dates of scope assignments and work packages when they are not linked to activities.

Note: Dates will not change after the Data Date is updated for activities or scope assignments unless you run the Scheduler or Modify Dates feature, respectively.

To set the project data date:




4) In the Details section, in the Data Date field, select the date.

5) Select Save.




Cost and Funds


17

Dashboards

Documents

Reports

Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

Tasks

Configure Schedule Settings for a Project

Configure project schedule settings to set planned project start and finish dates, as well as a date by which the project must finish. These dates are also used to drive the project scheduler during the scheduling process.

To configure schedule settings for your project:




4) In the Schedule section, in the Project Planned Start field, select the start date.

5) In the Project Planned Finish field, select a planned finish date.

6) In the Schedule Must Finish By Date field, select the date the project must finish by.

7) Select Save.



Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

Tasks

Configure Default Activity Settings for a Workspace

You can configure default system behavior for activities in a workspace.

To configure default activity settings for a workspace:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Defaults & Options, and then select Activity.

4) In the New Activities section, configure default behavior for new activities:

Duration Type: Determines how remaining duration, units, and units/time are calculated when you update an activity that has resources assigned.


18

Fixed Units/Time: The resource units per time are constant when the activity duration or units are changed. Use this duration type when an activity has fixed resources with fixed productivity output per time period.

Fixed Units: The activity units are constant when the duration or resource units per time are changed. Use this duration type when the total amount of work is fixed, and increasing the resources can decrease the activity duration.

Fixed Duration & Units: The duration and units remain constant as the units/time is changed. Use this duration type when the activity must be completed within a fixed time period and the total amount of work is fixed.

Fixed Duration & Units/Time: The activity duration is constant as the units or resource units per time are changed. Use this duration type when the activity must be completed within a fixed time period regardless of the resources assigned.

Percent Complete Type: Determines the way in which the application calculates the percent complete for the activity. The type can be Physical, Duration, Units, or Scope.

Physical: The user will enter the percent complete for the activity.

Duration: The percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining duration.

Units: The percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining units.

Scope: The percent complete for the activity is derived from the scope percent complete of the linked scope assignment.

Activity Type: Determines how duration and schedule dates are calculated for the activity.

Activity Dependent: This type of activity indicates that assigned resources should be scheduled based on the activity's calendar, rather than the calendars of the resources.

Resource Dependent: This type of activity indicates that resources should be scheduled based on their assigned calendars. Use this type when the activity duration may be affected by resource availability.

Level of Effort: This type of activity indicates that it is ongoing with a duration determined by its dependent activities. The duration is calculated based on the schedule dates of its predecessors and successors. Administrative activities are typically designated as Level of Effort.

Start Milestone: This type of activity indicates the beginning of an important project phase. Activities of this type have a duration of zero (0) with no resource assignments.

Finish Milestone: This type of activity indicates the end of an important project phase. Activities of this type have a duration of zero (0) with no resource assignments.

Default duration for new activities: Enter the default time duration, in hours, for new activities.

5) In the New Assignments section, configure default behavior for new activity assignments:

Drive activity dates by default: Determines whether new resource or role assignments drive activity dates by default.


19

Resource can be assigned to same activity more than once: Determines whether activities can be assigned to the same resource multiple times.

When adding or removing multiple resource assignments on activities: Select an option to determine application behavior when activity resource assignments are adjusted:

Preserve the Units, Duration and Units/Time for existing assignments: Select this option for units, durations, and units/time to remain constant when additional resources are assigned to any activity.

Recalculate the Units, Duration and Units/Time for existing assignments based on the activity Duration Type: Select this option to calculate a resource assignment’s remaining values based on the activity’s duration type.

6) Select Save.



Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

View the Construction Value

You can review construction values to projects to help track the total cost of a project over the construction period. Construction values can include the cost of materials, subcontractor totals, overhead costs, general conditions, and taxes.

To view a construction value to a project:




4) In the Details section, in the Construction Value field, review the total cost for the project.



Field

Configure Activity Defaults for a Project

You can configure default system behavior for new activities and resource assignments for your project.


20

Note: Although you can configure default values for activity type, duration type, and percent complete type, you can also manually adjust these values for individual activities.

To configure default settings for new activities and resource assignments:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Settings.

4) Select the Activity Defaults tab.

5) In the New Activities section, configure default behavior for new activities:

Duration Type: Determines how remaining duration, units, and units/time are calculated when you update an activity that has resources assigned.





Percent Complete Type: Determines the way in which the application calculates the percent complete for the activity. The type can be Physical, Duration, Units, or Scope.

Physical: The user will enter the percent complete for the activity.

Duration: The percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining duration.

Units: The percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining units.


Activity Type: Determines how duration and schedule dates are calculated for the activity.





21

Start Milestone: This type of activity indicates the beginning of an important project phase. Activities of this type have a duration of zero (0) with no resource assignments.

Finish Milestone: This type of activity indicates the end of an important project phase. Activities of this type have a duration of zero (0) with no resource assignments.

Default duration for new activities: Enter the default time duration, in hours, for new activities.

6) In the New Assignments section, configure default behavior for new activity assignments:

Drive activity dates by default: Determines whether new resource or role assignments drive activity dates by default.

Resource can be assigned to same activity more than once: Determines whether activities can be assigned to the same resource multiple times.

When adding or removing multiple resource assignments on activities: Select an option to determine application behavior when activity resource assignments are adjusted:

Preserve the Units, Duration and Units/Time for existing assignments: Select this option for units, durations, and units/time to remain constant when additional resources are assigned to any activity.

Recalculate the Units, Duration and Units/Time for existing assignments based on the activity Duration Type: Select this option to calculate a resource assignment’s remaining values based on the activity’s duration type.

7) Select Save.



Schedule

Configure Default Activity Calculation Settings for a Workspace

You can configure default activity calculation settings for workspaces to specify how the application computes values for activities within that workspace.

To configure default activity calculation settings for workspaces:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Defaults & Options, and then select Activity.

4) In the Calculations section, under Activities, configure calculation settings for project activities:

When changing an activity to not started: Determines how units and duration are handled if activity progress is removed.

Reset planned duration and units to remaining: Select this option to reset planned unit spreads to match the remaining units.


22

Reset remaining duration and units to planned: Select this option to reset remaining unit spreads to match the planned units.

Link planned and remaining/at completion for not started activities: Determines whether to recalculate all of the planned unit and cost values using the remaining costs and units for activities that have not started.

Define critical activities as: Select a method to identify critical activities:

Total Float less than or equal to: Select this option to identify critical activities based on the lack of flexibility in their scheduled dates. Enter a minimum float duration. When the project is scheduled, activities with total float values less than or equal to this value are marked critical.

Longest Path: Select this option to define critical activities based on the sequence of driving activities that determine the project end date.

5) In the Units section, configure calculation settings for units:

When updating units: Determines how the application handles changes to units.

Add actual to remaining: Select this option to calculate a new at completion value when the remaining units or actual units change.

Subtract actual from at completion: Select this option to calculate a new remaining units value when the at completion or actual units change.

Recalculate actual units when Duration % Complete changes: Select this option to recalculate actual units when the duration percent complete is updated.

6) In the Scope Items section, select a default method for calculating scope completion percentages. Scope completion percentage can be calculated using cost, quantity, hours, or manually entered values.

7) Select Save.



Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

Configure Calculation Settings for a Project

Configure project calculation settings to define how the application computes values concerning activities and units at the project level.

To configure project calculation settings:




4) Select the Calculations tab.

5) In the Calculations section, under Activities, configure calculation settings for project activities:


23

When changing an activity to not started: Determines how units and duration are handled if activity progress is removed.

Reset planned duration and units to remaining: Select this option to reset planned unit spreads to match the remaining units.

Reset remaining duration and units to planned: Select this option to reset remaining unit spreads to match the planned units.

Link planned and remaining/at completion for not started activities: Determines whether to recalculate all of the planned unit and cost values using the remaining costs and units for activities that have not started.

Define critical activities as: Select a method to identify critical activities:

Total Float less than or equal to: Select this option to identify critical activities based on the lack of flexibility in their scheduled dates. Enter a minimum float duration. When the project is scheduled, activities with total float values less than or equal to this value are marked critical.

Longest Path: Select this option to define critical activities based on the sequence of driving activities that determine the project end date.

6) In the Units section, configure calculation settings for units:

When updating units: Determines how the application handles changes to units.

Add actual to remaining: Select this option to calculate a new at completion value when the remaining units or actual units change.

Subtract actual from at completion: Select this option to calculate a new remaining units value when the at completion or actual units change.

Recalculate actual units when Duration % Complete changes: Select this option to recalculate actual units when the duration percent complete is updated.

7) Select Save.



Risk

Schedule

Set the Default My Activities Settings

You can configure default My Activities settings for a workspace to determine how users update their project activities for any project in that workspace by default.

To configure default My Activities settings for a workspace:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Defaults & Options, and then select Project.

4) In the Team members are assigned to activities as section, select a method for how team members are assigned to activities.

Resource Assignments: Each user who is assigned a resource assignment can view that assignment and update its progress.


24

Activity Owners: Each user who is assigned to an activity as its Owner can view the activity and update its progress.

Both: Resource assignments can view and update their assignments, and activity owners can view and update their activities. Users who have activities and resource assignments will see entries for both.

5) In the Select the fields team members can update section, add the fields you want team members to view and use to update their progress.

Assignment Fields: Add the fields you want team members assigned as resource assignments to use to status their activities.

Activity Fields: Add the fields you want team members assigned as activity owners to use to status their activities. If a team member who owns an activity also has a resource assignment for that activity, then the team member will be able to view and update both the assignment and the activity.

Codes and Configured Fields: Add codes and configured fields that you want activity owners or resource assignment performers to view or use to update their activities. To make any code or configured field read-only, select Read Only by the field. In order for a user to update Cost-type codes or configured fields, the user needs the Project Costs/Financials privilege on the project.

(Optional) Select Team member can update progress of other resource assignments on activity if you want activity owners to be able to update the progress of all resource assignments for their activities.

6) Select Save.



Cost and Funds

Resources

Risk

Schedule

Scope

Tasks

Configure My Activities Settings for a Project

Configure My Activities settings for your project to enable users to view and edit the fields required for updating activities using the My Activities page or the Prime Projects apps.

To configure My Activities settings:




4) Select the My Activities tab.

5) In the Team members are assigned to activities as section, select a method for how team members are assigned to activities.


25

Resource Assignments: Each user who is assigned a resource assignment can view that assignment and update its progress.

Activity Owners: Each user who is assigned to an activity as its Owner can view the activity and update its progress.

Both: Resource assignments can view and update their assignments, and activity owners can view and update their activities. Users who have activities and resource assignments will see entries for both.

6) In the Select the fields team members can update section, add the fields you want team members to view and use to update their progress.

Assignment Fields: Add the fields you want team members assigned as resource assignments to use to status their activities.

Activity Fields: Add the fields you want team members assigned as activity owners to use to status their activities. If a team member who owns an activity also has a resource assignment for that activity, then the team member will be able to view and update both the assignment and the activity.

Codes and Configured Fields: Add codes and configured fields that you want activity owners or resource assignment performers to view or use to update their activities. To make any code or configured field read-only, select Read Only by the field. In order for a user to update Cost-type codes or configured fields, the user needs the Project Costs/Financials privilege on the project.

(Optional) Select Team member can update progress of other resource assignments on activity if you want activity owners to be able to update the progress of all resource assignments for their activities.

7) Select Save.



Schedule

Configure the Auto Numbering Defaults for a Project

Unique IDs are required for a number of objects in the application. For example, in the Scope app, auto numbering defaults can be set for scope items, work packages, scope assignments, change requests, and change items. The IDs are automatically generated for each new object based on the default values set at the workspace level for prefix, suffix, and increment. You can use the defaults or enter values that represent the numbering system used for your project.

To set the auto numbering defaults:




4) Select the Auto Numbering tab.

5) Define the auto numbering defaults for the objects used in the following apps.

Contracts: Changes, Change Order, Commitment, Contract, Payment Application, Potential Change Order


26

Cost: Actuals, Budget Change, and Budget Transfer.

Documents: RFI and Submittal

Ideas: Idea

Schedule: Activity

Scope: Scope Item, Work Package, Scope Assignment, Change Request, and Change Item.

Risk: Risk

Tasks: Tasks

6) Select Save.


Tips

Users can manually overwrite the default values when adding these objects in the application.

When importing scope items or scope assignments, if the ID column in the import template is left blank, the Scope Item ID or Scope Assignment ID columns are populated with the auto numbering defaults.

Add Integration Parameters to a Project

Project data can be sent back and forth between Oracle Prime Projects and P6 EPPM to synchronize data for projects, such as scope, risk, and financial data.

