During a recent class discussion on limiting user project data privileges within the work breakdown structure (WBS), a student asked whether a user limited to a single WBS element could recalculate the schedule. Here we explore that question.
The Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM) Administrator portions user privileges to project data within the Enterprise Project Structure (EPS) and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). In particular, the Administrator can restrict a user’s rights within the WBS, and to only a WBS element.
This ability enables one project to spread across multiple organizational departments with WBS element access rights granted to each department, accordingly. Of course, the user’s privileges within this WBS element depends on the Project Security Profile assigned to this user (or department) via the Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) assignment.
The Project Security Profile must have ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges. Great! So the Project Security Profile assigned via the OBS assignment has ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges. Does this automatically translate ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges to users and/or departments restricted to a single WBS element?
This article addresses whether a user limited to a WBS element can recalculate the schedule. And, if not, what project data privileges are required in combination with the Project Security Profile ‘Schedule Projects’ privilege?
A user restricted to a WBS element with ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges raises some questions. In particular, can they recalculate the schedule for the entire project or just for the WBS element they have privileges to? Before we go down the path to answer this question let’s first answer whether a user restricted to a WBS element has any capability to recalculate the schedule.
Does a user with privileges restricted to a WBS element have any ability to recalculate the schedule?
Let’s begin our quest to answer this question by logging in as an administrator and selecting Administer > User Access, Figure 1.
Figure 1
In the resulting screen select the Project Security Profiles option and highlight the Project Manager profile, Figure 2.
Figure 2
It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss all the project security profile options that would be appropriate for a project manager, but for them to recalculate the schedule you must give them ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges. This is done in the bottom frame Tools tab, Figure 2. Toggle on the ‘Schedule Projects’ privilege in the list of Tools privileges.
Now let’s view our Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) (or Responsible Manager) assignments and Project Security Profile assignments for our user, Jonnie Baker, Figure 3.
Figure 3
In the bottom frame select the Project Access tab, Figure 3. We see that Jonnie Baker has ‘Read Only Rights’ to the E&C OBS and Project Manager privileges to the R&D OBS. We now go to the EPS, Figure 4, and see that for our project, Wellmont Substation, the Responsible Manager is E&C, which provide ‘Read Only Rights’ to this project.
Figure 4
The E&C Responsible Manager is automatically assigned to all the WBS elements in the Wellmont Substation project. However, using the activities view and bottom frame General tab we manually make the Responsible Manager of the Above Grade WBS element R&D, Figure 5.
Figure 5
So Jonnie Baker has project manager privileges to the Wellmont Substation Above Grade WBS element, and ‘Read Only Rights’ to all other WBS elements in this project.
Let’s login to Jonnie Baker, Figure 6, and see if we can recalculate the schedule from the Wellmont Substation Above Grade WBS element.
Figure 6
In the EPS view we select and open the Wellmont Substation project, Figure 7.
Figure 7
Note that the background for all the listed projects is light blue, indicating ‘Read Only Rights’ to these projects.
Now we dive down into Wellmont Substation, Figure 8, we see by the white background activities that Jonnie Baker has project manager privileges to the Above Grade WBS element.
Figure 8
Note above that the scheduling tool features are dimmed out, indicating that we cannot recalculate the schedule though we’ve selected an activity in the Above Grade WBS element, in which we have project manager privileges. Note, again, Figure 9, that when we’ve selected the Above Grade WBS element we still do not the ability to recalculate the schedule.
Figure 9
Alright, it is clear that the answer to our question is “no”. A user with privileges to a WBS element still does not have the ability to recalculate the schedule.
Okay, well, let’s now find out what it takes to have these ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges. We login again as administrator. In the EPS view we select the Wellmont Substation project and change the OBS or Responsible Manager to R&D, Figure 10, which gives Jonnie Baker project manager privileges to the entire Wellmont Substation project.
Figure 10
Again, we log back in as Jonnie Baker, Figure 11.
Figure 11
In the EPS view, Figure 12, we can tell that we have project manager privileges to the Wellmont Substation project by the white background versus the light blue background of all other projects.
Figure 12
Well, when we open Wellmont Substation we in fact see that Jonnie Baker can now recalculate the schedule, Figure 13.
Figure 13
This tells us that the more complete answer to our question is that you must have ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges to the entire project in order to be able to recalculate the schedule.
Summary
In Primavera P6 EPPM, administrators may assign user privileges at the EPS and WBS levels. However, having ‘Schedule Projects’ privileges at the WBS level is not sufficient. This does not give the user the ability to recalculate the schedule. The user must have
‘Schedule Projects’ privileges at the EPS project level. Only then will the scheduling tools be activated for the user.
Administrators should keep in mind that privileges assigned via the Project Security profile are only relevant at the correspondingly appropriate EPS and/or WBS levels.
For more insight on how to limit user privileges to project data refer to the recent article entitled “The Primavera P6 EPPM Administrator and Limiting User Privileges to Project Data”.