WBS Orig. Budget Vs. WBS Activities Roll-up Sum. Budget

Steve
This will vary for the different software. You’ll better inform which you are using.
For Primavera (P3e, P5, P6) it would be a misunderstanding of this function.
1. Top-down: You enter a project’s budget given by management or customer, spread it for its wbs if you like or must.
2. Bottom-up: Plan your project, assign resources - with their prices - and expenses to activities.
3. Compare both:
Top-down > Bottom-up: Still money to spend (or costs to plan by resource assignments or expenses).
Top-down < Bottom-up: Bad boy! You’ll have to reduce assignments until Top-down = Bottom-up, or ask for more budget.

Hope this will help
Dieter

Thank you so much.

Just to be clear: I understand now that the bottom up (assigning cost to resources) = Top down (Assigning cost to WBS) - in my case.

Do OR should I need to do both? If so, how will this benifit me?

Thanks again.

I am using P6.

It should be same....no matter which version it is...the software just only tools.

Steve

It depends on your way to do planning. If you’ll do cost control as well, it will be very helpful to enter a project’s budget and then compare with your planning. P6 has the advantage that management easily can compare if plan=budget for all projects of a department or a complete business unit. If you’ll need it for all levels of the wbs, I have some doubts, but for the second, it’s ok - first level is the project itself.
Increase or decrease of budget you can trace as well.

Regards
Dieter

Hello Dieter,

Am currently converting my programmes from P3 to P6.1. I’m an expert in P3 and starting to learn P6.1 on my own. I’m under pressure now to confirm to our PM what we can do in P6.1 especially project cost control.

Can you further elaborate;

"If you’ll need it for all levels of wbs, I have some doubts,". Anything that will not work?

Currently am exploring and testing different functions to gain confidence before I delete P3 from my computer.

Cheers,
Nestor

Nestor
Doubts was related to too much micromanagement, too much into detail.
Do you know the file "from P3 to P6 on your documentation cd? It’s excellent.
Project cost control is much more advanced in P6 with one exeption that I know. If you are using cost curves for non-resource cost, replace them by even distribution. P6 doesn’t know them and will stop the import.

Good luck!
Dieter

Hi Dieter..

Thanks for the advise, I’ll check the documentation cd.

What I like is I can copy and paste from the spread sheet to excel. I do all my curves in excel.

Good luck to me.

Cheers,
Nestor

Nestor
We do the same. Data to Excel (by report or copy/paste); printout in Excel.

Good luck
Dieter

Dieter,

I have all the resources input into the schedule for each activity. Can you give me some tips on what I should do next? i.e. Assigning spending curves (and how?) to each resource (labour, equipment, materials, subcontractors) etc;. This project is the construction of a transmission pipeline (not sure if that matters)

Also, any advice when it comes to tracking planned versus actual vs forecasts (est. to complete/bud at complete) and all the other data that can be extracted which will bring value to the table when tracking this contract. (i.e. more specifically how should I set-up the preferences/settings in P6)in order to make the most of the analysis features within the software.

I am very new at this software, but have learned a great deal from you thus far, I am truly grateful.

Thanks,

Steve

Steve
On the Primavera CD’s you can find a demo database with many good examples. In addition its a good basis for testing P6-"behaviour" under certain conditions.

Your activities (I’ll restrict on usage of P6):
Check under view "Activities" the entries under tab "General" - duration type, %-complete type, activity type (--> task or resource calendar to be used), calendar. Those you shouldn’t modify after an activity was started.
Resource assignments: Do curves really give a better result which is worth the more efforts? Then use them. Spending for resources: price per hour or total price for an assignment.
Other expenses: Use Tab expenses.
Codes: Check for the required reporting - information needed by all stakeholders which will lead you to required classifications of activities and assignments and by this to the required codes.
.... (consider if you’ll require a training)
Some help functions: "Hint Help" (under View), F1 for function-related help, schedule log-file, layouts, ....
Ask, ask, ask... Let experienced planners have a look at your schedule, ask them for comments.
Lead engineers are good sources for durations and sequences. Use all information you can get on this project.
Many good pages exist on our profession, e.g. http://www.aacei.org/ with good brochures and definitions on terms.
Most important: senior colleagues.

Good luck for you start!

Dieter

Hi Dieter,

To excel by report, I still to look at this option which I thought cannot be done in P6.

Many thanks again.

Cheers,
Nestor

Nastor
View Activities, Assignments, WBS, Project: The table area (upper left part); View Tracking the spreadsheet area
Windows standard: Ctrl+A --> Ctrl+C --> Open Excel --> Ctrl+V .
By report: Create a report with the desired data --> Output select "ASCII". As field delimiter in most of the cases ";" (depends on Windows installation, sometimes ",") --> output-file with extension "csv" and select "View file when done". Then Excel wil start automatically with that file. Do not forget to save this report.

Good luck!
Dieter