Integration parameters between Oracle Prime Projects and P6 EPPM are configured at the application level and synchronizations applicable to a project are assigned at the project level. Multiple synchronizations can be added depending on the data needs for the project.

To add integration parameters to a project:


2) In the table, select a project row, and then select the Integration detail window.

3) Select Assign.

4) In the Add Synchronizations dialog box, select all synchronizations needed for the project, and select Add.

5) Select Save.


Run a Synchronization Job

Run synchronization jobs to synchronize data between Prime Projects and external applications.

To run a synchronization job:

1) In the object selector, select a project or workspace.

2) In the sidebar, select Integration.

3) In the page selector, select Synchronize.


27

4) Select a synchronization row, select the Context menu, and then select Run.

Note: You will receive a notification when the synchronization job starts, and you will receive a notification when the job completes. To view a list of running and completed synchronization jobs, use the Monitor page in the Integration app.

Tips

Select a business flow name to view the objects and fields that will be synchronized when you run the business flow.

Note: Viewing synchronized objects and fields associated with a business flow is not supported for Gateway connections. To view Gateway business flow details, access the business flow definitions in Gateway.

Select Refresh to view the current list of synchronizations available for the project or workspace.

Select Search to search for a synchronization.

Configure the Projects Inventory Panel

Configure the Projects inventory panel to define how data is visually displayed while working in this view.

To configure the Projects inventory panel:


2) In the View list, select Manage Views.

3) In the Manage Views panel, select a view type (Workspace or Personal), select the Context menu, and then select Add.

4) Enter a name for the new view.

5) Select columns to display, create and apply filters, group projects by specific criteria, and configure currency settings.

6) Select Apply.

7) Select Save View.


Change the Status of a Project

The current status of a project determines how the project is handled within the application. Project status can be set manually or through a workflow, depending on the status type. A new project is set to Active by default.

To change the status of a project:




28


4) In the Details section, in the Status list, select the appropriate status:

Proposal: The project is a project proposal and has not been extensively planned nor accrued any costs. A project proposal can only be created using a workflow and a change in status must also be performed through a workflow.

Rejected: The project proposal has been rejected and will not be executed as a project. A project can only be marked as Rejected through the use of a workflow.

Planned: The project is currently planned for execution. Project managers input expected project costs and other project data during this stage. A change in status can be performed manually or through a workflow.

Active: The project is currently active and being executed. A change in status can be performed manually or through a workflow.

Inactive: The project has been rendered inactive and will temporarily accrue no costs. A change in status can be performed manually or through a workflow.

Complete: The project has been successfully completed and will no longer accrue costs. A change in status can be performed manually or through a workflow.

5) Select Save.


Delete a Project

Deleting a project will remove relationships with other items, such as project dependencies and portfolios, and will also delete files added to the project.

If you delete a project that is synchronized with P6 EPPM, the setting in P6 EPPM that indicates a project is synchronized with Oracle Prime Projects is cleared. The project is not deleted from P6 EPPM.

You cannot delete a project that is included on a portfolio budget planning scenario. You must delete it from the scenario first.

After a project has been deleted, all rolled up values are recalculated.

To delete a project:


2) In the table, select the project row or rows.

3) Select the Context menu, and select Delete.

4) In the Delete dialog box, choose to delete the project permanently or mark the project as inactive.

5) Select OK.

The application will run the deletion process in the background while you continue to work, and you will receive a notification when the process is complete.


Project Collections Overview

29

Project Collections Overview

A project collection is a set of projects grouped together enabling you to view data from more than one project at a time. Project collections are useful when updating or monitoring a set of projects. Project collections are created for your personal use.

Using project collections, you can work in the Activities, Assignment List, and Analysis pages, and view project collection dashboards.

Create a Project Collection

Create project collections to view and manage a defined set of projects using the Activities, Assignment List, and Analysis pages, as well as project collection dashboards. Project collections are created for your personal use.

To create a project collection:

1) Add a Project Collection (on page 29)

2) Add a Project to a Project Collection (on page 29)

Add a Project Collection

Group projects into collections to make it easier to manage a defined set of projects.

To add a project collection:

1) In the object selector, select Project Collections, and then select Add Project Collection.

2) In the table, select Add.

3) In the new row, in the Name column, enter a name for the project collection.

4) (Optional) Enter a description.

5) Select Save.


Tips

You can also create project collections from the following areas:

In the header, select your username, and then select Profile. In the sidebar, select Project Collections.

In the Projects inventory panel, select multiple projects, select the Context menu, and then select Create Project Collection.

Add a Project to a Project Collection

Add projects to project collections to make it easier to manage a defined set of projects.

To add a project to a project collection:


30

1) In the object selector, select Project Collections, and then select View All Project Collections.

2) In the table, select a project collection row.

3) In the Project List detail window, select Edit.

4) In the Edit Project List dialog box, select the projects you want to add, and select Save.

5) Select Save.


You can also do this in the Summary & Settings panel:

1) In the object selector, select a project collection.


3) On the Summary & Settings menu, selection General.

Open a Project Collection

Open projects using project collections to analyze and manage data from a predefined set of projects.

To open a project collection:

1) In the object selector, select Project Collections, and then select View All Project Collections.

2) In the table, select the name of a project collection name.

3) In the sidebar, select the app to use with the project collection.

Project Import/Export Overview

The Project Import/Export feature enables you to import P6 data into your Oracle Prime Projects environment and export Prime Projects data for use in P6. For example, to share project data with an owner, a contractor who uses P6 to manage a project can share the data with an owner who uses Prime Projects by exporting the project data to a P6 XML file that the owner can import into Prime Projects. From Prime Projects, the owner can export project data back to the contractor. The owner can also export project data to a user of a different Prime Projects environment. Project Import/Export enables users to share data across applications and environments without the need for a Primavera Gateway connection. Data that can be imported from P6 into Oracle Prime Projects include objects at both the workspace or project level. You also have the ability to specify what action the application takes when duplicate objects are found in the XML file and Oracle Prime Projects. When exporting data from Prime Projects, you can export multiple projects from the same workspace.

When you import a project from a P6 XML file, the system gives you the option to create a new project, or if the project already exists in Oracle Prime Projects, you can choose to update the existing project. If the project already exists in the system and you choose to create a new project, the system will import the project into the application as a new project with a unique ID. The maximum file size that you can import is 100 MB.

Project Import/Export Overview

31

Import Objects

Objects can be imported at both the workspace level and the project level. The following types of data can be imported at the workspace level:

Calendars

Project Codes

Configured Fields

Resources

Roles

Activity Codes

Risk Matrix Templates

Risk Thresholds

Resource Curves

The following types of data can be imported at the project level:

Activities

Relationships

Resources

Roles

Work Breakdown Structures

Risks

Import Actions

During the import process, you can specify how data is imported into the application. You can configure either of the following actions for each type of object you import:

Insert New: If an object exists in the import file and in the application, insert the object as a unique record into the application.

Update Existing: If an object exists in the import file and already exists in the application, update the object from the import file. If the object does not already exist in the application, import it into the application.

Keep Existing: If an object exists in the import file and already exists in the application, keep the existing object and make no updates. If the object does not already exist in the application, import it into the application.

Do Not Import: If an object exists in the import file and does not exist in the application, do not import the object.

To determine whether a project already exists in the application, the system searches for a project with a matching ID in the target workspace. To determine whether workspace objects already exist in the application, the system searches up and down the hierarchy of the target workspace. If a matching object is found in the workspace hierarchy at a level higher than your target workspace, the system will pull the object down to your target workspace and create an inherited association. If a matching object is found in the workspace hierarchy at a level lower than your target workspace, the system will promote the object to the current workspace and create inherited associations down the workspace branch. Inherited associations enable a single object to be shared by multiple workspaces and projects within a parent and child hierarchy.


32

Note: Inherited associations can only be created on an object that exists in multiple levels in a parent and child workspace hierarchy. Inherited associations cannot be created on objects existing in sibling workspace hierarchies.

Export Objects

The following types of data are included in a project export:

Activities

Calendars

Activity Codes

Project Codes

Resource Codes

Configured Fields

Activity Relationships

Resources and Roles

Resource and Role Assignments

Resource Curves

Work Breakdown Structure

Import P6 Data into Prime Projects

Use the Project Import feature to import P6 data from a P6 XML file into your Oracle Prime Projects environment. When the import is complete, you can view a log file to see the results of the import process.

Notes:

You must have the required workspace privilege to use the import functionality.

To import a project into Prime Projects, you must have the required security privilege for creating new projects.

The maximum file size that you can import is 100 MB.

To import P6 data from a P6 XML file:


2) On the Actions menu, select Import from P6 XML.

3) In the Import from P6 XML dialog box, in the Select File field, select Browse.

4) Select the P6 XML file and select Open.

5) For each project included in the file, specify the following:

Import Action: Select an action to perform with the project data.

Workspace: Select a destination workspace for the project data.

6) To configure your import settings, select Settings and do the following to configure what the system does when duplicate objects are found during the file import:

WBS Overview

33

a. Select the Workspace Data tab, and select an import action for each workspace item.

b. Select the Project Data tab, and for each project item, specify the following:

Import Action: Select an import action for each project item.

Remove from Prime Projects: Select this option to remove objects in Oracle Prime Projects that do not exist in the P6 XML file.

c. Select Save.

d. Select Back to Import.

7) Select Import to start the import process.


Tips

When the import process is complete, you will receive a system notification. Select View Log in the notification to view the import log.

Export Prime Projects Data to P6 XML

Use the Project Export feature to export one or more projects from Prime Projects to a single P6 XML file. You must have the required workspace privilege to use the export functionality. The list of projects available for export depends on the workspace or project selected in the table.

To export project data to a P6 XML file:


2) In the table, select a workspace or project row.

3) On the Actions menu, select Export to P6 XML.

4) In the Export to P6 XML dialog box, select Add Project.

5) In the Select Projects dialog box, select one or more projects, and then select Select.

6) Select Export to start the export process.


Tips

When the export process is complete, you will receive a system notification. Select Download File in the notification to download the P6 XML file.

A single P6 XML file is created during the export process. If multiple projects are exported, the file is named after the first project in the export list.

WBS Overview

A WBS, or work breakdown structure, is a hierarchical arrangement of work activities that divides a project into discrete levels, phases, or layers. The WBS is structured in levels of work detail, beginning with the deliverable and separated into identifiable work elements.


34

Create a WBS

Create a work breakdown structure (WBS) to define a hierarchical arrangement of work.

To create a WBS:

1) Add a WBS

Add a WBS (on page 34)

Add a WBS from a Template or Other Project (on page 35)

2) Assign a Manager to a WBS (on page 35)

3) Add a File in a Files Detail Window (on page 36)

Add a WBS

89031_Demo

Add a work breakdown structure (WBS) to represent a hierarchical arrangement of work. You can create sibling WBSs to represent WBSs that are hierarchically equal, or child WBSs to represent WBSs that are subordinate to other WBSs.

The WBS structure is pre-populated with one node called Default WBS. Default WBS can be used in projects that do not use a formal WBS or can be renamed. Default WBS can be deleted after another WBS node exists. One WBS node must always exist.

To add a WBS:


2) In the sidebar, select Scope or Schedule.

3) In the page selector, select WBS.

4) In the table, select the Context menu, and select Add.

The new row is always at the same level as the row selected. If the new WBS element is a child of the selected WBS, select the Context menu, and then select Move Right.

5) In the new row, complete the following fields:

Name: The name of the WBS.

Code: The parent WBS code will be the prefix for additional child WBSs.

6) Select Save.

Tips

To add a WBS from a project template or project, select a WBS row, select the Contextmenu, and then select Add WBS from project. Use the Add WBS from Projects dialog box to select one or more WBSs and the specific activity data that you want to copy.

WBS Overview

35

Add a WBS from a Template or Other Project

If your organization uses templates or a standardized structure across projects, you can save time when adding WBSs by copying them from a project template or another project in your workspace or parent workspaces. You can choose objects within the WBS that you would like to copy into your project, including activities, relationships, codes, configured fields, and assignments. The chosen WBS and any child WBSs are copied as children of the WBS you selected on the Activities page.

You must have the required security privileges to add a WBS from a template or other project.

To add a WBS from a template or other project:




4) In the table, select a WBS row, select the Context menu, and then select Add WBS from project.

Note: If the Activities page is not grouped by WBS, select Settingsto open the Manage Views dialog box, and then select WBS on the Grouping tab.

5) In the Add WBS from Projects dialog box, in the Filter By field, filter the display of WBSs by templates or projects.

6) Expand the hierarchy of project templates or projects, and then select a WBS.

