Export and Import Physical PCT Progress
I was recently asked how to export and import physical Percent Complete Type progress (PCT). Let’s take a look at how to do this.
We have written a series of blogs on exporting and importing schedule and lump sum cost data. This may appear to be an exercise, but it intends that P6 schedulers can export schedule and cost information into Excel, allowing non-scheduling team members to enter their schedule updates into this spreadsheet. Then, the P6 scheduler imports this progress into P6.
We showed detailed instructions on how this is done for schedule status in the following article How To Export & Import Primavera P6 Schedule Status Using Excel.
We then added cost to the process, showing how this is done for lump sum cost-loaded schedules in the following blog How to Export & Import Lump Sum Costs into P6.
We were asked how to do this for schedules employing the physical PCT. The physical PCT is one of three ways to progress a P6 schedule. It is considered the most accurate as the scheduler can separate the remaining duration from the achievement. For the duration PCT, the achievement and the remaining duration must directly correlate.
So, the production of duration PCT schedules must be uniform, whereas physical PCT allows for nonlinear production. For a primer on duration and physical PCTs, refer to the following Using Physical and Duration Percent Complete Types In Primavera P6.
As the physical PCT requires more data input, answering questions about exporting and importing schedule progress using the physical PCT is appropriate.
This article demonstrates how to export and import schedule data and lump sum costs for schedule progress using the physical PCT.
This article assumes some familiarity with exporting and importing schedule data to Excel. The blogs above provide more detailed step-by-step instructions.
Our demonstration schedule is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
This schedule has a ten-hour-day, four-day workweek calendar and measures progress using the physical PCT. The exception is the project management effort, which we resource uniformly; its PCT is duration (shown in red outline for the project management task, Figure 1). We chose the duration PCT for the project management task because its uniform production requires less input and works better for P6’s automatic computations.
We want to export this schedule to an Excel spreadsheet and have non-scheduling team members enter physical PCT schedule progress, including a lump sum cost-loading. We choose File | Export | Spreadsheet – (XLSX) and click next. Then, in the Export Type dialog box, we toggle Activities, Activity Relationships, Resources, and Resource Assignments, Figure 2.
Figure 2
To simplify our demonstration, we chose not to export expenses. We proceeded to choose the Wellmont schedule to export. Then, in the Figure 3 Excel Export dialog, we select the Physical PCT Template and view it by clicking Modify.
Figure 3
We confirm the column options for this template. The column options for the Activities subject area are displayed in Figure 4.
Figure 4
The Figure 4 columns options list displays the activity % complete, physical % complete, remaining duration, and expected finish column options pertinent to the physical PCT. Figure 5 displays the column options for the important resource attributes.
Figure 5
Figure 6 displays the column options to support the resource assignments.
Figure 6
We chose not to include the activity name to limit the width of our spreadsheet, but you could easily include it. We make no changes to the template. Click OK, select the file to export, choose a file location, and click finish to complete the export.
The resulting schedule task tab (TASK) is displayed in Figure 7.
Figure 7
In Figure 7 above, the columns with an (*) in the heading are not read in by a P6 import; they are simply for reference. We color the spreadsheet columns to guide our non-scheduling team members in inputting the schedule progress, Figure 8.
Figure 8
In Figure 8 above, the yellow columns require input, and the orange columns are populated for documentation only. P6 reads the plum-colored column, but these original duration values should not be modified for a standard progress update. The green row for the project management effort requires no progress input; P6 automatically progresses it. The PCT of the project management task is duration, as discussed above.
We enter the schedule progress in Figure 9.
Figure 9
In Figure 9 above, the physical % complete is not read by P6. However, activity % complete is read. The value of activity % complete is dependent on the PCT assignment for that task. If it is physical, the activity % complete type is based on the physical % complete value. The above TASK tab spreadsheet includes the PCT, physical % complete, and activity % complete columns.
In addition to the activity percent complete, physical PCT progress in P6 requires either a remaining duration or an expected finish date. Unfortunately, P6 does not read the expected finish column, so schedulers must provide the remaining duration in business days to match the expected finish date. Including a finish date in the expected finish column for documentation is good. Figure 9 above includes columns for the remaining duration (yellow) and expected finish (orange).
