Primavera Project Planner - Oracle

1 Primavera Project Planner Planning and Control GuideVersion Copyright 1999 by Primavera Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photo-copying, mimeographing, recording, taping, or in information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the send your comments about Primavera Project Planner to: Primavera Systems, Bala Plaza WestBala Cynwyd, PA 19004 Telephone: 610-667-8600 FAX: 610-667-7894 Internet: Wide Web site: , Primavera Project Planner , P3, SureTrak, SureTrak Project Manager, and Webster for Primavera are registered trademarks.

2 Concentric Project Management, DataStore for Primavera , Enterprise Summary Performance, Expedition Express, Monte Carlo, Parade, Primavera Enterprise Access Kit, Primavera ESP, Primavera Portfolio Analyst, Primavera Progress Reporter, P3e, RA, TeamPlay, TeamPlayer, TeamPlay Methodology Manager, TeamPlay Portfolio Analyst, and TeamPlay Project Manager for Primavera are trademarks of Primavera Systems, Inc. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS: The SOFTWARE and documentation are provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to the restric-tions set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of The Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights 48 CFR , and our GSA contract, as applicable.

3 This manual is printed on recycled paper. iiiTable of viiUsing P3 Documentation, Help, and Tutorials ..viiiWhere to Get Support .. xiPart 1: OverviewThe Process of Project 3 Introduction to Project 4 Process Summary .. 5 The Update Cycle .. 8 The Project Plan .. 12 What Is Special about P3? .. 14 Next Steps .. 22P3 Quick 23 The Parts of the P3 Window .. 24 What Is a Layout? .. 25 Sample Layouts .. 26 Start P3 and Open a Project .. 34 About the Sample Projects .. 37 Part 2: Planning and Implementing the ScheduleDetermining the Project Structure .. 48 Adding a Project Group .. 49 Adding Member Projects to a Project Group .. 52 Managing a Project 53 Determining How Durations Are Estimated.

4 56 Creating a Basic Task-Driven Schedule .. 58 Process 59 Adding Activities .. 60 Linking Activities with Relationships .. 64 Calculating the Schedule .. 68iv Table of ContentsReviewing the Schedule .. 69 Identifying the Critical Path .. 73 Assigning 75 Assigning Resources .. 80 Organizing and Filtering Layouts .. 85 Printing Layouts .. 87 Creating a Resource-Driven Schedule .. 89 Process 90 Defining a List of 91 Setting Resource Unit Rate 93 Defining Resource 94 Adding Activities and 96 Assigning Resources to 98 Reviewing Resource Profiles .. 101 Leveling Resources .. 105 Estimating Costs .. 112 Setting Up a Cost Account 113 Assigning Cost Accounts.

5 115 Defining Unit Prices .. 116 Reviewing Cash Flow .. 117 Part 3: Adjusting and Refining the ScheduleBuilding Additional Data 124 Creating a Work Breakdown Structure .. 125 Defining Project Codes .. 130 Defining Additional Activity Codes .. 132 Defining Activity ID Coding .. 133 Establishing Custom Data Items .. 134 Refining the 137 Modifying the Standard Workweek .. 138 Adding Calendars .. 139 Specifying Holidays .. 140 Constraining Activity 142 Modifying the Sequence of Activities .. 144 Part 4: Updating and Managing the ScheduleUpdating the Schedule .. 148 Process 149 Establishing a Target Plan .. 153 Highlighting Activities for Updating.

6 154 Estimating Activity Progress Automatically .. 156 Updating Resource/Cost Data 158 Table of Contents vUpdating Task Activities Manually .. 161 Keeping Activity Logs .. 167 Recording Progress on Resource-Driven 169 Storing Period 171 Tracing Progress Using the Progress Line .. 173 Tracking Additional Cost 176 Sharing Project Data Remotely .. 179 Process 180 Sending E-Mail to Update 181 Receiving E-Mail in P3 .. 183 Publishing HTML Reports and Layouts on an Intranet or on the World Wide Web .. 187 Monitoring Projects .. 192 Managing Change .. 193Is the Project Progressing According to Plan? .. 194 Which Activities Have Slipped?

7 195 What Is the Status of Critical Activities? .. 196 Which Activities Are Critical or Nearly Critical? .. 197 How Are Groups of Activities Related?.. 199 What Is Scheduled to Begin in the Next Three Months? .. 200 What Is Happening in Each Project ? .. 201 When Will the Project (s) Be Finished? .. 202 When Will Major Milestones Be Achieved? .. 203 What s Involved in the Procurement Process? .. 204 Are Enough People Available to Do the Work? .. 205Is Any Leeway Possible in Allocating Resources?.. 206 How Are Resources Allocated? .. 207 Are Resources Overloaded? .. 208 What Are the Projected Costs? .. 210 Will Spending Stay within Plan?

8 211 Where Is Money Being Spent? .. 212Is the Project Being Performed as Planned? .. 214 What to Do Next? .. 215 Part 5: Customizing PresentationsCustomizing the Bar Chart .. 219 Customizing Activity Columns .. 220 Adjusting the Timescale .. 222 Formatting Bars .. 225 Showing Data on Bars .. 231 Crosshatching Bars by Activity 233 Summarizing Data .. 235 Using OLE to Enhance the Presentation .. 240vi Table of ContentsOrganizing 244 Grouping Activities into 245 Sorting Activities .. 251 Outlining Activities .. 253 Filtering Activities and 255 Customizing PERT .. 259 Formatting Activity Boxes .. 260 Modifying and Creating Templates.

9 261 Changing the Color and Shape of Activities .. 262 Formatting Relationship Lines .. 264 Arranging Activities .. 265 Printing Layouts, Reports, and Graphics .. 269 Using Print Preview .. 270 Defining Page Settings .. 272 Printing Reports and Graphics .. 275 Index .. 279 PrefacePrimavera Project Planner (P3) provides an easy-to-use approach to Project planning with an intuitive interface that makes Project planning and control easy and fun, without sacrificing the powerful sophistication of high-end Project -management software that you expect from is a multiuser product that operates on popular local area networks such as Novell or Banyan Vines.

10 It is compatible with SureTrak Project files, allowing you to share data with other network users, and with anyone who manages projects using Primavera this preface:Using P3 Documentation, Help, and TutorialsWhere to Get Supportviii PrefaceUsing P3 Documentation, Help, and TutorialsIf you are new to P3, start with this book for a step-by-step guide to planning and controlling projects using P3. The Planning and Control Guide begins with an overview of Project management and the planning and updating process; the remainder of the book shows you how to use P3 to effectively implement the process. When you need to know more details, refer to the Reference manual.