7) Select Show Activity Details to view a list of activities associated with the selected WBS.

8) Select Add WBS to add the selected WBS immediately, or select Next to choose the items you would like to copy, and then select Add WBS.

Tips

You can also add WBSs from project templates or other projects on the WBS page.

Assign a Manager to a WBS

Assign managers to WBS elements to identify the project manager or person responsible for managing the WBS.

The person who created the project is automatically assigned as the manager. The person who is assigned to a parent WBS node is automatically assigned as the manager to child WBS nodes.

To assign a manager to a WBS:




4) In the table, select a WBS, and then select the General detail window.

5) In the Manager field, select a manager.


36

6) Select Save.

Add a File in a Files Detail Window

Use the Files detail window to add relevant files that support your data. For example, you might add architectural drawings, pictures, or product specifications to activities on the Activities page.

To add a file in a Files detail window:

1) Navigate to a page whose object supports files.

2) In the table, select an object row, and then select the Files detail window.

3) In the Files detail window, select Add.

4) In the Add File dialog box, in the Select Folder section, select a folder in the project library.

5) In the File field, select Browse, and then select a file.

6) Select Upload.

Tips

Files that you add in the Files detail window can also be accessed from the project Files page in Documents.

Activities Overview

During the project planning process, you define the activities that must be completed to accomplish your project's objectives. Activities typically have durations, resource or role requirements, and logical relationships with other project activities. Milestone activities, however, have no duration or cost.

Use the Activities page to manage all project activities and their associated details. This includes all general information, activity status, resource assignments, risks, and other details.

Summary Activities

You can group activities that share certain characteristics under a summary activity. Summary activities are used to group sets of related activities. Summary activities can be used to show major phases and sub-phases in a project and also summarize the data of the activities grouped beneath them.

Dates, duration, and percent complete values for sub-activities are rolled up to the summary activity level. These rollup values are calculated when the project is scheduled. The duration of a summary activity extends from the start of the earliest activity in a group to the finish of the latest activity.

Activities Overview

37

Note: Because summary activities are for display purposes only, they do not support the following details: activity codes, constraints, resource assignments, owners, risks, suspend or resume dates, WBS, work packages, or scope assignments. If you convert an activity to a summary activity type, all data not supported by summary activities will be deleted from the activity.

Create an Activity

Create activities to define the work to be accomplished and their details for a project.

To create an activity:

1) Add an Activity (on page 37)

2) Create an Activity by Import (on page 38)

3) Assign an Owner to an Activity (on page 39)

4) Assign an Activity to a WBS (on page 39)

5) Assign an Activity Type to an Activity (on page 40)

6) Assign a Duration Type to an Activity (on page 40)

7) Assign a Percent Complete Type to Activity (on page 41)

8) Enter Activity Status Information (on page 41)

9) Enter Activity Duration Information (on page 42)

10) Enter the Activity Unit Information (on page 42)

11) Add a Constraint to an Activity (on page 43)

12) Assign a Role to an Activity (on page 44)

13) Staff a Role Assignment (on page 45)

14) Assign a Resource to an Activity (on page 45)

15) Assign a Curve to a Resource or a Role Assignment (on page 46)

16) Add a File in a Files Detail Window (on page 36)

17) Link a File to an Object (on page 47)

18) Add a Relationship to an Activity (on page 48)

19) Assign a Risk to an Activity (on page 49)

20) Add a Task to an Activity (on page 50)

21) Associating Activities with Scope Assignments and Work Packages for Scope Management Overview (on page 50)

22) Assign a Code to an Activity (on page 52)

23) View Relationships Using Trace Logic (on page 53)

24) Apply Activity Uncertainty (on page 54)

Add an Activity

Use the Activities page to add activities to a project.


38

To add an activity to a project:


2) In the sidebar, select Schedule.

3) In the page selector, select Activities.

4) In the table, select Add.

5) In the new row, in the Name and ID columns, enter a name and ID for the activity.

6) Select Save.

Tips

To create a summary activity, select the activities that you want to summarize, select the Context menu, and select Move Right. The parent of the summarized activities becomes the summary activity.

Create an Activity by Import

Creating activities using Microsoft Excel enables you to use data from an outside system which can save you time from manual entry.

To create or update an activity:

1) Create an Import Template for Importing Activities (on page 38)

2) Import Activities from Microsoft Excel (on page 38)

Create an Import Template for Importing Activities

Create a Microsoft Excel template to use when importing activities and related data, such as activity relationships and resource assignments.

To create an import template:




4) On the Activities page, select Actions, and then select Download Import Template.

Tips

The import template is created as a Microsoft Excel file with the default file name ActivitiesImportTemplate.

The top two rows of the worksheet are required when importing activities from a spreadsheet. You can delete unused columns, but do not change the data in these rows.

Import Activities from Microsoft Excel

You can import activities and activity data into the application from a Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx) file. After downloading the import template, follow the instructions to create or update activities in the spreadsheet. The import will fail if there are any invalid values in the spreadsheet. You can download the spreadsheet file to view and fix the errors indicated in the error column at the end of each worksheet, and then import the file again.

Activities Overview

39

You must have sufficient privileges to perform this task.

To import activities from Microsoft Excel:




4) On the Activities page, select the Actions menu, and then select Import.

5) In the Import Activities dialog box, select Browse, select a file, and select Import.

Assign an Owner to an Activity

You can assign an owner to an activity to designate the user responsible for the activity.

To assign an owner to an activity:




4) In the table, select the activity, and select the General detail window.

5) In the Owner field, select a user to designate as the activity owner.

6) Select Save.

Tips

If your project is configured to enable status updates by activity owners, users who are assigned as owners to in-progress activities can use the My Activities page to update the status of activities.

Assign an Activity to a WBS

Assign activities to a WBS to group work by level, phase, or layer. In scope management, you cannot assign activities to work packages or scope assignments unless the activity is assigned to the WBS that contains the component.

To assign an activity to a WBS:





5) In the WBS Name field, select a WBS.

6) Select Save.

Tips

An alternative method of assigning activities to a WBS is by applying a view to the page that groups activities by WBS and entering activity data under the appropriate grouping. All activities entered under a WBS grouping are automatically assigned to the WBS.


40

Assign an Activity Type to an Activity

Activity types determine how an activity is scheduled according to various scheduling scenarios. Use the General detail window to assign activity types to project activities.

To assign an activity type to an activity:




4) In the table, select an activity, and then select the General detail window.

5) In the Type list, select an activity type:




Start Milestone: This type of activity indicates the beginning of an important project phase. Activities of this type have a duration of zero with no resource assignments.

Finish Milestone: This type of activity indicates the end of an important project phase. Activities of this type have a duration of zero with no resource assignments.

6) Select Save.

Assign a Duration Type to an Activity

Activity duration types determine how remaining duration, units, and units/time are calculated when an activity that has resources assigned is updated. Use the General detail window to assign duration types to activities.

To assign a duration type to an activity:





5) In the Duration Type list, select an option:



Activities Overview

41



6) Select Save.

Assign a Percent Complete Type to Activity

The percent complete type determines the way in which the application calculates the percent complete for an activity. Use the General detail window to assign percent complete types to activities.

To assign a percent complete type to an activity:





5) In the Percent Complete Type list, select an option:

Physical: The user assigned to the activity enters the percent complete for the activity.

Duration: Percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining duration.

Units: Percent complete is calculated from the actual and remaining units.


6) Select Save.

Enter Activity Status Information

Use the Status detail window to update the expected finish date for activities or to designate activities as started or completed.

To configure activity status information:




4) In the table, select the activity, and select the Status detail window.

5) To designate the activity as started, select Started. In the Started field, select a date for the activity start.

6) To designate the activity as completed, select Finished. In the Finished field, select a date for the activity start.

7) To set the date on which the primary resource anticipates work on the activity will finish, select a date in the Expected Finish field.

8) Select Save.


42

Enter Activity Duration Information

Activity durations are automatically calculated using the activity start and end dates based upon the project calendar. You can also manually enter activity duration information using the Status detail window.

To configure activity duration information:





5) Set the activity durations by completing the following fields:

Planned Duration: The expected amount of time required to complete the activity.

Remaining Duration: The total working time from the activity remaining start date to the remaining finish date.

At Completion Duration: The total working time from the activity's current start date to the current finish date.

6) Select Save.

Tips

The Actual Duration is automatically computed and cannot be manually adjusted. It is calculated as the total working time from the Start date to the current date for in-progress activities. For completed activities, it is calculated as the total working time from the activity Start date to the Finish date.

Enter the Activity Unit Information

Enter labor and non-labor units to specify the effort of work required to complete project activities.

To enter activity labor and non-labor units information:





5) Do one of the following:

To enter labor units information, select Labor Units in the header of the units column.

To enter non-labor units information, select Non-Labor Units in the header of the units column.

6) Update the units information by completing the following fields:

Planned Units: The planned number of units for all labor and non-labor resources assigned to the activity.

Actual Units: The actual number of units worked by all labor and non-labor resources assigned to the activity.

Activities Overview

43

Remaining Units: The remaining units for all labor and non-labor resources assigned to the activity.

At Completion Units: The sum of the actual plus remaining units for all labor and non-labor resources assigned to the activity.

7) Select Save.

Add a Constraint to an Activity

Constraints are used to impose external restrictions on project activities. They are used in the scheduling process when calculating activity start and finish dates. You can use constraints for situations where activity relationships are not adequate to provide the logic necessary to properly schedule an activity. Constraints can also be used for an activity without a natural predecessor or successor.

You can add up to two constraints to an activity — a primary constraint and a secondary constraint. After a primary constraint is set on an activity, it determines the list of available secondary constraints that you can set on the activity.

Note: You cannot set a secondary constraint on an activity if the primary constraint is Start On, Finish On, Mandatory Start, or Mandatory Finish.

To add constraints to an activity:




4) In the table, select the activity, and then select the Status detail window.

5) In the Primary Constraint list, select a primary constraint:

Start On: Imposes the specific start date you select. The Start On constraint can delay an activity's early start or move forward an activity's late start to satisfy the constraint date.

Start On or Before: Defines the latest date an activity can start. This constraint only affects late dates and can decrease total float. When calculating a schedule, the application imposes the start on or before constraint in the backward pass only if the calculated late start date will be later than the imposed date.

Start On or After: Defines the earliest date an activity can begin. This constraint affects only early dates. When calculating a schedule, the application imposes the start on or after constraint in the forward pass only if the calculated early start date will be earlier than the imposed date.

Finish On: Imposes the specific finish date you select. The Finish On constraint can delay an activity's early finish or move forward an activity's late finish to satisfy the constraint date.

Finish On or Before: Defines the latest time an activity can finish. The finish on or before constraint affects only late dates.


44

Finish On or After: Defines the earliest date an activity can finish. The finish on or after constraint reduces float to coordinate parallel activities, ensuring that the finish of an activity is not scheduled before the specified date. It is usually applied to activities with few predecessors that must finish before the next phase of a project.

As Late As Possible: Imposes a restriction on an activity with positive float to enable it to start as late as possible without delaying its successors. When calculating a schedule, the application sets the activity's early dates as late as possible without affecting successor activities. This option disables the calendar icon.

Mandatory Start: Imposes the early and late start dates you select. A mandatory early start date could affect the late dates for all activities that lead to the constrained activity and all early dates for the activities that lead from the constrained activity.

Mandatory Finish: Imposes the early and late finish dates you select. This constraint affects the late dates for all activities that lead to the constrained activity and all early dates for the activities that lead from the constrained activity.

6) In the Primary Constraint Date field, enter a date for the primary constraint.

7) If your primary constraint selection allows for a secondary constraint, do the following to set a secondary constraint:

a. In the Secondary Constraint list, select a secondary constraint.

b. In the Secondary Constraint Date field, enter a date for the secondary constraint.

8) Select Save.

Assign a Role to an Activity

Roles represent personnel job titles or skills needed to execute project activities. You can assign one or more roles to an activity to designate the responsibilities that are required to complete the activity.

When assigning roles to activities, you can view the allocation for a role to analyze the role's usage for the project. When viewing a role's allocation, it is displayed as a histogram, enabling you to easily identify the role's allocation requirements and see when the role is overallocated.

To assign a role to an activity:




4) In the table, select the activity, and then select the Resource Assignments detail window.

5) In the Role Name column, select a role.

6) In the Assign dialog box, select a role.

7) To view the role's current allocation for the project, select Show Details.

8) Select Assign.

9) Select Save.

Activities Overview

45

Tips

You can assign roles to multiple activities at a time. Select multiple activities, select the Context menu, and then select Assign Roles. In the Assign dialog box, select one or more roles, and then select Assign. The roles are assigned to each of the activities you selected.

