Updating Physical % Complete with MS Excel & P6

Hi Ryan,

As far as i know Primavera does not support updating of activity attributes using Excel import function. You can do the same by using Primavera SDK and Excel sheets provided by Primavera support. If you need help installing SDK and using sheets then you can contact me.

Regards

Amit Parmar

Check out my blog on Primavera at http://www.primaverablog.in

Ryan

It seems in p6, you can’t import physical percent complete, one workaround, is to use global change, define a user defined field, call it physical, import the data from excel, and apply your global change.

Regards

Mimoune

Maybe you cannot update actual start and % complete simultaneously. Try updating first actual start fields and thereafter on a separate operation % complete without including actual start fields that might confuse the software.

Take a look at Primavera P6 Project Management Reference Manual Part 6: Importing and Exporting Data, there you will find some reference about updating %complete using Excel and look for issues on simultaneous updating.

I don't use P6 but transfer xer files from P6 to my software so I do not understand some redundant fields in P6 that create confusion. All the software needs for updating in-progress activities is either remaining duration or remaining units. Adding fields such as %complete duration, % complete units and % complete physical % plus a complex set of settings to relate each other is unnecessary and confusing.

Having both is calling for error and can create issues with decimal point precision. As a matter of fact relating original duration, remaining duration and % complete in whatever of its forms might create errouneous computations as demostrated in many articles available on the issue.

Keep It Simple

Ryan

You are using the wrong name to import your values.  As listed in the P6 PM Schema, you should import ‘phys_complete_pct’ , not ‘calc_phys_complete_pct’.  Good luck!

Ryan,

I got the following list of some potential fields to be filled when updating in progress activities. Perhaps I am missing a dozen regarding % complete.

1  Remaining Duration
2  Remaining Labor Units
3  Remaining Nonlabor Units
4  Remaining Expense Cost
5  Remaining Labor Cost
6  Remaining Material Cost
7  Remaining Nonlabor Cost
8  Remaining Total Cost
   Remaining Total Cost (from 4 to 8)

9  Activity % Complete
10 Cost % Complete
11 Cost % of Budget
12 Duration % Complete
13 Duration % of Original
14 Expense Cost % Complete
15 Labor Cost % Complete
16 Labor Units % Complete
17 Material Cost % Complete
18 Nonlabor Cost % Complete
19 Nonlabor Units % Complete
   Percent Complete Type
20 Performance % Complete
21 Physical % Complete
22 Schedule % Complete
23 Units % Complete

Among the selected fields for updating uncompleted activities the first 8 values shall be enough, setting aside individual resource updating, but 23 values plus the ones I am missing is too much of an overkill. What a mess, especially when remaining values can be related by formula to some % complete values while for others it might not. Unreal when you consider that unless all things go 100% as planned remaining duration, costs or units are not related to any of the % complete values, same for individual resource usage, it is nuts.

A few formulas shall satisfy whatever your needs, especially for the modeling of schedule of values, perhaps the only case where the remaining values and % complete linear relations are valid.

Remember there are still other fields to be filled when updating an activity such as some Date fields. But do not worry, P6 Date fields are even more overwhelming. This is what makes it the easiest to use software in the world, to me it is the ex-lax of CPM Software, easier to use than an enema.

By the way, welcome to PP the only place in the world where we dare to debate about many different software for the benefit of all. Here there is no monopoly of knowledge.

Best regards,

Rafael