• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Ten Six Consulting

Enterprise project management and earned value management

703-910-2600
  • About Ten Six
  • Consulting Services
    • Project Management Services
      • Assessments and Health Checks
      • Organizational Change Management
      • Project Governance
      • Project Management Tool Selection
      • Risk Analysis Services
      • Scheduling Services
      • Project Management Staff Augmentation
    • Project Management Office (PMO) Services
      • PMO Pulse Check
      • PMO Implementation Planning
      • PMO Organization Change Management
      • PMO Project Manager Leadership Development
      • PMO Planning Best Practices
      • PMO Scheduling Best Practices
      • PMO Enterprise Tool Training
      • Program Manager Challenges
    • Earned Value Management Services
      • EVMS RFP Support
      • EVMS Assessments
      • Earned Value Management Tool Selection
      • EVMS System Description and Process Development
      • Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) Preparation and Conduct
      • EVM Certification Support
      • Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Health Check
      • Action Plan Development for Progress Assessment Reviews
      • Earned Value Data Analysis and Reporting
      • WBS Guidelines for Government Acquisition Programs
      • EVMS Staff Augmentation
    • Risk Management Services
      • Risk Management Support and Consulting Services
      • Risk Management Maturity Assessment® (RMMA)
      • Risk Management Checkup Services (RMCS®)
      • Risk Management Training and Workshops
    • Portfolio Management Services
      • IT Portfolio Management
      • Corporate Governance Portfolio Management
      • Product Portfolio Management
      • Public Sector Portfolio Management
      • New Product Development Portfolio Management
  • Software Services
    • Primavera Implementation Consulting
      • Primavera P6 Application Consulting
      • Primavera P6 Knowledge Transfer, Mentoring and Coaching
      • Primavera P6 Technical Consulting
      • Primavera P6 Integration
      • Primavera P6 BI Publisher Services
      • Primavera P6 Staff Augmentation
    • Deltek Cobra Implementation Consulting
      • Deltek Cobra Application Consulting
      • Deltek Cobra Knowledge Transfer, Coaching and Mentoring
      • Deltek Cobra Integration
      • Deltek Cobra Staff Augmentation
      • Deltek GCS and Cognos Impromptu Services
    • Adrega PI (Project Intelligence)
      • Adrega PI Dashboard Reports
    • Microsoft Project Implementation Services
      • Building an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
      • Integrating Microsoft Project with Deltek Cobra
      • Migrating From Microsoft Project To Oracle Primavera P6
      • Microsoft Project to Primavera P6 Conversion Service
  • Training
    • Primavera P6 Training
    • Deltek Training
    • Microsoft Project Training
    • Project Management Training
    • Earned Value Management Training
    • Open Training Class Dates
    • Customized Video Training Classes
  • Blog
    • Deltek Acumen
    • Deltek Cobra
    • Earned Value Mgmt
    • Microsoft Project
    • PMO
    • Primavera P6
    • Project Management
    • Risk Management
  • Clients
  • Contact Us

Primavera P6 Activity Steps

You are here: Home / Primavera P6 / Primavera P6 Activity Steps

September 10, 2014 By TheP6Pro

Primavera P6 Steps: Modeling Complexity While Maintaining Simplicity

As the title suggests, Primavera P6 allows the scheduler to model the complexity of activity tasks while maintaining the simplicity of the Gantt chart. This is done using Primavera P6’s steps function. Activity steps allow the scheduler to break down an activity into smaller units of work that will assist in making a status of the activity when the project starts.

Thus, instead of adding additional activities on the Gantt chart, which increases its intricacy, the activity is left the same on the Gantt chart, but given more definition with the steps function. As the function name implies, activities are broken down into several activity steps. The scheduler can assign a weight to each step to apportion its value compared to the other steps. Weights do not need to add up to any particular number either, they just need to represent the portion of the total effort each step will take. Primavera P6 will compute each steps weight percentage.

Setting Up for Activity Steps

In the bottom layout portion of the screen click on the Steps tab then right-click on the table header row at the top of the Steps tab table area.

Select customize steps columns from the menu.

Click on the general option to display all the options for the steps tab.

Next click on the add all to list (double-arrow) button to select all the steps column headings as shown in Figure 1.

Click apply and OK. You should now see the Step Name, Step % Complete, Step Weight, Step Weight Percent, and Completed column headings in the Steps tab.

Primavera P6 Activity Steps Fig 1
Figure 1

In order to drive progress using Activity Steps, two conditions must be met. First, the project’s calculations tab must have the “Activity percent complete based on activity steps” option checked. Second the percent complete type for the activity must be set to Physical. Follow these steps to change the project’s calculation settings to allow Steps to drive progress on the activity.

  1. Click on the Projects button or tab if the project is open.
  2. Select the open project for the respective project on which you are working.
  3. Click the calculations tab in the bottom layout.
  4. Select “Activity percent complete based on activity steps” checkbox, Figure 2. In the resulting prompt, click “Yes” to continue.
  5. In the activities view, select the activity to which you want to add steps. In the General tab, set the % Complete Type field to Physical, Figure 3. This will prepare the respective activity for progress tracking based upon the steps that are completed.