After you identify the project resources that will perform the roles assigned to an activity, you can staff the roles with resources who have been assigned the role in your project.

Staff a Role Assignment

After you have identified the roles required to complete project activities, you can staff the role with a resource who has been assigned the role in your project.

To staff role assignments:





5) In the Resource Assignments detail window, select the Context menu for a role, and then select Staff Role.

6) In the Staff Role dialog box, select a resource, and select Select.

7) Select Save.

Assign a Resource to an Activity

A resource is any quantifiable item in limited supply and of sufficient value to justify tracking and assigning to specific activities for a project. Resources include labor, non-labor items such as equipment, and material items such as bricks. Assign resources to activities to indicate which resources are required to complete an activity. Because resources can be quantified in units of measure, assigning resources to activities enable you to track how your resources are spread across project activities.

When assigning resources to activities, you can view the allocation for a resource to analyze how the resource is being used across the project. When viewing a resource's allocation, it is displayed as a histogram, enabling you to easily identify the resource's allocation requirements and see when the resource is overallocated.

To assign a resource to an activity:




4) In the table, select the activity, and select the Resource Assignments detail window.

5) Select Assign.

6) In the Assign dialog box, in the View By list, select a method to view the list of resources.

7) In the Filter By field, select whether to view workspace or project resources.


46

8) To view the resource allocation for a resource for the current project, select the resource, and then select Show Details.

9) Select the resource to assign the activity to and select Assign.

10) To designate the resource as primarily responsible for performing or overseeing the activity, select Primary Resource.

11) Select Save.

Tips

You can assign resources to multiple activities at a time. Select multiple activities, select the Context menu, and then select Assign Resources. In the Assign dialog box, select one or more resources, and then select Assign. The resources are assigned to each of the activities you selected.

In long-range planning, it may be advisable to first identify and assign the roles required to work on the activity and then staff the roles with the appropriate project resources at a later time.

If your project is configured to enable status updates by resource assignments, users who are assigned as resources to in-progress activities can use the My Activities page to update the status of their resource assignment.

Assign a Curve to a Resource or a Role Assignment

A curve profile can be selected per activity assignment to allocate resource or role units over the duration of an activity according to a specific curve. Units spread are Planned Units, Actual Units, Remaining Units, and At Completion Units.

A curve profile can be assigned to any resource or role assignment on activities with a duration type of either:

Fixed Duration and Units/Time

Fixed Duration and Units

To specify a curve profile:





5) In the Curve column for the resource assignment, select a curve.

Note: If the Curve column is not displayed in the table, select Settings, and add the column to the page.

6) Select Save.

Activities Overview

47

Working with Activity Files

You can link files from the project library to project activities to provide team members with access to relevant documentation to aid in the completion of activities. You can also upload new files to add to the project library and link to activities.

Members of your project team can add, delete, and edit activity files based on their assigned security privileges.

Add a File in a Files Detail Window

Use the Files detail window to add relevant files that support your data. For example, you might add architectural drawings, pictures, or product specifications to activities on the Activities page.

To add a file in a Files detail window:



3) In the Files detail window, select Add.

4) In the Add File dialog box, in the Select Folder section, select a folder in the project library.

5) In the File field, select Browse, and then select a file.

6) Select Upload.

Tips

Files that you add in the Files detail window can also be accessed from the project Files page in Documents.

Link a File to an Object

You can link existing files to objects contained within a project instead of adding them to each object. Linking ensures the same version of a file is used everywhere that it is linked. The application enables you to associate files from the Files detail window of the object. The files are still available from the Files page at the project level.

To link a file to an object:



3) In the Files detail window, select Link.

4) In the Associate Files dialog box, select a file, and select OK.

Tips

To remove a linked file, select the file, select the Context menu, and select Unlink.

Preview a File

Preview a file in the application before deciding if you want to check out and edit the file. You can preview a file from anywhere in the application by clicking the name of the file.


48

Tips

Oracle Prime Projects supports the preview of .mp4 and .ogg video file types and .mp3 and .wav audio file types. You must download other video and audio file types to preview them.

Check Out a File

Because files are shared, you are required to check them out and in to make updates to them. Checking out a file enables you to download it to your local machine where you can make edits and create a new version of the file. When you are finished updating the file, you can check it in so the new version of the file is saved to the project or portfolio library and available to other team members. You can check out a file from the Files page or a Files detail window.

To check out a file:

In a file row, select the Context menu, and then select Check Out.

Tips

Files are downloaded or opened depending on the file opening procedures of your browser.

All users may view a checked out file, but only the user who has checked out the file may modify it until it is either checked in or check out is canceled.

When files are checked out, Checked Out displays next to the filename.

To cancel a file check out, select the Context menu and select Cancel Check Out.

Check In a File

After you have finished editing a checked out file, you must check it in to save the new version of the file to the project or portfolio library. You can check in a file from the Files page or a Files detail window.

To check in a file:

1) In a file row, select the Context menu, and then select Check In.

2) In the Check In dialog box, select Browse, select the file, and then select Upload.

Tips

You can add comments about the file in the Check In dialog box from the Files page. For example, you may want to record the changes you made to the file.

After you check in a file, you can view previous versions of it in the Versions detail window on the Files page.

Add a Relationship to an Activity

To specify that the activities in a project occur in a certain order, you must define relationships between activities. Relationships define how an activity relates to the start or finish of another activity. Activity relationships indicate whether activities are sequential or can be done in parallel. Activity relationships are used together with activity durations by the project scheduler to calculate schedule dates.

Activities Overview

49

An activity can have as many relationships as necessary to model the work that must be done. Activities that are dependent on one another are known as predecessors and successors, where the first activity is the predecessor and the second is the successor.

When working with a project collection, you can define cross-project relationships between activities in the projects in the collection.

To add relationships to an activity:




4) In the table, select the activity, and then select the Relationships detail window.

5) To add activity predecessors, do the following:

a. In the Predecessors section, select Assign.

b. In the Select Activity dialog box, search or browse for an activity, select the activity, and then select Select.

6) To add activity successors, do the following:

a. In the Successors section, select Assign.

b. In the Select Activity dialog box, search or browse for an activity, select the activity, and then select Select.

7) In the Relationship Type field, choose the option that best defines how the selected activity relates to the start or finish of the predecessor or successor activity.

8) In the Lag field, enter the amount of lag time needed between the two activities. Values can be positive or negative.

9) Select Save.

Tips

In the Predecessors or Successors section, select an activity, and then select Go to to display that activity's predecessors and successors.

You can quickly create a sequence of activities by adding relationships to multiple activities at one time. In the table, select multiple activities, select the Context menu, and then select Link Activities. Finish to Start relationships are created between selected activities in the order that the activities were selected. To remove all relationships between activities, select the activities, select the Context menu, and then select Unlink Activities.

Select the Trace Logic detail window to trace the relationship paths of individual activities.

Assign a Risk to an Activity

If your project team has identified risks in the project risk register, you can use the Risks detail window to assign risks to an activity. Assigning risks to an activity enables you to indicate where in the project schedule a risk can potentially impact.


50

This information is also used during the risk analysis process to simulate the impact of risk on project activities during the simulation runs. The risk analysis generates risk-related data for each activity that is saved in the system. Risk data that are calculated for activities during the analysis include pre-response and post-response activity dates and durations, as well as a criticality index, which measures the probability that an activity will be part of the critical path. This data can be displayed in the Activities view as fields or as bars in the Gantt chart to identify activities that require special attention.

To assign risks to an activity:




4) In the table, select the activity, and select the Risks detail window.

5) Select Assign.

6) In the Select Risk dialog box, search or browse for the risk, select it, and then select Select.

7) Select Save.

Add a Task to an Activity

Add tasks to your activities to further enhance the level of detail of work required to complete your project. Add tasks to activities with an Activity Type of Activity Dependent or Resource Dependent and assign the company responsible for completing work on the task. Optionally, assign a task duration, due date, completed date, and a user responsible for performing the task. Tasks added to your activities on the Activities page will also appear on the Task List page, where you can choose to commit to work on the task or mark the task complete. When tasks are added, indicators show if task dates fall outside of activity date ranges, if tasks are completed before their assigned activity, or if an activity is completed before all of its assigned tasks.

To add a task to an activity:




4) In the table, select the activity, and then select the Tasks detail window.

5) In the Tasks detail window, select Add.

6) In the new row, complete the following fields:

Task Name: Enter a task name.

Company: Select a company.

7) Select Save.

Associating Activities with Scope Assignments and Work Packages for Scope Management Overview

If you use the application to manage your schedule and manage scope assignments, you can link your activities to scope assignments and work packages.

Activities Overview

51

The activity and the work package must be associated with the same WBS. An activity can only be assigned to one work package, but it can be assigned to multiple scope assignments within the WBS.

Scope assignments and work packages inherit dates from their associated activities. When activities are linked to a work package or its associated scope assignments, the dates of the work package are reset to reflect the earliest start and latest finish of all of its activity associations.

Note: The following dates do not inherit values from activities: Revised Start, Revised Finish, and Effective Date.

If a scope assignment does not have any direct links to an activity, linking a work package to an activity will do the following:

Reset the dates of the work package to reflect the earliest start and latest finish of all of its activity associations, including the new association.

If a scope assignment does not have any direct links to an activity, unlinking all activities from a work package will do the following:

Remove the inherited activity dates from the work package.

Populate the Original Start date of the work package with the Data Date and Original Finish date with Data Date plus 5 days, excluding holidays.

If a scope assignment has a direct link to an activity, linking or unlinking an activity from a work package will not affect the dates of the scope assignment.

A work package will always reflect the activity links of its scope assignments. However, removal of an activity link from a scope assignment will not remove it from its work package.

Link a Work Package to an Activity

Link work packages to activities when you want to manage work package dates using activity dates.

To link an activity to a work package:




4) In the table, select the activity.

5) Select the General detail window.

6) In the Work Package Name field, select a work package.

Note: You can only link activities to work packages that belong to the WBS associated with the activity.

7) Select Save.


52

Link a Scope Assignment to an Activity

Link scope assignments to activities when you want to manage scope assignment dates using activity dates. This enables you to more accurately manage the time phased distribution of scope data for scope assignments.

To link an activity to a scope assignment:




4) In the table, select the activity, and then select the Scope Assignments detail window.

5) Select Link.

6) In the Select Scope Assignments dialog box, select a scope assignment and select Link.

7) In the Scope Percent Complete Weight Method list, select a method to use to calculate the scope percentage completion for scope assignments. The weight is calculated using cost, quantity, hours, or manually entered values.

Cost, Quantity, and Hours are represented as n in the equations that follow:

The n weight is first calculated for each scope assignment linked to the activity as Revised nmultiplied by the scope assignment Scope Percent Complete.

Scope Percent Complete is calculated as Installed Quantity divided by At Completion Quantity.

The sum of the scope assignments Revised n and the sum of the scope assignments nWeight for all scope assignments linked to the activity are then used to compute the activity Scope Percent Complete. This is calculated as the n Weight divided by Revised n.

Weight for the Manual option is calculated as Manual Weight Factor multiplied by Scope Percent Complete.

Scope Percent Complete at the work package level for the manual option is calculated as the sum of Manual Weight divided by the sum of Manual Weight Factors for all scope assignments in the work package.

8) Select Save.

Tips

You can link multiple scope assignments to a single activity. However, a scope assignment can only be linked to a single activity.

You can set a default scope percent complete method by configuring it in the project settings.

Assign a Code to an Activity

Assign codes to activities to help track them based on attributes they share. When managing a large number of activities, you can use views to filter and group activities by code.

To assign a code to an activity:



Activities Overview

53


4) In the table, select the activity, and select the Codes detail window.

5) Select Assign.

6) In the Select Code dialog box, in the Available section, select codes and select Add from Available to add them to the Selected section.

7) Select Select.

8) Select Save.

View Relationships Using Trace Logic

In projects with complex sequences of activity relationships, you can use the Trace Logic detail window to trace the path of relationships and view activity predecessor, successor, and other relationship details. In the detail window, adjust the zoom and fit of the display, as well as the number of activities shown. Select different activities in the detail window to trace the path of their relationships.

To view relationships using Trace Logic:




4) In the table, select an activity, and then select the Trace Logic detail window.

5) In the Trace Logic detail window, configure the following settings:

Pan: Depending on your predecessor and successor settings, selecting an activity can change the trace logic display. Use Pan to move the display in any direction without selecting an activity.

Zoom Out: Zoom out of the displayed sequence of activities.

Zoom In: Zoom in on the displayed sequence of activities.

Zoom to Fit: Adjusts the view to display all activities in the sequence. Hover over an activity to view it at normal size.

Print: Displays the trace logic sequence in a browser print preview window.