Also, in Figure 9 above, notice to proceed, project start, mobilize all progress, and complete as planned. The grade site task is complete per the data date but started a day late and finished late on February 8th, 2024. The achievement and remaining duration for the set foundations and install conduit tasks are not correlated, i.e. not uniform. The set foundations’ task began a day late, is eighty percent complete, and is scheduled to conclude on February 13, 2024, equivalent to two days remaining. Install conduit began on time is two-thirds complete and will conclude on February 13, 2024, equivalent to two days remaining.
Figure 10, the resource tab spreadsheet (RSRC), displays the resource attributes for our lump sum task.
Figure 10
The workday is ten hours, so the default units/time is 10. The standard rate is not read but is $1 per hour. The standard rate and most other resource information must be input directly into P6 Professional. Figure 11 displays the resource assignment information in the task resource (TASKRSRC) tab.
Figure 11
In Figure 12, we color yellow the TASKRSRC columns we need to update for units and cost adjustments to the schedule.
Figure 12
We want P6 to compute the actual and remaining units and cost of the project management effort automatically, so we must delete this row from the spreadsheet to avoid overwriting the project manager’s values when we separately import cost data after importing the schedule data. In Figure 12, we delete the project manager’s resource assignment row. The resulting resource assignment spreadsheet is displayed in Figure 13.
Figure 13
In Figure 14, we manually enter the actual and remaining units and costs.
Figure 14
In Figure 14, the W1040 (mobilization) and W1050 (grade site) tasks concluded and were spent as planned; their remaining early units and costs are zero. The W1060 (set foundations) task is eighty percent complete, and the actual cost was $20,000, not the expected $21,600, which is eighty percent of $27,000. The W1070 (install conduit) task is one-third complete and costs $5,000; this is $533.33 above the P6 computed $4,466.67 value from the schedule update.
Figure 15 displays the schedule and costs before progress updates.
Figure 15
We want to progress the schedule through February 11, 2029. P6 has a rigid three-step process for updating the schedule. For a primer on status updates, review the article at the following link Progressing a Schedule in P6 Professional.
Figure 16 shows the Excel Import settings to import the entered actuals for activities and activity relationships.
Figure 16
The schedule with imported actuals but not yet scheduled is in Figure 17.
Figure 17
We then moved the data date to the end of the reporting period, February 11, 2029, Figure 18.
Figure 18
To find the schedule status displayed in Figure 19, we calculated the schedule on the February 11, 2029 data date.
Figure 19
Note that the set foundations’ $21,000 actual labor units are computed using not the activity % complete but the two-day remaining duration. The actual labor cost for the set foundations effort is as follows:
The actual labor cost for the install conduit task computes similarly:
Our schedule progress updates are done, but we have a few actual units and costs to specify to match what the project manager invoices in our demonstration. In Figure 20, we proceed to import these cost actuals.
Figure 20
Note that Figure 20 toggles only resources and resource assignments. After importing these units and cost actuals (listed in the yellow columns of Figure 14), the final schedule with cost actuals is in Figure 21.
Figure 21
Figures 14, 19 and 21 show that the set foundations’ (invoiced) actual labor cost was lowered to $20,000, and the install conduit (invoiced) actual labor cost was increased to $5,000.
Summary
Exporting a schedule to provide non-scheduling team members with an Excel spreadsheet for their updates using the physical PCT requires additional information than that for the duration PCT. You will want to specify the physical PCT in the PCT column, document the physical % complete value in its column, and then list the respective values in the activity % complete column for import to P6.
Again, the value listed in the activity % complete column reflects the PCT, which, for our demonstration, was physical for all tasks except duration. Though there is a column listing expected finish dates, it is not read by P6.
So, schedulers must determine the remaining duration in business days and enter it into the remaining duration column. The overall process is like schedule updates for the duration physical Percent Complete Type, but with the additional information in the task tab (TASK) spreadsheet.
Ensure the P6 project ID and the Excel base file name you plan to import are the same. The import Excel file formatting must be like the exported Excel file, with only minor changes like our fill color changes in the demonstration.