Primavera P6 Activity Steps Fig 2
Figure 2

Primavera P6 Activity Steps Fig 3
Figure 3

Adding Steps to an Activity

Select the activity you want to describe in more detail with steps. As an example, we select the Mobilize activity in the Wellmont Substation project. Select the Step tab in the bottom layout and then click on the + Add button in the Steps tab to add a step to the activity. In our example we have added these steps to the mobilize activity:

  • Acquire Job Site Trailer
  • Acquire Job Site Furniture
  • Establish Phone and Data
  • Post Davis Bacon Schedule
  • Acquire First Aid Kits
  • Acquire Final Drawings

Next, in the Step Weight column specify the weighting for each step. Notice that a Step Weight Percent for each step weight is listed in the Step Weight Percent column. Enter the appropriate step weight to distribute the percentage of each step in the activity accordingly. For our example, these steps and percent weightings are displayed in Figure 4.

Primavera P6 Activity Steps Fig 4
Figure 4

Update Project with Steps

To update the project status using steps select the corresponding activity that has steps defined. We continue with our Mobilize example. In the bottom layout click on the Status tab and mark the Mobilize activity as started.

Again, in the bottom layout select the Steps tab.

Mark the appropriate steps as finished in the Completed column. For our example mark the Acquire Job Site Trailer and Acquire Job Site Furniture steps complete as displayed in Figure 5.

It is possible to mark tasks as a percentage amount complete by leaving the completed column for that activity unmarked and entering the corresponding percent complete in the Step % Complete column. However, to maintain simplicity it is recommended to wait until the task is complete and then simply mark it as 100% complete by checking off the step in the completed column.

Primavera P6 Activity Steps Fig 5
Figure 5

Summary

Activity steps is a very powerful function in Primavera P6 to provide greater detail to tasks without having to insert multiple activities in the Gantt chart to define that task. The scheduler can define numerous steps for the respective activity, using Primavera P6’s steps function. Additionally, the steps can be assigned a percentage weighting.

Updating the status of the activity is as simple as marking the activity as started using the status tab and then checking off all the steps that are 100% complete in the steps tab. Primavera P6 will automatically update the Gantt chart activity status bar, using this information. The scheduler also can define step templates for steps that are repeated among different activities. Activity steps is just one function that separates Primavera P6 from Microsoft Project in its ability to clearly define and track complex projects.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Deltek Acumen
  • Deltek Cobra
  • Earned Value Mgmt
  • Microsoft Project
  • PMO
  • Primavera P6
  • Project Management
  • Risk Management

Archives

Footer

Upcoming Classes

Primavera P6 Professional Fundamentals

Primavera P6 EPPM Fundamentals

Primavera P6 EPPM Administrator

EVMS Training

Deltek Cobra Fundamentals

Deltek Cobra Advanced

Deltek Acumen Risk Analysis Training

Deltek Acumen Fuse | Risk | 360 Training

BI Publisher for Primavera P6

Copyright © 2018 · Ten Six Consulting, LLC · 703.910.2600

  • About Ten Six
  • Consulting Services
    ▼
    • Project Management Services
      ▼
      • Assessments and Health Checks
      • Organizational Change Management
      • Project Governance
      • Project Management Tool Selection
      • Risk Analysis Services
      • Scheduling Services
      • Project Management Staff Augmentation
    • Project Management Office (PMO) Services
      ▼
      • PMO Pulse Check
      • PMO Implementation Planning
      • PMO Organization Change Management
      • PMO Project Manager Leadership Development
      • PMO Planning Best Practices
      • PMO Scheduling Best Practices
      • PMO Enterprise Tool Training
      • Program Manager Challenges
    • Earned Value Management Services
      ▼
      • EVMS RFP Support
      • EVMS Assessments
      • Earned Value Management Tool Selection
      • EVMS System Description and Process Development
      • Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) Preparation and Conduct
      • EVM Certification Support
      • Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Health Check
      • Action Plan Development for Progress Assessment Reviews
      • Earned Value Data Analysis and Reporting
      • WBS Guidelines for Government Acquisition Programs
      • EVMS Staff Augmentation
    • Risk Management Services
      ▼
      • Risk Management Support and Consulting Services
      • Risk Management Maturity Assessment® (RMMA)
      • Risk Management Checkup Services (RMCS®)
      • Risk Management Training and Workshops
    • Portfolio Management Services
      ▼
      • IT Portfolio Management
      • Corporate Governance Portfolio Management
      • Product Portfolio Management
      • Public Sector Portfolio Management
      • New Product Development Portfolio Management
  • Software Services
    ▼
    • Primavera Implementation Consulting
      ▼
      • Primavera P6 Application Consulting
      • Primavera P6 Knowledge Transfer, Mentoring and Coaching
      • Primavera P6 Technical Consulting
      • Primavera P6 Integration
      • Primavera P6 BI Publisher Services
      • Primavera P6 Staff Augmentation
    • Deltek Cobra Implementation Consulting
      ▼
      • Deltek Cobra Application Consulting
      • Deltek Cobra Knowledge Transfer, Coaching and Mentoring
      • Deltek Cobra Integration
      • Deltek Cobra Staff Augmentation
      • Deltek GCS and Cognos Impromptu Services
    • Adrega PI (Project Intelligence)
      ▼
      • Adrega PI Dashboard Reports
    • Microsoft Project Implementation Services
      ▼
      • Building an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
      • Integrating Microsoft Project with Deltek Cobra
      • Migrating From Microsoft Project To Oracle Primavera P6
      • Microsoft Project to Primavera P6 Conversion Service
  • Training
    ▼
    • Primavera P6 Training
    • Deltek Training
    • Microsoft Project Training
    • Project Management Training
    • Earned Value Management Training
    • Open Training Class Dates
    • Customized Video Training Classes
  • Blog
    ▼
    • Deltek Acumen
    • Deltek Cobra
    • Earned Value Mgmt
    • Microsoft Project
    • PMO
    • Primavera P6
    • Project Management
    • Risk Management
  • Clients
  • Contact Us