Predecessor Levels: The maximum number of predecessor levels to display before the selected activity.

Successor Levels: The maximum number of successor levels to display after the selected activity.

6) Select activities to view their relationship sequences. Activities selected in the detail window are also selected in the table. Select a relationship line to view its details.

Tips

The following indicators are used in the Trace Logic detail window:

Critical activities and relationships are represented using red tiles, red borders, and red lines. Activity tiles on the critical path display an exclamation point icon.

Non-critical activity tiles are white, and non-critical relationship lines are black.


54

Solid lines indicate a driving relationship, while dotted lines indicate a non-driving relationship.

Completed activities display a completed icon in their tiles. Start or finish milestones display a diamond in their tiles.

In the Trace Logic detail window, select Download to download the displayed sequence as a .png file.

Apply Activity Uncertainty

The application enables you to convey information about general uncertainty for each project activity by defining three-point estimates. You can set the minimum, most likely, and maximum durations for activities. You can also set a distribution shape that expresses the relative likelihood of outcomes within the range of your three-point estimates.

This data is used during the risk analysis process to analyze the effect of general uncertainty on individual project activities and the project schedule as a whole. The application uses the three-point estimates and the assigned distribution shape to vary the duration of each activity during the risk analysis.

To apply activity uncertainty to project activities:


2) In the sidebar, select Risks.

3) In the page selector, select Risk Register.

4) Select the Actionsmenu, and then select Apply Activity Uncertainty.

5) In the Apply Activity Uncertainty dialog box, in the Uncertainty Distribution list, select the shape of the distribution that best models the estimates for activity durations:

None: Select to remove activity uncertainty values on all activities.

Triangle: Select to enter uncertainty values for Minimum, Most Likely, and Maximumdurations.

Uniform: Select to enter uncertainty values for Minimum and Maximum durations.

6) In the Percent of Remaining Duration section, complete the following fields:

Minimum Duration: The percentage of the activity remaining duration that represents the minimum duration for the activity.

Most Likely Duration: The percentage of the activity remaining duration that represents the most likely duration for the activity. If this is set to 100%, then the most likely duration will be equal to the remaining duration.

Note: If you selected a uniform uncertainty distribution, this field is not available.

Maximum Duration: The percentage of the activity remaining duration that represents the maximum duration for the activity.

7) Select the Overwrite any existing values option to overwrite three-point estimate values that currently exist for project activities.

8) Select Apply.

Activities Overview

55

Tips

You can also manually enter or overwrite three-point estimates from the Activities page by applying a view which displays the Distribution Shape, Minimum Duration, Most Likely Duration, and Maximum Duration columns and entering values for each column.

Entering three-point estimates can be helpful for modeling general uncertainty for project activities. However, it only plays a small part in assessing project uncertainty, as project risks can be more impactful to the project schedule. Therefore, your project team should develop an effective risk management strategy for assessing and controlling the risks for your project.

Activities Field Definitions

Date Fields

Actual Finish

The date when the activity was completed.

Actual Start

The date work on the activity began.

Early Finish

The earliest possible date the activity can finish.

This date is calculated based on network logic, schedule constraints, and resource availability.

Early Start

The earliest possible date the remaining work for the activity can begin.

This date is calculated based on network logic, schedule constraints, and resource availability.

Expected Finish

The date you expect work on the activity to finish.

Finish

The current finish date for the activity.

Late Finish

The latest possible date the activity can finish without delaying the project finish date.

This date is calculated based on activity relationships, schedule constraints, and resource availability.

Late Start

The latest possible date the remaining work for the activity can begin without delaying the project finish date.

This date is calculated based on activity relationships, schedule constraints, and resource availability.

Planned Finish


56

The date the activity is scheduled to finish if the activity has not started.

This date is calculated by the project scheduler but can be updated manually by the project manager. This date is not changed by the project scheduler after the activity has started.

Planned Start

The date the activity is scheduled to start.

This date the activity is scheduled to begin is calculated by the project scheduler but can be updated manually by the project manager. This date cannot be changed by the project scheduler after the activity has started.

Primary Constraint Date

The constraint date for the activity, if the activity has a constraint.

Remaining Early Finish

The date the remaining work for the activity is scheduled to finish.

If this activity is not started, this date is the planned finish. This date can be updated manually by the user, but it is overwritten when you schedule the project.

Remaining Early Start

The date the remaining work for the activity is scheduled to begin.

This date can be updated manually by the user. Before the activity is started, this date is the same as the planned start.

Remaining Late Finish

The latest possible date the activity must finish without delaying the project finish date.

This date is calculated by the project scheduler based on activity relationships, schedule constraints, and resource availability. When the activity is complete, this field is blank.

Remaining Late Start

The latest possible date the remaining work for the activity must begin without delaying the project finish date.

This date is calculated by the project scheduler based on activity relationship, schedule constraints, and resource availability.

Resume Date

The date when a suspended task or activity is resumed.

Secondary Constraint Date

The date for the activity's secondary constraint, if the activity has a secondary constraint.

Start

The current start date of the activity.

For started activities, this is the actual start date. For not started activities, this is the planned start date until the project is scheduled. When scheduled, the start date field is set to the remaining early start date.

Suspend Date

The date work has temporarily stopped on a given activity.

Activities Overview

57

Duration Fields

Actual Duration

The total working time from the activity Actual Start date to the Actual Finish date for completed activities, or the total working time from the Actual Start date to the data date for in-progress activities.

The actual working time is computed using the activity's calendar.

At Completion Duration

The total working time from the activity's current start date to the current finish date.

The current start date is the planned start date until the activity is started, and then it is the actual start date. The current finish date is the activity planned finish date while the activity is not started, the remaining finish date while the activity is in progress, and the actual finish date once the activity is completed. The total working time is calculated using the activity's calendar.

Minimum Duration

The estimated least amount of time required to complete the activity. This field is used for three-point estimation to indicate activity uncertainty.

Most Likely Duration

The estimated most likely amount of time required to complete the activity. This field is used for three-point estimation to indicate activity uncertainty.

Maximum Duration

The estimated maximum amount of time required to complete the activity. This field is used for three-point estimation to indicate activity uncertainty.

Free Float

The amount of time the activity can be delayed before delaying the start date of any successor activity.

Planned Duration

The expected amount of time required to complete an activity.

The planned working time is calculated using the activity's calendar. The duration is measured from the activity's planned start date to its planned finish date.

Remaining Duration

The total working time from the activity remaining start date to the remaining finish date.

Remaining Float

The amount of time remaining in which the activity can be delayed before delaying the project finish date. Calculated as Late Finish minus Remaining Finish.

Total Float

The amount of time the activity can be delayed before delaying the project finish date. Calculated asLate Start minus Early Start or as Late Finish minus Early Finish.


58

General Fields

Calendar

The calendar assigned to the activity.

Critical

Designates an activity as critical. An activity is defined as critical based upon the project settings configured for the project.

Uncertainty Distribution

The probability distribution that best models the three-point estimate durations. The valid values are Triangular and Uniform.

Duration Type

Determines how remaining duration, units, and units/time are calculated when you update an activity that has resources assigned. The valid values are Fixed Units/Time, Fixed Units, Fixed Duration & Units, and Fixed Duration & Units/Time.

Leveling Priority

Determines the priority of the activity when performing role leveling.

Longest Path

The sequence of project activities from start to finish where the Total Duration is longer than any other path.

Owner

The user responsible for the activity.

Primary Constraint

The main restriction impacting the activity start or finish date.

Secondary Constraint

The secondary restriction impacting the activity start or finish date.

Activity Status

Determines the status of the activity. Valid values are Not Started, In Progress, and Completed.

Task Count

The number of tasks assigned to an activity.

This is a read-only field.

Task Status - Completion

The current status of the task assigned to the activity. Valid values are New, Pending, Committed, and Completed.


Task Status - Dates

Indicates the overall date status of the activity's assigned tasks.

Activities Overview

59

Outside Activity: A task's dates are outside of the activity's Start and Finish dates.

Inside Activity: All of the tasks' dates are within the activity's Start and Finish dates.

No Tasks Assigned: No tasks are assigned to the activity.


Type

The type of activity. Valid values are Activity Dependent, Resource Dependent, Level of Effort, Start Milestone, and Finish Milestone.

Percentage Fields

Activity Percent Complete

The percentage of the activity that has been completed.

This value is based on the formula for the selected Percent Complete Type. The Percent Complete Type can be Physical, Duration, or Units.

Physical: The user records the percent complete manually.

Duration: Calculated as (Planned Duration minus Remaining Duration) divided by Planned Duration.

Units: Calculated as (Actual Labor Units plus Actual Nonlabor Units) divided by (Actual Labor Units plus Actual Nonlabor Units plus Remaining Labor Units plus Remaining Nonlabor Units).

Duration Percent Complete

The duration percent complete for the activity. Calculated as Planned Duration minus Remaining Duration divided by Planned Duration multiplied by 100.

Duration Percent of Planned

The actual duration percent of planned duration for the activity. Calculated as Actual Duration divided by Original BL Duration multiplied by 100.

Labor Units Percent Complete

The percent complete of units for all labor resources for the activity. Calculated as Actual Labor Units divided by At Completion Labor Units multiplied by 100.

Nonlabor Units Percent Complete

The percent complete of units for all nonlabor resources for the activity. Calculated as Actual Nonlabor Units divided by At Completion Nonlabor Units multiplied by 100.

Percent Complete Type

Determines the way in which the application calculates the percent complete for the activity. Valid values are Physical, Duration, and Units.

Physical Percent Complete

The activity percent complete, manually entered by a user.

Schedule Percent Complete

The activity schedule percent complete, which specifies how much of the activity's project baseline duration is complete so far.


60

Calculated as Data Date minus Baseline Start divided by Baseline Finish minus Baseline Start.

If the data date is earlier than the baseline start, the schedule percent complete is 0. If the data date is later than the baseline finish, the schedule percent complete is 100. The schedule percent complete indicates how much of the activity duration should currently be complete, relative to the selected project baseline.

Scope Percent Complete

The percentage completion of the scope assignments linked to the activity.

Calculated as Installed Quantity divided by At Completion Quantity.

Units Percent Complete

The percent complete of units for all labor and nonlabor resources assigned to the activity. Calculated as Actual Units divided by At Completion Units multiplied by 100.

Unit Fields

Actual Labor Units

The number of units expended for all labor resources assigned to the activity.

Actual Nonlabor Units

The number of nonlabor units that have been expended on the activity.

At Completion Labor Units

The sum of the actual plus remaining units for all labor resources assigned to the activity.

It is the same as the planned labor units if the activity is not started, and the actual labor units after the activity is completed.

Calculated as Actual Labor Units plus Remaining Labor Units.

At Completion Nonlabor Units

The sum of the actual plus remaining units for all nonlabor resources assigned to the activity.

It is the same as the planned nonlabor units if the activity is not started, and the actual nonlabor units after the activity is completed.

Calculated as Actual Nonlabor Units plus Remaining Nonlabor Units.

Planned Labor Units

The planned number of units for all labor resources assigned to the activity.

Planned Nonlabor Units

The planned units for all nonlabor resources assigned to the activities in the project.

Remaining Labor Units

The remaining units for all labor resources assigned to the activity.

The Remaining Labor Units reflect the work remaining to be done for the activity. Before the activity is started, the remaining units are the same as the planned units. After the activity is completed, the remaining units are zero.

Remaining Nonlabor Units

Activities Overview

61

The remaining units for all nonlabor resources assigned to the activity.

The remaining units reflect the work remaining to be done for the activity. Before the activity is started, the remaining units are the same as the planned units. After the activity is completed, there are zero remaining units.

Planned Value Labor Units

The portion of baseline labor units that are scheduled to be complete as of the project data date.

Cut or Copy and Paste an Activity

To save time entering activity data, the Activities table supports cut, copy, and paste operations. The cut operation enables you to easily move activities around in the table. Use the copy operation to duplicate activities in the table. You can perform these operations on a single activity, or you can perform them on multiple activities.

When you copy and paste activities, you can select the types of data to copy over to the duplicate activities. When the new activities are created, they are automatically assigned an activity ID according the autonumbering settings defined for the project.

To cut or copy and paste activities:




4) In the table, select one or more activity rows, select the Context menu, and then select Cut or Copy.

5) Select the row in the table where you want to paste the activity, select the Context menu, and then select Paste.

6) In the Paste Activity Options dialog box, select the activity data to be pasted.

7) Select Paste.

8) Select Save.

Tips

Cutting or copying and pasting a summary activity will include all the child activities.

