What is Primavera P6? A Brief Project Management Guide

Welcome to the world of Primavera P6—an indispensable ally for Project Managers navigating complex endeavours. Crafted by Oracle, this robust software suite empowers professionals to plan, schedule, and execute large-scale projects with finesse. Whether you’re orchestrating a construction marvel or steering an IT transformation, Primavera P6’s precision and efficiency turn ambitious visions into accomplished realities. So, buckle up as we delve into what makes Primavera P6 a vital tool in your Project Management arsenal!

Table of Content

1) What is Primavera P6?  

2) Who Uses Primavera P6? 

3) How to use Primavera P6?   

4) Features of Primavera P6   

5) Pros and Cons of Primavera P6 

6) Conclusion

What is Primavera P6? 

Primavera P6 is a Project Management software created by Oracle, allowing you to plan, manage and analyse projects efficiently. This software has had a diverse use across different industries, such as Information Technology (IT), manufacturing and construction. It has been used to handle small and large-scale projects, making the Project Management process smoother. 

One may even consider Primavera the ultimate Project Management software that has gained popularity and trust among organisations over time. It has been a standard tool in different industries since the year 1983. Over the last 30 years, this software underwent many changes and came under Oracle’s possession in 2008.  

Due to the significant advancement of technology in this period, it split into two different versions, as follows: 

1) Primavera P6 PPM 

One version of Primavera was made into desktop-based application software. This version was called Primavera P6 Project Portfolio Management (PPM). This software allows you to establish relationships between different activities and serialise your work proses. Contractors commonly prefer this tool due to its easy installation process, thus, its higher convenience.   

Large organisations commonly use P6 PPM due to its shared server. This is because the software allows different employees to keep up with the updates on each activity. This tool uses Critical Path Method (CPM) algorithm, allowing it to manage as many as 100000 activities. 
 

 

2) Primavera P6 EPPM 

Another version of Primavera was a web server-based tool called Primavera P6 Enterprise Portfolio Management. This version stores all your necessary information in its central database. EPPM possesses certain advantages over PPM, such as not needing to install the tool to use it. This makes it an excellent choice for medium and large-scale businesses as they require large-scale infrastructure. 

The EPPM has its shortcoming as it has its benefits. On the one hand, EPPM benefits greatly from being more storage-friendly and possessing better multitasking options. It benefits from having a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) screen, bucket planning and text reports. On the other hand, EPPM suffers from network issues, as it relies on your internet to work correctly.    

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Industries Which Use Primavera P6

Project Managers rely on Oracle Primavera P6 to execute projects, programs, or entire portfolios effectively. Various industries widely adopt Primavera P6 including: 

1)  Aerospace and defence, 

2) Construction 

3) Oil and gas 

4) Government agencies

5) Energy and utilities 

6) Biotech firms 

Given its complexity and power, taking a training course in is recommended to master the software and leverage its full potential for managing intricate projects.

Job Roles that Utilise Primavera P6 

Many project professionals hold job roles that may require the use of Primavera P6. These roles include:

1) Project Planners, Planning Engineers and Planning Managers

2) Schedulers

3) Project Managers

4) Project coordinators

5) Project controls engineers, managers and analysts

6) Systems Administrators

7) Development Managers

8) Operations Managers

How to Use Primavera P6?  

Primavera P6 is commonly used by a project manager regardless of the field and industry. As a result, senior engineers, project managers, and team leaders all use the software to make their work more linear. Using this tool generally consists of these given steps: 

Use in Time Management 

Primavera P6 allows you to create schedules, which simplifies the time management process of projects. This tool achieves this by using WBS and drawing relationship diagrams between activities. Primavera allows you to create schedules between these activities specifying the duration of the activities and calculating the most efficient way to approach these tasks with Critical Path Method (CPM). 

Use in Enterprise Project Management 

Primavera P6 allows you to work alongside different users in an enterprise on the same project, thanks to a shared database. This shared database uses a web interface to connect the web server with users. This software then arranges all ongoing projects in an Enterprise Project Structure (EPS) within the database. 

Use in Resource and Cost Management 

Primavera allows you to calculate the cost of an activity based on its duration by applying a unit price to resources. The tool will enable you to gauge the estimated project activity cost and root out errors by cross-checking the estimated cost with the actual cost. Additionally, it allows you to factor in minor details, such as direct and indirect costs, while allotting resource prices. 

Use in Risk Management 

When you hear the word “risk” in a business environment, it refers to things and events that can cause failure. Risks can sabotage a well-designed project if nothing is done about them. Primavera allows you to detect and categorise these risks based on their severity. It has the benefit of allowing you to prioritise these risks while approaching to solve them. 

Use in Threshold Management 

The term threshold refers to the limits or parameters of a project. Primavera allows you to assign a project's upper and lower threshold. It will enable you to determine the maximum and minimum capacity of the project you are working on. 

