As a Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM) Administrator, it’s important to know how to limit user privileges at the Enterprise Project Structure (EPS) and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) levels.
In addition to providing software module access, the Primavera P6 EPPM Administrator grants both Global Security profile rights and Project Security profile rights. The Global Security profile determines user access to application-wide information. And the Project Security profile determines a user’s access to projects.
The options in both the global and project security profiles are too numerous to provide an exhaustive list here, but you may want to refer to Global and Project Security Profile Settings in Primavera P6 for more details.
This article discusses the assignment of the Project Security profile to limit user privileges within the EPS and WBS.
Today, the focus is on how to apply these profiles. The Global Security profile is easy to apply, just assign the profile directly to a user. Assignment of the Project Security profile is a little more involved.
The big difference between assignment of a Global Security profile and a Project Security profile is that, unlike Global Security Profiles, Project Security Profiles are never assigned directly to a user. This is done so we can assign different levels of access to different projects for a particular user.
As an example, we can assign one user Read Only privileges to some projects, and Project Management privileges to others. How is this done? It is achieved by assigning Project Security Profiles to the user at the point where the Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) meets the EPS node, Project, or WBS element.
Project Security profiles are assigned to users via OBS assignments. Primavera P6 EPPM requires that all EPS nodes, projects, and WBS elements are assigned a responsible OBS, i.e. responsible manager. The combination of the Project Security Profile and user assignment to an OBS, and the OBS (responsible manager) assignment to the EPS/WBS, determines which projects and WBS elements the user can access.
Sounds confusing! Let’s step through the process with a demonstration.
Login as an administrator and select Administer > User Access, Figure 1.
Figure 1
In User Access view select the Project Security Profile option, Figure 2.
Figure 2
Create a Project Manager Project Security Profile as displayed in Figure 2. (Note the + add Project Security Profile at the top of the screen, Figure 2.)
The Project Manager Project Security Profile provides our user with enough privileges to perform most functions to a project schedule. This article does not recommend what profile options would be suitable for a Project Manager.
Now select OBS and highlight E&C OBS, Figure 3.
Figure 3
Select the Users tab in the bottom frame and a list of users assigned to this OBS appears, Figure 3. Click the assign users icon, Figure 3. A list of all the users in the system appears, Figure 4.
Figure 4
For our demonstration we select Jonnie Baker. The user Jonnie Baker now appears in the list of all users assigned to the E&C OBS. From the Project Security Profile drop down menu select the ‘Read Only Rights’ profile, Figure 5.
Figure 5
Jonnie Baker is now assigned ‘Read Only Rights’ to the E&C OBS. Click save to record the assignment, Figure 6.
Figure 6
We continue in Figure 7 and assign Jonnie Baker to the R&D OBS, and assign him the ‘Project Manager’ Project Security Profile, Figure 7.
Figure 7
Although we do not have a screen shot we also assign Jonnie Baker to the Manufacturing OBS with a ‘Project Manager’ Project Security Profile.
We can see all Jonnie Baker’s assignments by selecting Users and Jonnie Baker from the list, Figure 8.
Figure 8
In the bottom frame, select the Project Access tab and all the OBS or Responsible Manager assignments for Jonnie Baker are listed along with the associated Project Security Profiles. For our Jonnie Baker demonstration we have three OBS assignments: E&C, Manufacturing, and R&D, Figure 8.
Now, still as administrator, we dive into the EPS and assign each EPS node and project our desired OBS or Responsible Manager, Figure 9.
Figure 9
Note, in particular, the Responsible Manager column in the EPS view and the EPS nodes and projects assigned E&C and Manufacturing.
In this example, we dive deeper by opening the ‘Wellmont Substation’ project, Figure 9, and selecting the activities page. In the activities view of ‘Wellmont Substation’ highlight each WBS element and view the Responsible Manager in the bottom frame General tab, Figure 10.
Figure 10
Note in Figure 10 we highlight the Mobilization WBS element and confirm the Responsible Manager is E&C. Almost all the WBS elements are E&C. However, for our demonstration we highlight the Above Grade WBS element and change the Responsible Manager from E&C to R&D, Figure 11.
Figure 11
This concludes all our OBS assignments.
To view the access privileges of Jonnie Baker we login as Jonnie, Figure 12.
Figure 12
In the EPS page of the Project tab we see a list of all the projects Jonnie Baker has access to, Figure 13.
Figure 13
The darkened or light blue projects are all the projects Jonnie Baker has ‘Read Only Rights’ to. The non-darkened or white background projects are all the projects Jonnie Baker has Project Manager privileges to. We open the ‘Wellmont Substation’ project, Figure 13, and select the activities page. Here in Figure 14, activities view, we see all the WBS elements Jonnie Baker has ‘Read Only Rights’ to, activities in light blue.
Figure 14
And, finally, we see the WBS element Above Grade that Jonnie Baker has Project Manager privileges to, activities with white background.
Summary
Each person using any module of Primavera P6 EPPM must be a registered as a “user” with the appropriate module access. Additional security privileges defined in Global profiles and Project profiles determine each user’s access to data.
The Global profiles define a user’s access to application wide information. The Project profile defines the user’s access to project-specific information. Global profiles are assigned to each user.
For Project profiles, however, you assign the appropriate project profile to each user via an OBS element. Each EPS node and project is assigned an OBS element or person responsible. Thus, you can control access to your projects.
Further control is possible by assigning a responsible OBS element to each WBS element within a project. In this way you may have one project spread across multiple departments and grant WBS element access rights to each department, accordingly.