When pasting activities across group bands in a view, the new activity will assume the attribute of the group band into which it is pasted. For example, if an activity is copied or cut from a WBS1 grouping and pasted in a WBS2 grouping, the WBS attribute of the new activity will be changed to WBS2.

Your security privileges control which attributes you can copy over to new activities.

Add a Discussion to an Activity

Discussions provide a way for project team members to communicate and exchange information that is specific to an activity. Comments added to activities are saved with the activities and are available to all team members with the required security privileges.

To add discussions to an activity:


62




4) Select Discuss to open the Discussion panel.

Note: If no comments have been posted to the Discussion panel, the Discuss icon is empty.

To post a new comment:

In the Post a comment field, enter a comment, and select Post.

To reply to a comment:

In the Post a reply field, enter a reply, and select Reply.

Tips

You cannot edit or delete a posted comment.

Select Like to show that you approve or support a comment. Select Unlike to remove your Like.

Print the Activities Page Layout to a PDF

You can create a customized layout of the Activities page and print the result as a PDF. In the Print Options panel on the Activities page, modify column configuration, Gantt details, output formatting, and header and footer information. After the layout is saved to a PDF file, you can view the layout or print it to a physical format.

To save the Activities page to a PDF:




4) On the Activities page, select the Gantt icon.

5) Select Print.

6) In the Print Options panel, configure the following fields:

a. On the Grid & Gantt Layout tab:

In the Grid section, select columns to include in the print layout.

In the Gantt section, select the width of the column area as a percentage of the page. In the From and To fields, select the start and finish dates of the Gantt chart.

b. On the Paper tab:

In the Paper Layout section:

Select a standard paper size or enter custom print dimensions.

Select a Portrait or Landscape page orientation.

In the Print Direction field, choose the print order of the pages.

In the Scaling section:

Views Overview

63

In the Fit to Number of Horizontal Pages field, select the number of horizontal pages by which to constrain the layout.

In the Row Sizing field, select the total vertical size of the rows as a percentage of the page.

In the Print on Horizontal Pages field, choose to print the first column, all columns, or no columns on subsequent horizontal pages.

In the Margins section, select the length of the left, right, top, and bottom margins of the layout.

c. On the Advanced tab:

In the Header and Footer sections, select the information that you want to appear in left, center, and right columns.

In the Watermark section, enter text that appears as a watermark on each page.

7) Select Print to PDF.

Views Overview

A view is a named configuration of the visual layout of the Activities page. For each view, you can customize content and layout choices such as column selection, filtering, grouping, and sorting. Additionally, you can configure settings for the Gantt chart, including activity bar options, timescale settings, and other display settings.

Views can be saved as one of the three following types: personal, project, and workspace. Personal views are private and only accessible to the user who created them. Project views are saved at the project level and can be accessed by other members of the project. Likewise, workspace views are saved at the workspace level and are available to all users in the workspace.

Selecting the best view for your needs can facilitate the process of managing project data. For example, to record a range of details for new activities, you might select a table view which maximizes the number of data columns available. Or to assign an attribute to new activities as you add them, you could select a view that groups activities based on that attribute.

In the Gantt chart, when you group activities, a summary bar appears for each group. You can expand and collapse the group as needed to focus only on the project summary schedule or on the detailed schedule. In the table, when you group activities, each grouping level is identified and separated by a colored band or background. You can choose to show aggregates for each group.

Create a View on the Activities Page

Create views to define how data is visually displayed in the Activities table and the Gantt chart.

To configure a view:

1) Add an Activity View (on page 64)

2) Configure an Activity Column (on page 64)

3) Configure an Activity Filter (on page 65)


64

4) Configure Activity Grouping (on page 66)

5) Configure Activity Sorting (on page 66)

6) Configure Activity Gantt Bars (on page 67)

7) Configure Activity Gantt Settings (on page 68)

Add an Activity View

When adding a new view, you can add one of three types of views: personal, project, or workspace. Personal views are private and only accessible to the user who created them. Project views are saved at the project level and can be accessed by other members of the project with the necessary security privileges. Likewise, workspace views are saved at the workspace level and are available to other members of the workspace with the necessary security privileges.

Note: Your security privileges determine your ability to create project and workspace views.

To add a view:





5) In the Manage Views panel, select a view type (Workspace, Project, or Personal), select the Context menu, and then select Add.

6) Enter a name for the new view.

7) Select Save.

8) In the Manage Views panel, select Close.

Configure an Activity Column

Configure columns to select and position the columns of data that appear on the Activities page.

To configure a column for a view:





5) In the Manage Views panel, select the view to configure.

6) Select the Columns tab.

7) In the Available Columns section, select columns and select Add Column to Selected Columns to add them to the Selected Columns section.

8) Use the up and down arrows to change the positioning of the columns in the Selected Columns section.

9) Select Save.

Views Overview

65


Configure an Activity Filter

Filters are used to reduce the number of activities displayed in the project without deleting them or otherwise removing them. Activities that have been filtered out are still used for all calculations and reports.

There are three types of filters that a user can create — personal, project, and workspace. Personal filters are private and only accessible to the user who created them. All users have the ability to create personal filters. Project filters are saved at the project level and can be used by other members of the project. Likewise, workspace filters are saved at the workspace level and are available to all members of the workspace. Your security privileges determine your ability to work with project and workspace filters.

The application also includes several standard advanced filters, preconfigured for your use.

To configure a filter for a view:






6) Select the Saved Filters tab, and then select Manage Filters.

7) In the navigation tree, select a level, select the Context menu, and then select Add.

8) Enter a name for the new filter.

9) Do the following to define the filter criteria:

a. In the Match list, select an option to define the filter conditions:

All of the following: Data is filtered only if it matches all the specified rules.

Any of the following: Data is filtered if it matches any of the specified rules.

b. Select Add a filter condition.

c. In the first empty row, use the following fields to define a filter rule:

Field: The data field to which the rule is applied.

Operator: The comparison operation for the rule.

Value: The value against which the rule compares the data field.

d. Add rows for each filter rule you want to define.

e. Add filter groups to define additional sets of conditions.

10) Select Save.

11) In the Manage Filters panel, select Close.

Tips

Select Filter on the Activities page to open the Manage Filters panel, apply a recently used filter, or clear filters currently in use.


66

Configure Activity Grouping

Configure grouping options for views to specify how data is grouped on the Activities page.

To configure grouping for a view:






6) Select the Grouping tab.

7) To configure grouping options, select Configure and do the following:

a. In the Group By section, define grouping levels by specifying the following options:

Group By: Specifies the field by which data is grouped on the page.

Sort Order: Specifies the sequence in which the data is sorted.

Grouping Interval: Specifies an interval by which to separate your groupings. This field is only available when grouping by hierarchical fields such as WBS or Activity.

Note: To add grouping rows, select the Context menu, and select Add Above or Add Below.

b. In the Band Options section, select view options:

Show field title: Displays the title of the field by which data is grouped in a band.

Hide if empty: Hides grouping bands that do not contain any data.

c. In the Band Options section, in the Display text in band using field, select an option to specify the text to appear in the band.

Note: This field only applies to group by fields that have both an ID and name.

8) To configure theme options, select Theme and do the following:

a. In the Style list, select a grouping style.

9) In the Colors list, select a color theme.

Configure Activity Sorting

Configure sorting options to specify how data is arranged on the Activities page.

To configure sorting for a view:





Views Overview

67


6) Select the Sorting tab.

7) Complete the following fields to define a sort order:

Sort By: Select a column by which to order the data.

Order: Select a direction in which to arrange the sorted data.

8) To define additional levels of sorting, select the Context menu, and then select Add.

9) Select Save.


Configure Activity Gantt Bars

To visually distinguish the different bars displayed in the Gantt chart, you can configure bar settings for the Gantt chart view on the Activities page.

To configure Gantt chart bars:






6) Select the Bars tab.

7) To add a new bar, do the following:

a. Select Add, and then select Bar.

b. In the Bar Type list, select one of the available bar types.

c. In the Height list, specify a bar height.

d. In the Bar Color list, use the color picker to select a color for the bar. Optionally you can select a theme from the Theme list to apply a pre-configured color theme for all bars in the Gantt chart.

8) To configure options for the Current bar, select the bar and do the following:

a. To chart progress along the current bar, select Show Progress and do the following:

1. In the Progress Color list, use the color picker to select a color.

2. Select the Switch Colors icon to switch the positions of the bar and progress colors.

3. In the Progress Style list, select a progress style.

b. Select Show Critical to represent critical activities with a red bar instead of the color selected for the Current bar.

9) To configure labels for a bar, do the following:

a. Select the bar, select Add, and then select Label.

b. In the Label Field list, select a label for the bar.

c. In the Color list, use the color selector to select a font color.

d. In the Height list, select a font height.


68

10) Select Save.


Tips

To preview how your Gantt chart bars will look, select Preview.

To reset your Gantt chart settings to the default configuration, select Reset.

Configure Activity Gantt Settings

Configure Gantt chart settings to determine how the chart will display.

To configure Gantt chart settings:






6) Select the Gantt tab.

7) In the Show section, define your chart display options:

Data date line: Determines whether to show the project data date in the Gantt chart.

Relationship lines: Determines whether to show activity relationship lines in the Gantt chart.

Critical relationships: Determines whether to show relationships for activities that must start or finish on time to ensure the project completes on schedule.

Non-driving relationships: Determines whether to show relationships for activities not on the longest path to project completion.

Sight Lines: Determines whether to show lines of demarcation for the selected timescale.

Non-working time shading: Determines whether to gray out time periods in which no work will be performed, as defined by the project calendar.

Progress Spotlight: Enables the Progress Spotlight highlighting feature in the Gantt chart.

8) In the Timescale list, select a timescale for the Gantt chart:

Week/Day: The Gantt chart is divided into weeks which are then divided into days.

Month/Week: The Gantt chart is divided into months which are then divided into weeks.

Quarter/Month: The Gantt chart is divided into quarters which are then divided into months.

Year/Month: The Gantt chart is divided into years which are then divided into months.

Year/Quarter: The Gantt chart is divided into years which are then divided into quarters.

9) Select Save.


Views Overview

69

Tips

You can also enable these options on the Activities page by selecting Gantt Settingsunder the Gantt chart.

Configure Activity Network Settings

The Activity Network is a view on the Activities page that displays a full diagram of the activities and relationships in your project. Configure the number of activity-related fields to display in each activity box.

To configure Activity Network settings:






6) Select the Network Setting tab.

7) In the Customize Activity Box Fields section, display up to eight additional fields across two columns. Select One field per line to limit the display to a single column of four fields.

8) In the Preview section, you can preview the display of an activity box based on your selected fields.

9) Select Save.


Apply a View

Select a view to apply its display settings to the Activities table and Gantt chart.

To apply a view to the Activities page:





5) To apply a view, select the Context menu, and then select Set Active.

6) Select Save.


Apply a Filter to the Current View

You can apply filters to your current view to quickly change the set of data you are working with.

To apply a filter for the current view:




70




6) Select the Saved Filters tab.

7) To search filters:

a. In the Match list, select an option to define the search conditions:

All applied: Only returns search results matching all the search keywords.

Any applied: Returns search results matching any of the search keywords.

b. Enter keywords in the search box.

8) In the filters tree, select the filters to add to the view.

9) Select Save.


Tips

Select Filter on the Activities page to open the Manage Filters panel, apply a recently used filter, or clear filters currently in use.

When you apply a filter to a view, the filter icon changes to indicate that the data on the page has a filter applied.

View the Activities Gantt Chart

The Gantt chart provides a graphical representation of the duration and sequence of activities across a timeline. When you view the Gantt chart, the Activities page is divided into two regions, one displaying the Gantt chart data in a table, and the other displaying the Gantt chart data graphically with a resizable divider between the two regions. The table and chart regions share the same data and selection model, supporting and synchronizing scrolling, and expanding and collapsing of rows between the two regions.

You can hover your cursor over activity bars to view tooltip information about each activity. Hover your cursor over relationship lines to view tooltip information about predecessor and successor activities.

To view the Gantt chart:




4) Select the Gantt icon.

5) Select Gantt Settings to toggle a variety of Gantt chart settings without opening the Manage Views panel.

Views Overview

71

Modify Activity Details in the Gantt Chart

You can modify a variety of activities and relationship details directly in the Activities page Gantt chart. Create activities, adjust durations and dates, and establish relationships between activities. Add lag to relationships, or modify the relationship type. Hover over an activity or relationship line to view its details.

To modify activity details in the Gantt chart:




4) Select the Gantt icon.

5) In the Gantt chart, you can make the following changes:

To create an activity, right-click a row, and select Add Above or Add Below. Enter an activity name.

To modify an activity's start or finish date and its duration, select the left edge or right edge of an activity bar and drag it to a new date. The new date and duration are shown next to the bar as you drag it.