Use in Issue Management 

Issue limit management works alongside the Threshold Management feature of Primavera P6 software. Issue refers to a notion or message made to gain the attention of users. When a project hits its maximum threshold, this tool creates an issue, addressing the threshold limit being bypassed. You can use emails in this tool to notify other team members about the raised issue. 

Use in Reporting 

Review and Reports are essential phases in any business process, allowing you to verify a task done. Primavera P6 aids your reporting process with features such as future performance estimation, current performance evaluation and displaying the current project’s status. You can customise your reports in PPM and EPPM with its database, with some common report styles being Stacked Histogram reports, earned value reports, and Schedule Performance reports.

Master project management software in a business environment with Primavera Training! 

Features of Primavera P6  

Primavera P6 has certain features that make it desirable for small- and large-scale businesses alike. Here are some features that might make it worth your and your organisation’s time. 

Project Modelling-based Features  

This includes all the necessary features relevant to project creation and management. Some such standard features within the Primavera P6 software are as follows:
 

Feature	Description
Project and Baseline Plans	Unlimited
Activities per Project	Up to 100,000
Resource and Activity Relationship Control	Multi-project
Scheduling and Resource Levelling	Manual or Automatic
WBS	50-level
User-definable Activity Codes	Unlimited
Project Codes	Unlimited
User-defined Fields	Unlimited
Project Template Library	User-definable
Multi-user Functionality	Ture Concurrent

 

Resource and Cost Management-based Features    

These features reflect a tool’s ability to manage financial resources, people and all-over costs. Some cost estimation and management features of Primavera P6 are as follows:

1) Hierarchical resource pool for all projects

2) Resource calendars and variable availability

3) Unlimited resources per activity

4) Nonlinear resource per activity

5) Prioritisable forward and backward levelling

6) Selective and timer-limited levelling

7) Variable resource pricing and availability

8) Resource-driven activity durations

9) Earned value tables and curves

10) Scheduled Budget tables and curves

Scheduling-based Features    

This includes Time Management and Relationship Analysis features of Primavera. These features allow you to set and follow necessary deadlines with a project. Some such features include:

1) Critical Path Scheduling (CPM).

2) Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM).

3) Free and total float calculation.

4) Finish-to-start, Start-to-start, Start-to-finish and Finish-to-finish activity relationships.

5) All relationships with user-definable lead and log (positive and negative).

6) Unlimited number of activity calendars.

7) Time units in hours, days, weeks and months.

8) 9 types of schedule constraints including Mandatory Start, Mandatory Finish, and Start On or Finish On

9) 6 types of activities for more precise schedule modelling including Task dependents, Start milestone, Finish milestone and Level of effort.

10) Suspend and resume dates for in-progress activities. 

Reports and Graphics-based Features    

1) These include the visual elements and features of Project Management Software. These allow you to visualise data on the project’s progress and current status. Some such reporting features of Primavera P6 are listed below:

Tabular reports and graphics

2) Report wizard and report editor

3) Report wizard and report editor

4) Complete customisation of display output

5) HTML publishing of layouts and reports

6) Unlimited presentation layouts

7) Hierarchical project outlining organised by any combination of activity codes and WBS

8) Summarise and group activities and compare baselines

9) Time-scaled bar (Gannt) charts with logic

10) Necking and activity code colours/patters on Gatt bars WBS chart

Pros and Cons of Primavera P6

While there are many things that Primavera P6 does well, this tool is not without its fair share of drawbacks. Here's a list of its pros and cons to consider:
 

Pros of Using Primavera P6	Cons of Using Primavera P6
Flexible task management with a single platform for prioritising, executing, and monitoring work.	High cost, nearly three thousand pounds a year, with cheaper alternatives available.
Multiuser system enables simultaneous teamwork on the same project across the organisation.	Complicated, outdated interface compared to competitors.
Real-time reporting provides fast, meaningful data, available on-demand or on schedule.	Steep learning curve, potentially needing up to 40 hours with specialised training.
Flexible dashboard for managing single projects or entire portfolios.	Windows-only compatibility (excludes Mac users), limiting use in industries relying on Apple products.
Integration with Oracle and other third-party products.	Cumbersome for smaller, simpler projects, focusing more on larger sectors.
Accessible on multiple devices, including tablets and mobile devices, for anywhere, anytime access.	Customer service has room for improvement, with online complaints about support quality.
Compatible with Windows as a desktop application or as a web app with the Enterprise option.	Lacks a portfolio roadmap, which can be problematic for managing portfolios despite some features targeting this market.

 

Conclusion 

 

Through its robust features, flexibility, and real-time capabilities, Oracle Primavera P6 offers the ideal solution for mastering complex Project Management. While its complexity and cost may present challenges, its benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. We hope this blog empowers you to elevate your Project Management skills and drive your projects to successful completion.

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