In Primavera P6 EPPM, you can enjoy greater accuracy of the units percent complete type, when tracking an activity’s multiple resources. Here we demonstrate how to track the progress of an activity that has multiple resources working at differing burn rates.
The duration percent complete type is an efficient percent complete type for tracking progress, as it requires the least amount of input. The units percent complete type, however, provides more accuracy on progress when an activity has multiple resources working at disparate production rates. Units percent complete is the preferred choice when using Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM) time sheets module and team member.
Our demonstration project is displayed in Figure 1.
Figure 1
As listed in the activity table resource IDs column, three activities have multiple resource assignments. Also, note the three % complete columns: duration, units, and activity. The activity % complete column displays the activity’s assigned percent complete type, which is units for all activities in this schedule.
It is also important to note that the duration type during resource assignments was set to fixed duration and units/time. After the assignment of resources, the duration type for non-milestone activities was set to fixed duration and units, which constrains the time and budget. And allows the effort to adjust, accordingly.
In Figure 2 we enter status for the first week.
Figure 2
The status of activities in Primavera P6 EPPM is entered in the bottom details general tab. The drain piping system activity and remove damaged piping activity progress as planned. The install piping & adapters activity, however, only progresses two days or 66.7%, Figure 2.
To enter status of the install piping & adapters activity we manually enter both the activity % complete and remaining duration. Unlike duration % complete, the units % complete remaining duration does not compute from the activity % complete value. Again, you must manually enter the remaining duration for units % complete.
But we are not done entering status of the install piping & adapters activity. We need to inspect the actual units, which is viewed in the bottom details assignments tab, Figure 3.
Figure 3
In Figure 3 we find that each resource computed to log in 16-hours or 2-days effort, which agrees with our activity % complete value. The reality of the situation, however, was that the common laborer only worked 14-hours actual and not 16-hours, Figure 4.
Figure 4
On the other side, the pipe fitter worked more hours, 20-hours versus the 16-hours initially computed, again, Figure 4. When these assignments are saved the remaining units of the install piping & adapters resources update, as displayed in Figure 5.
Figure 5
Note the remaining units adjust to maintain the budget. This means the common laborer has 10-hours work remaining. The pipe fitter only has 4-hours remaining units.
With these actual units updates the enter status for the first week is complete. In Figure 6 we move the data date forward one week and recalculate the schedule.
Figure 6
Note that after we recalculate the schedule the remaining units of resources on install piping & adapters hold, Figure 7.
Figure 7
Further, observe that the install piping & adapters duration % complete is 66.7%. The duration % complete computes from the 2-day actual duration divided by 3-day planned duration or 66.7%. The install piping & adapters units % complete, however, comes to 70.8%, which is a more accurate representation of actual worked performed by resources on install piping & adapters. As displayed in Figure 8, the activity % complete computes from the actual labor units divided by the planned labor units, 34-hours divided by 48-hours or 70.8%.
Figure 8
The final schedule after one week’s progress is displayed in Figure 9.
Figure 9
The tabulated activity % complete values equate to the more accurate units % complete value, because we set the percent complete type of schedule activities to units. The duration % complete in this schedule situation is less accurate; it does not account for the differing burn rates of the common laborer and pipe fitter, while installing piping & adapters.
Summary
Schedulers using Primavera P6 EPPM have three flavors of percent complete types to choose from to support measuring schedule progress. The duration % complete type is nice because it requires less input. But the physical % complete type is considered more accurate than the duration % complete type because it accounts for the actual physical progress of work achieved and not simply effort expended.
The units % complete type, however, is best when multiple resources are working at different production rates. Again, it is important to note that the remaining duration of unit % complete is not automatically computed, schedulers must provide either a remaining duration or an expected finish date, and, if they differ, the actual units of each resource.