To modify an activity's start and finish dates without changing its duration, select the middle of the bar and drag it to a new date. The new start and finish dates are shown next to the bar as you drag it.

To delete an activity, right-click an activity bar, and select Delete Activity.

To create a relationship, hover over the left edge or right edge of an activity bar. Select the circle and drag it to an edge of a different activity bar. A popover shows the proposed relationship and its type.

To edit an existing relationship, select a relationship line, and then select Edit Relationship. In the popover, edit the relationship type and lag, and then select Apply.

To delete an existing relationship, select a relationship line, and then select Delete Relationship.

Drag any activity bar past the data date line to set a Start On or After constraint.

6) Select Save.

Tips

You can select multiple activity bars and edit their durations or dates at the same time.

View the Progress Spotlight

The Progress Spotlight tool is useful when you are progressing your activities and need to know which activities fall within your update period. When enabled, the spotlight highlights a time period in the Gantt chart. Any activity whose start or finish date falls within the period is also highlighted in the table.


72

The default spotlight interval is determined by the current timescale interval. For example, if the timescale is set to weekly intervals, the default spotlight interval highlights one week from the data date. If a monthly timescale is selected, then the spotlight highlights one month from the data date. You can drag the edge of the spotlight to highlight any period of time after the data date. Disable and then enable the spotlight to view the default interval.

To view the Progress Spotlight:




4) Select the Gantt icon, and then select Gantt Settings.

5) On the menu, select Progress Spotlight.

6) Click and drag the edge of the spotlight to highlight a custom time period.

Tips

You can also enable the spotlight by selecting the data date and dragging it to a future date. Turn off the spotlight by dragging it back to the data date.

If the spotlight is enabled while scheduling your project, the spotlight start date will change to reflect the new data date and the spotlight end date will remain the same. If the new data date is later than the spotlight end date, the spotlight is turned off.

View the Activity Network

The Activity Network is a view on the Activities page that displays a full diagram of the activities and relationships in your project, organized by their WBS nodes. Use the Activity Network to view activity and relationship information, track the sequence of activities in your project, and focus on driving relationships and critical activities. Select individual WBS nodes to break down the Activity Network into smaller segments.

To view the Activity Network:




4) In the table, select an activity.

5) Select the Activity Network View icon.

6) In the Activity Network, the selected activity is highlighted. Select an activity or relationship line to view its details. Select the project name or an individual WBS node in the table to view its associated activities in the view.

7) Use the following tools to configure the Activity Network display:

Zoom In: Zoom in on the displayed sequence of activities.

Zoom Out: Zoom out of the displayed sequence of activities.

Zoom to Fit: Reset the display to the default magnification.

Scheduling Overview

73

Show Driving Relationships: Toggle the display of non-driving relationship lines.

Show Critical Activities: Dim non-critical activities and relationship lines so critical activities are displayed more prominently.

Tips

The following indicators are used in the Activity Network view:

Critical activities and relationships are represented using red tiles, red borders, and red lines. Activity tiles on the critical path display an exclamation point icon.

Non-critical activity tiles are white, and non-critical relationship lines are black.

Solid lines indicate a driving relationship, while dotted lines indicate a non-driving relationship.

Completed activities display a completed icon in their tiles. Start or finish milestones display a diamond in their tiles.

In the Activity Network view, select Download to download the displayed diagram as a .png file.

Scheduling Overview

Scheduling a project or project collection aligns all the activities on a common timeline based on the constraints, relationships, and the date types to which each activity must adhere. When the scheduler is run, the application applies the Critical Path Method algorithm to assign activity dates, calculate total float, and determine the project critical path.

Critical Path Method Overview

When you schedule a project or project collection, the Critical Path Method conducts a forward pass that calculates the earliest start and finish dates for each activity, based on the start or finish dates of predecessor activities as well as the duration of the activity itself. It then conducts a backward pass to calculate the latest start and finish dates for each activity, based on the start or finish dates of successor activities as well as the duration of the activity itself. From these dates, the total float is calculated for each activity to determine how much scheduling flexibility each activity has. Activities that have zero float must start on time to prevent the schedule from slipping. These are the activities that define the critical path. Identifying the critical path helps the project management team know where to focus their efforts by knowing which activities are critical to overall project success.

Schedule a Project

Schedule your project to sequence your activities into a logical order of execution by assigning dates to all activities. Scheduling your project also determines the project's critical path.

To schedule a project:




74


4) Select the Actions menu, and then select Schedule.

5) In the Schedule dialog box, on the Schedule Project tab, configure your data date options:

Select one of the following:

All projects use their own data date: Select this option to use the individual data date for each project.

Apply selected data date to all open projects: Select this option and specify a data date in the Data Date field.

Select Display scheduling log upon completion to automatically display the scheduling log when the scheduling process is complete.

6) Select the Settings tab and configure your scheduling options:

Use schedule options from: If you are scheduling a project collection, select the project whose scheduling options you want to use for the scheduling process.

Recognize relationships to and from other projects: Select this option to recognize relationships to other projects while scheduling the project.

Make open-ended activities critical: Determines whether to designate open-ended activities as critical during scheduling.

Use Expected Finish Dates: Select this option to use expected finish dates while scheduling the project.

Level after Scheduling: Select this option to run the leveler after the scheduler is finished.

When scheduling progressed activities use: Select an option to determine how in-progress activities are scheduled.

Retained Logic: The remaining duration of a progressed activity is not scheduled until all of its predecessors are finished.

Progress Override: The schedule ignores activity relationships and allows the activity to progress without delay.

Actual Dates: Backward and forward passes are calculated using actual dates.

Calculate Start-to-Start lag from: Determines when you want the successor to start. When a start to start relationship exists and the predecessor starts out of sequence, the scheduler delays the successor activity until the lag expires and all predecessor relationships have been satisfied. Use this option to specify whether to subtract the lag from the predecessor's early start date or its actual start date.

Early Start: Calculates the expired lag as the number of work periods between the actual start and the data date and determines the successor's start date as the predecessor's remaining early start plus any remaining lag. Select this option when the successor's start depends on the amount of work that the predecessor activity accomplishes.

Actual Start: Calculates the successor's start date as the data date plus any remaining lag. Select this option when you want the successor's start to depend on the time elapsed from the predecessor's actual start (regardless of the amount of work that has been accomplished in the predecessor activity).

Define critical activities as: Specify the criteria to determine whether an activity is considered critical.

Scheduling Overview

75

Calculate float based on finish date of: Select an option to determine how float is calculated:

Each Project: Float is calculated based on the finish date of each individual project.

Opened Projects: Float is calculated based on the finish date of all opened projects scheduled together.

Compute total float as: Select the method to use to calculate total float for activities.

Calendar for scheduling relationship lag: Select the calendar to use for calculating relationship lag.

7) Select Schedule Now.

Tips

You can schedule a collection of projects to schedule multiple projects at the same time.

The scheduler calculates the project schedule using activity requirements only. Consequently, activities requiring the same roles or resources can be scheduled simultaneously, creating overallocations. Use the leveling feature to resolve role or resource overallocations in your project by adjusting activity dates according to the availability of all assigned roles or resources.

If you choose to automatically run the leveler after the project is scheduled, the leveler will run after the scheduler, according to your last leveling settings.

View the Scheduling Log

The scheduling log records system behavior during the scheduling process, capturing data about events and issues that occur as the project is being scheduled.

The type of information captured in the scheduling log includes:

Projects: Includes the name and ID of the projects included in the scheduling process.

Scheduler Settings: Includes a summary of the settings configured for the scheduler.

Statistics: Includes metrics and details about the activities in the scheduled project.

Results: Includes key dates, critical activities, and other details about the project schedule calculated during the scheduling process.

Warnings: Highlights potential issues with the project schedule.

When the scheduling process is complete, the system issues a notification containing a link to the scheduling log for your review. Reviewing the scheduling log can be helpful in identifying potential problems with your project schedule.

To view the scheduling log:




4) Select the Actions menu, and then select Schedule.

5) In the Schedule dialog box, select View Log.


76

Tips

The scheduling log can also be accessed from the system notification that is generated when the scheduling process is complete.

The scheduling log from past scheduling jobs you ran can be accessed from the Background Services page.

Baselines & Snapshots Overview

Baselines and snapshots are copies, or records, of project data at a given point in time. Two baselines can be set in the application: an original baseline and a current baseline, also referred to as the active baseline. Typically, an original baseline is set when the project has been approved. This baseline is also referred to as the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB). Because a baseline is a static representation of a project plan, it can be used as a benchmark against which to measure performance as a project progresses. The original baseline captures all the original values. The original values cannot be updated after the original baseline is set.

Snapshots can be taken at any time during the planning and execution phases. Snapshots are helpful during the planning phase to capture how the plan is progressing. Organizations may consider taking snapshots at set intervals during the execution phase to establish metrics throughout the lifecycle. A snapshot can be converted into a baseline.

Schedule Management

For schedule management, each baseline captures a complete set of data about the project schedule, including activity dates, durations, float, and labor and non-labor units data. After the project schedule is developed, an original baseline should be set to establish points of reference to monitor your schedule against as it changes over time. When the current baseline is created, all the baseline fields are updated to reflect the current values and are used in certain calculations to calculate variance values, which measure by how much the current values differ from the original values.

To measure schedule performance, you can configure views that show fields from the baseline schedule and the variance fields to identify activities that are not progressing as planned. Baseline fields can also be configured as bars to be displayed in the Gantt chart and used to monitor activity progress visually on the project timeline.

Scope Management

For scope management, a current baseline is created to capture all approved changes since the original baseline was created. When the current baseline is created, all the baseline fields are updated to reflect the current values and are in turn used in certain calculations to measure progress. The original values are not changed.

Baselines & Snapshots Overview

77

For a work package, there are four baseline attributes that the user can refer to after a baseline has been set: Baseline Cost, Baseline Hours, Baseline Start, and Baseline Finish. For each scope assignment, there are five baseline attributes: Baseline Start, Baseline Finish, Baseline Cost, Baseline Hours, and Baseline Quantity. After the original baseline is set, these fields are populated with the original values. After the original baseline is set, all changes needed for scope items, work packages, and scope assignments must go through a review process, which is initiated by submitting change and transfer requests. All baselines can be reset if no installed values are applied or if no change requests exist with a pending, approved, or rejected status.

Set a Project Baseline

Setting project baselines enables you to review progress during the project lifecycle. Two baselines can be set: an original and a current. If no baseline is set, the first baseline is the original baseline. Any subsequent baselines will be set as the current baseline. If a current baseline exists and you are setting a new current baseline, the former current baseline is converted to a snapshot.

To set a project baseline:



3) In the page selector, select Baselines & Snapshots.

4) Select Set Baseline.

5) In the Set Baseline dialog box, enter a baseline name and an optional description, and select Set.

Tips

You can set an existing snapshot as a baseline. Select the Context menu and select Set as Baseline.

After the original baseline is set, you cannot update the Original fields.

Add a Project Snapshot

Add project snapshots to capture project data at a point in time.

To add a project snapshot:




4) Select Save Snapshot.

5) In the Save Snapshot dialog box, enter a name and an optional description, and select Save.

Tips

A snapshot can be set as a baseline. Select the Context menu and select Set as Baseline.


78

Reset a Project Baseline

Reset the project baseline if changes need to be made to the original values. If an original and a current baseline is set, then both baselines will be reset.

To reset the project baseline:




4) Select Reset Baselines.

Tips

A baseline cannot be reset in the following situations:

If there are any change requests, including pending, approved, and rejected changes.

If there are installed values specified for any fields.

Leveling Overview

When you schedule a project, the schedule is calculated based upon the activity requirements, not resource or role availability. Consequently, two activities requiring the same role or resource may be scheduled to occur simultaneously in the project schedule. To resolve this overallocation, you can level the project. Leveling ensures that roles or resources are not overallocated for projects by reducing or eliminating overloads for assignments to more than one activity within a project. During leveling, the role or resource assignments for all scheduled activities are compared to the role or resource availability at the time of leveling, and an activity is only scheduled to occur when its resource or role demands can be met. To achieve this, the system delays activities so that the overallocated roles or resources work on activities consecutively, instead of simultaneously.

Configure the Leveling Priority

To handle scheduling conflicts that may occur during leveling, you can configure priorities that specify the order in which activities are delayed in the schedule. Use the Leveling Priority field to assign a priority to the activities in your project. When you level your project, you can establish a sort order for the activities based upon their assigned leveling priority. The priority rankings can be sorted in ascending or descending order, and are used to guide the leveler as to which activities it should move or not move. The sort order controls which activities are moved around first in the project schedule during the leveling process.

