We noticed several folks having difficulty investigating out-of-sequence tasks in Deltek Acumen. Quite often, they thought that they hadn’t correctly imported the schedule baseline. Let’s take a look at this.
Out-of-sequence schedule progress occurs when a successor activity begins before its predecessor relationship is satisfied. In the classic example, two efforts are connected by a finish-to-start (FS) relationship. Here, the successor task cannot begin until the conclusion of its predecessor task. In our out-of-sequence scenario, the successor begins before the conclusion of the predecessor task. Primers on out-of-sequence progress and how to handle them are at the following links:
Options for Scheduling Progressed Activities in P6
Out-of-Sequence Progress, Retained Logic and Downstream Tasks in P6
Several folks have needed help investigating out-of-sequence progress in Deltek Acumen Fuse. Acumen means the ability to make quick decisions and good judgments. True to its name, Acumen Fuse provides schedule analysis and diagnostics tools based on decades of best practices in scheduling. And it was developed with the grand vision of improving schedule quality industry-wide.
When the schedule progresses not according to plan, it is important to review out-of-sequence tasks. With out-of-sequence progress, there are two options:
- the progress is invalid, and the schedule requires corrective action, or
- the predecessor relationship is not hard and fast, so the progress is acceptable.
Acumen Fuse identifies out-of-sequence tasks, including predecessor and successor details, to support this investigation.
This article demonstrates how to take a P6 schedule XER file and tabulate its out-of-sequence tasks in Acumen Fuse.
Figure 1 shows a P6 Professional demonstration schedule progressed with at least two out-of-sequence tasks: Set Forms and Lay Rebar.
Figure 1
Progress of Set Forms violates the finish-to-start (FS) with Install Piping and Couplings. And the progress of Lay Rebar violates the FS relationship with its predecessor Set Forms.
We can view a list of these out-of-sequence tasks in the P6 Professional log file. To do this, execute the following:
- Click Tools | Schedule
- In the Schedule dialog box, Figure 2:
- Click Apply selected data date to all open projects
- Toggle on Log to File
- Click Schedule
Figure 2
- Again, click Tools | Schedule
- Click View Log, Figure 3
- Click Apply selected data date to all open projects
- Click View Log
Figure 3
The following log file listing out-of-sequence task warnings appears.
Figure 4
This log file is helpful, but Deltek Acumen may provide more information in a more useable Excel spreadsheet.
Let us investigate out-of-sequence tasks using Acumen Fuse. We want Acumen Fuse to generate a list we can send to an Excel spreadsheet. We perform the following steps:
- We import our XER file into Acumen, Figure 5.
- Click S1 // Projects
- Bottom portion of the Oracle Primavera button
- Single Project from a P6 XER file
Figure 5
- Select the XER file in this demonstration, Pipe Repairs-3.xer, and open, then select Pipe Repairs-3 again and click OK, Figure 6.
Figure 6
You must select your project of interest again because you can save multiple schedules to an XER file.
- Click the top portion of the Import All Projects button, Figure 7, to complete the import.
Figure 7
- Display activity table and Gantt chart, Figure 8
- Select the Pipe Repairs-3 schedule in the navigator pane.
- In the Activities ribbon group, select the bottom portion of the Activity View button.
- Click Grouping
- Scroll Display Level to 4
Figure 8
- View the schedule to confirm the import.
Figure 9
The schedule Gantt chart has some different graphics but appears like the P6 Professional network logic.
- List out-of-sequence tasks.
- Click Pipe Repairs-3 in the navigator pane
- Select S2 // Logic
- Click the Out of Sequence button
Figure 10
The list of the two out-of-sequence tasks appears in Figure 10.
- Export the list of out-of-sequence tasks to Excel.
- Click Publish in S2 // Logic
- Export to Microsoft Excel
Figure 11
Figure 12 displays the resulting spreadsheet.
- View out-of-sequence tasks in Excel.
- Click the right arrow to move the tab selection to the right.
- Locate and click the out-of-sequence tab.
Figure 12
The spreadsheet provides additional information, such as the predecessor and status; successor, which is the out-of-sequence task and status; the relationship type; and lag, which are helpful tabulated data.
For the initial inquiry, we note that importing a baseline to list the out-of-sequence tasks was unnecessary.
Summary
Primavera P6 Professional generates a Log File that lists out-of-sequence tasks. Deltek Acumen can export a list of out-of-sequence tasks with additional information. Though you wouldn’t purchase Deltek Acumen for this feature alone, the Acumen Fuse out-of-sequence diagnostics tool complements the many metrics and other diagnostics tools to confirm schedule quality and expose shortcomings.
Consider the articles below for primer on the more fundamental features of Acumen Fuse’s project analysis and diagnostic tools.