Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6

How to preserve mapping for a progressed risk-adjusted schedule? Here we take a look at this.

An Acumen Risk student recently asked how to keep their risk mappings intact after updating a schedule in P6 Professional. Acumen has some capabilities to modify a schedule, but progressing a schedule, particularly a large schedule, is best done in the originating software program. This round-trip workflow has three main stages:

  1. Create an 80% confidence level schedule scenario in Acumen and export it to P6
  2. Progress the schedule status within P6 for the current reporting period.
  3. Re-import the baseline and updated schedule into Acumen, then reload the risk register to restore mappings.

While Deltek has improved Acumen’s mapping restoration features, the core workflow still relies on these three stages.

This article explains how to export an 80% confidence schedule from Acumen Risk, progress it within P6 Professional and re-import it while preserving your risk register mapping

Demonstration

In Figure 1, S1 // Projects tab, we have an Acumen v8.8 duration risk-adjusted schedule model and a cost risk-adjusted cost model listed in the navigator pane.

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 1

In Figure 2, we click S3 // Risk, select the schedule model in the navigator pane, then choose Build Scenario | P Schedule 80 (a popular level confidence level).

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 2

We need to perform a risk analysis before creating a scenario. We must perform a risk analysis before creating a scenario. To demonstrate this process, we will select the unmitigated worst-case scenario: Uncertainty and Risk Events (No Mitigation), Figure 3.

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 3

In Figure 4 we click Run Risk Analysis to perform the risk analysis.

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 4

In Figure 5, we choose Build Scenario | Scenario Based on Risk Inputs to create the schedule scenario at our 80% confidence level.

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 5

In Figure 6, the risk-adjusted schedule scenario is shown in the S3 // Risk navigator pane.

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 6

In Figure 7, S1 // Projects, we right-click the scenario and choose Export as Oracle Primavera P6 XER.

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 7

Figure 8 displays the baseline risk-adjusted schedule (activity table, Gantt chart) in P6.

Progressing Acumen Risk-Adjusted Schedules in P6
Figure 8

Figure 9 is the P6 baseline and progress after the June update.

P6 baseline and progress
Figure 9

Back in Acumen S1 // Projects, we must delete the scenario to re-import the risk-adjusted progressed schedule into our Acumen workbook, Figure 10.

Re-import the risk-adjusted progressed schedule
Figure 10

(You cannot import a schedule into a workbook with a scenario.) We select the workbook in the navigator pane and click Oracle Primavera to begin the re-import, Figure 11.

Select the workbook in the navigator pane
Figure 11

Figure 12 shows the S1 // Projects navigator pane after we import the risk-adjusted baseline schedule (PIPE_B RA – BL) and the risk-adjusted first month progress update (PIPE_B RA – M1), Figure 12.

Assign Baseline
Figure 12

We then assign the baseline to the risk-adjusted first-month progress update schedule (PIPE_B RA – M1), Figure 12. We completed the import, and Figure 13, displays the navigator pane in S1 // Projects.

Navigator pane in S1 // Projects.
Figure 13

Note, in Figure 13, S1 // Projects, the letter B after the PIPE_B RA – M1, indicating it has an assigned baseline. (Assigning the baseline is mainly so you can use the SmartGantt feature in the Activities ribbon group to display the current progress against the baseline in S1 // Projects.) In Figure 14, S3 // Risk tab, navigator pane, we select the original schedule and then export its risk register.

Export risk register.
Figure 14

In Figure 15, select the risk-adjusted baseline (PIPE_B RA – BL). Then, choose Excel | Import Risk Register from Microsoft Excel to re-import the risk register assigned to this baseline.

Import Risk Register
Figure 15

Confirm mapping. Figure 16 shows the baseline schedule with the drain piping system task selected to confirm its mapping.

Baseline schedule
Figure 16

In Figure 17, we re-import the Excel risk register to the progressed schedule, PIPE_B RA – M1.

Re-import the Excel risk register
Figure 17

Figure 18 displays the progressed schedule with risk register and drain piping system mapping.

Progressed schedule with risk register
Figure 18

Note in Figure 18 that completed tasks have no remaining duration uncertainty.

Summary

Acumen Risk is a useful tool for risk-adjusting an imported P6 schedule. While it offers limited schedule-editing capabilities, updates are best made in P6. To maintain your risk mappings throughout a reporting cycle, follow this standard round-trip workflow:

  1. Prepare & Export: Build a scenario in Acumen at your preferred confidence level and export it to P6. You will also need to export the mapped risk register to Excel, which you can do either before or after building your scenario.
  2. Baseline in P6: Open the scenario in P6, set it as a baseline and save it as a separate XER file.
  3. Progress the Schedule: Record progress for the current reporting period and save the updated schedule as its own XER.
  4. Re-import: Bring both the baseline and progressed XER files back into Acumen.
  5. Restore Mappings: Separately re-import the Excel risk register to instantly restore your original mappings.

Important Limitation: Note that while this workflow fully supports schedule progression, Acumen cannot export a cost model to P6 — it only supports cost model exports to Microsoft Project.