To configure leveling priorities for project activities:




4) Apply a view that displays the Leveling Priority column, or add the column to the current view.

Leveling Overview

79

5) In the Leveling Priority list, select a priority value.

6) Select Save.

Tips

You can also establish leveling priorities using various other project activity fields. When this is done, the leveling order is created based upon the values assigned to the selected field and the chosen sort order. For instance, you can sort activities by remaining duration in descending order so that those activities with the longest remaining duration are the first to be moved around in the project schedule during the leveling process.

Level a Resource or Role

Leveling is a process that helps you ensure that sufficient roles or resources are available to perform the activities in your project according to the schedule.

To level a project:




4) Select the Actions menu, and then select Level.

5) In the Level dialog box, do the following:

Select a leveling method: Resources or Roles.

Select Preserve scheduled early and late dates to preserve activity early and late dates as scheduled rather than adjust them during the leveling process.

Select Display leveling log upon completion to automatically display the leveling log when the leveling process is complete.

6) Choose whether to level all resources or roles, or specify the ones you want to level by moving them to the Selected list.

7) To configure leveling priority settings, select the Prioritization tab, and select fields and a sort order to prioritize activities. Your priorities are used to handle scheduling conflicts that might occur during leveling, and determine which activity is leveled first.

Field: Select a field to be considered a leveling priority.

Sort Order: Specify the order how the field is prioritized.

8) Do one of the following:

Select Save to save your leveling settings.

Select Level Now to run the leveler.

Tips

The resulting dates represent the optimum positioning for the activities based on current resource and role assignments. However, if you reschedule the project without using the leveling option, the dates will return to their original position.

After you level the resources or roles for a project, you can view the log to view data and statistics about the leveling process. You can access the log from the system notification you receive when the leveling process is complete.


80

View the Leveling Log

The leveling log records system behavior during the leveling process, capturing important information as the project is being leveled. The leveling log includes information about the type of leveling performed (resources or roles) and a summary of your leveling settings, including your leveling priority settings and a list of the resources or roles that were leveled.

To view the leveling log:




4) Select the Actions menu, and then select Level.

5) In the Level dialog box, select View Log.

Tips

The leveling log can also be accessed from the system notification that is generated when the leveling process is complete.

The log from past leveling jobs you ran can be accessed from the Background Servicespage.

Schedule Scenarios Overview

Schedule scenarios allow you to analyze and adjust a what-if version of your schedule without affecting your current schedule. With schedule scenarios, you can create and manage multiple planning schedules, modifying details as you evaluate and anticipate different situations, project conditions, resource and role requirements, response plans, delays, and other project issues. You can use schedule scenarios to see how a given outcome may affect your project without making permanent changes to the actual schedule.

In a schedule scenario, you can create and update activities and activity details, assign and level resources and roles, schedule the scenario, and manage views. When you want to overwrite your current schedule with the activities and details of a particular scenario, you can set the scenario as the current schedule.

Active scenarios that are currently being planned have a status of What-if. Scenarios you choose to close have a status of Closed. After a current schedule is replaced with a scenario, the statuses of the previous schedule and the scenario are changed to Retired.

Add a Scenario

Add scenarios to your project to simulate alternative scheduling situations. Model different scheduling decisions and outcomes to determine the most effective solution. The default status of a new scenario is What-if.

To add a scenario:


Schedule Scenarios Overview

81



4) On the Activities page, select Add Scenario, and then select Add Scenario.

5) In the Add Scenario dialog box, enter a name for the scenario, and select Add.

Tips

An added scenario is a duplicate of your current schedule. To duplicate a scenario, select the scenario menu, and then select Duplicate.

Data in the Tasks detail window is read-only.

Manage a Scenario

Use the Manage Scenarios dialog box to add, duplicate, rename, and delete schedule scenarios. Toggle the visibility of scenarios on the Activities page, and choose a scenario status of What-if or Closed. The Source column indicates the source of a scenario. Retired scenarios are read-only.

To manage scenarios:




4) On the Activities page, select Add Scenario, and then select Open existing Scenario.

5) In the Manage Scenarios dialog box, do the following:

In the Filter By list, select which scenario statuses you want to display in the table.

Select Settings to format the display of columns in the table.

In the table, select the Context menu next to a scenario, and then select Add, Duplicate, or Delete.

In the Visible column, select the icon to make a scenario visible or hidden on the Activities page.

In the Status column, change the status of a scenario between What-if and Closed. Closed scenarios are automatically hidden.

6) Select Save.

Tips

You can also open the Manage Scenarios dialog box by selecting Manage Scenarios.

Set a Scenario as the Current Schedule

If you determine that a specific scenario should become the new project schedule, you can set the scenario as the current schedule. When a scenario is set as the new project schedule, scenario details such as dates, durations, assignments, and relationships overwrite the details in the current schedule, including any progress updates made to the current schedule.

To set a scenario as the current schedule:


82




4) On the Activities page, select the scenario menu, and then select Set as Current Schedule.

5) In the Set as Current Schedule dialog box, select Set.

Tips

When a scenario is set as the current schedule, the scenario is hidden and its status is changed to Retired. The previous current schedule is also hidden and its status is changed to Retired. You can make these visible in the Manage Scenarios dialog box.

Monitor Background Services

The Background Services page provides a summary of the progress and completion of services initiated by users that run in the background of the application. Background services include the scheduler, leveler, risk analysis, import/export, measures, and recalculate cost functions available for projects, scope assignments, portfolios, risks, and strategies. Each service is represented as a tab on the page, displaying details about each service. Each tab is divided between currently running services and services that have been completed. Services that are currently running appear with a Running icon next to the job ID. Scheduling, leveling, and measures jobs that are complete include a log you can view to see additional details about the service.

To view background services:

1) In the header, select your username.

2) On the User menu, select Background Services.

3) Select a tab.

4) To view the log for a completed service, select View Log.

Tips

Application administrators can view all background services that all users have initiated. Users who are not application administrators can only view the background services they have initiated.

Updating Activity Progress Overview

To determine how a project is performing and what work remains to be done, updates on its progress should be regularly communicated by project team members. Using the My Activities feature, team members can provide status updates on the progress of activities to which they have been assigned.

Alerts and Thresholds Overview

83

When you assign an activity to a user, the activity appears on the My Activities page. From the page, users can mark activities as started or completed, and update other details to provide the current status of the activity.

The project manager can configure which fields are available on the My Activities page to be updated by team members. Updates to an activity's status can be viewed by the project manager from the Activities page.

You can assign activities to users for progress updates in three ways:

Activity Owners

Resource Assignments

Both

Activity owners are users tasked with the responsibility of updating the status and other details for project activities. Activity owners are typically used when resource assignments are not used for reporting status on activities or when one person is responsible for reporting for a team.

You can also use resource assignments to designate project team members as responsible for updating the status of activities. Using resource assignments, you can assign more than one resource as responsible for an activity. When you assign an activity to multiple resources, the activity appears on the My Activities page for each assigned resource. From the list of assigned resources, you can designate a single person as the primary resource responsible for all status updates for the activity.

Tips

A project must have a status of active in order for activities to appear on the My Activitiespage for project team member updates.

Configure your activity progress update options using the Settings page in the Project view on the Summary & Settings panel.

If your project is configured to use both methods for assigning activities and a user is assigned as both an activity owner and a resource assignment on an activity, the activity will appear twice on the My Activities page.


The Alerts feature enables you to create custom system and email notifications to alert users or user groups when a threshold is met. You can create alerts on the rolled up values of specific project level fields for activities, projects, scope assignments, and work packages. The values for the threshold depend on the type of field you select. For example, if you chose Remaining Hours, the value will be in hours whereas if you chose Approved Budget, the value will be in the base currency. Threshold operators allow you to set options, such as whether the field should equal, not equal, or exceed the value.

Create an Alert

Create alerts at the project level to inform users when defined thresholds are met.

To create an alert:


84

1) Add an Alert (on page 84)

2) Add a Threshold to an Alert (on page 84)

3) Set an Alert Delivery Option (on page 85)

To view an example of creating an alert:

Creating Alerts: Example (on page 85)

Add an Alert

You can create project level alerts to send a notification or email when a specific threshold is met.

To add an alert:



3) On the Summary & Settings menu, select Alerts.

4) On the Alerts page, select Add.

5) In the Select Project Field dialog box, select a project level field under Activity, Project, Scope Assignment, or Work Package, and then select Select.

6) Select Save.



Cost and Funds

Schedule

Scope

Add a Threshold to an Alert

Add thresholds to alerts to define when notifications should be sent.

To add a threshold to an alert:




4) On the Alerts page, select an alert.

5) In the Threshold and Alerts settings pane, under the Threshold section, configure the Operator and Value fields.

6) Select Save.



Cost and Funds

Schedule


85

Scope

Set an Alert Delivery Option

You can assign users and groups to alerts and specify the method of delivery of the message. You can also enter a custom message to the user or keep the default message. The message should be appropriate to all recipients. You cannot specify a different message for different recipients. You can, however, specify different methods of delivery for different users and groups.

When a threshold is met, only one alert will be sent. For example, if you set a threshold to alert users when the Proposed Budget of a project exceeds a certain amount, one alert will be sent. If the Proposed Budget value continues to increase, additional alerts will not be sent.

To add a threshold to an alert:




4) In the Threshold and Alerts settings pane, under the Alerts section, select Assign and then select User or Group.

5) In the Select User or Select Group dialog box:

a. Enter part or all of the username, personal name, or group name into the Search field.

b. Select the name and select Select.

6) In the name row, select what type of message should be sent from the following options:

Notification: Sends a system notification to the user's Notifications panel.

Email: Sends an email to the user's email address stored in the LDAP.

7) (Optional) In the Message field, enter a message that will be sent to the selected users and groups.

8) Select Save.



Cost and Funds

Schedule

Scope

Creating Alerts: Example

Imagine that you want to create an alert that sends you a system notification when a project cost threshold is met. As a cost manager overseeing multiple projects, you want to be alerted when the proposed budget of a project exceeds $800,000. You can configure an alert from the Alerts page of any project to send a custom message when the threshold is met.

Creating an Alert



86



4) On the Alerts page, select Add.

5) In the Select Project Field dialog box, select Project, select Proposed Budget, and then select Select.

6) Select Save.

Defining the Threshold

1) In the Threshold and Alerts settings pane, in the Threshold section, in the Operator list, select is greater than.

2) In the Value field, enter $800,000.

3) Select Save.

Setting Alert Delivery Options

1) In the Threshold and Alerts settings pane, in the Alert section, select Assign and then select User.

2) In the Select User dialog box:

a. Enter part or all of your username or personal name into the Search field.

b. Select your username and select Select.

3) In the username row, select the Notification check box.

4) In the Message field, enter The project proposed budget has exceeded $800,000.

5) Select Save.

87

Oracle Prime Projects Schedule Management User Guide

Copyright © 2014, 2018, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Intel and Intel Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. AMD, Opteron, the AMD logo, and the AMD Opteron logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

This software and related documentation are provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure and are protected by intellectual property laws. Except as expressly permitted in your license agreement or allowed by law, you may not use, copy, reproduce, translate, broadcast, modify, license, transmit, distribute, exhibit, perform, publish or display any part, in any form, or by any means. Reverse engineering, disassembly, or decompilation of this software, unless required by law for interoperability, is prohibited.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and is not warranted to be error-free. If you find any errors, please report them to us in writing.

If this is software or related documentation that is delivered to the U.S. Government or anyone licensing it on behalf of the U.S. Government, the following notice is applicable:

U.S. GOVERNMENT END USERS: Oracle programs, including any operating system, integrated software, any programs installed on the hardware, and/or documentation, delivered to U.S. Government end users are “commercial computer software" pursuant to the applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation and agency-specific supplemental regulations. As such, use, duplication, disclosure, modification, and adaptation of the programs, including any operating system, integrated software, any programs installed on the hardware, and/or documentation, shall be subject to license terms and license restrictions applicable to the programs. No other rights are granted to the U.S. Government.

This software or hardware is developed for general use in a variety of information management applications. It is not developed or intended for use in any inherently dangerous applications, including applications that may create a risk of personal injury. If you use this software or hardware in dangerous applications, then you shall be responsible to take all appropriate failsafe, backup, redundancy, and other measures to ensure its safe use. Oracle Corporation and its affiliates disclaim any liability for any damages caused by use of this software or hardware in dangerous applications.

This software or hardware and documentation may provide access to or information on content, products and services from third-parties. Oracle Corporation and its affiliates are not responsible for and expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind with respect to third-party content, products, and services. Oracle Corporation and its affiliates will not be responsible for any loss, costs, or damages incurred due to your access to or use of third-party content, products, or services.

Legal Notices