Reviewing CPM schedules using Primavera’s Planner/Scheduler 5.0 (P3ec)

1. Reviewing CPM schedulesusing Primavera’s Planner/Scheduler 5.0 (P3ec) Presented by Don McNatty

2. Agenda • Reviewing CPM schedules • A simple process for avoiding headaches… • What is a CPM schedule? • Why require it? • Why get it electronically? • What should your specification ask for? • The Key elements of the CPM submittal • A process for reviewing schedules with P3ec • Tools for reviewing schedules • The importance of perspective • Questions

3. Reviewing CPM Schedules • What is a CPM schedule? • Is it too complex? • Critical Path Method • The “critical path” is the longest path of activities through a schedule that determines the schedule completion date. • A delay to any activity on the “critical path” will impact the completion date of the schedule. • A “CPM” schedule can be used to identify “what’s important” at any point in time

4. Critical Path Method (CPM)

5. CPM Calculations • Forward Pass • Calculates the Earliest Dates (Start Day + Duration – 1) 1 5 A 5 6 XX25 20 X11 C 15 10 1 B 10

6. CPM Calculations • Backward Pass • Calculates the Latest Dates (Finish Day - Duration + 1) 1 5 A 5 25 11 6 10 C 15 25 11 10 1 B 10 10 1

7. C 15 B 10 CPM Calculations • Total Float • Is the Difference between the Late and Early Dates (TF = LF - EF) 1 5 A 5 TF=5 25 11 6 10 C 15 25 11 TF=0 10 1 Critical Path = B, C B 10 10 1 TF=0

8. C 15 B 10 Negative Float • Late Dates are Earlier than your Early Dates • Caused by a constraint 1 5 A 5 TF=0 25 11 1 5 C 15 FNL=20 20 6 TF=-5 10 1 Critical Path = B, C B 10 5 -4 TF=-5

9. Calendars convert work days to dates

10. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Why Require it? • What is the benefit of a CPM schedule? • Do you want to be able to control your project? • Do you want an “early warning” of potential problems? • Do you want to be able to identify where to focus your efforts to avoid or solve problems? • A good CPM tells the project manager what has to be done, where, when and by who?

11. Define activities based onWBS/OBS Matrix

12. What does a good (useful) project schedule provide? • What has to be done? • Where does it have to happen? • Who is responsible for doing it? • When does it have to happen? • When a project manager has this information, the pm has the basis for “control” 4 W

13. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Why Require it electronically? • Do I still need the paper? • The schedule is a tool. (it may also be evidence). • Get all evidence in hardcopy first (PDF?) • Get the electronic version so you can analyze it • Comparing the electronic versions between each update can give you a perspective beyond the hardcopy

14. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Why Require it electronically? • Do I still need the paper? • Each monthly update provides a complete audit trail, should you ever need it. • Having the electronic copy also let’s you do “what-if” scenarios. • You still should get the “hardcopy” just in case the quality of the electronic copy is poor.

15. Reviewing CPM Schedules • What should your spec’s ask for? • Schedule submittal specifications are usually Section 01310 • Make it the contractors responsibility to submit the schedule in a format that can be imported to P3ec 5.0 without variance. • P3ec imports P3, Suretrak and MS Project files, but depending on how the scheduler uses them, there can be conversion issues – make this the contractors problem, not yours. • P3ec is a free upgrade to P3 users. Primavera Contractor costs the same as Suretrak and MS Project.

16. Reviewing CPM Schedules • What should your spec’s ask for? • Schedule submittal specifications are usually Section 01310 • Most Important! Insist on a written Narrative that clearly identifies the presence and reason for: • Lags, constraints, actuals that have changed since last update, durations (other than remaining) that have changed since last update, added and deleted activities, relationships, codes, descriptions, values…

17. Reviewing CPM Schedules • What should your spec’s ask for? • Schedule submittal specifications are usually Section 01310 • If you are referencing the contractors schedule to update your Master schedule, then you should specify Data Dates in your contract to ensure alignment of data • You can import the contractors detailed schedule to P3ec without importing it to your “master schedule” • The “master schedule” should be at a summary level

18. What is the “Data Date” • The remaining schedule starts on the Data Date…

19. Reviewing CPM Schedules • What should your spec’s ask for? • Schedule submittal specifications are usually Section 01310 • If you are referencing the contractors schedule in your Master schedule, you should specify the lowest level of your Master Schedule to drive the highest level of the contractor’s schedule. • This is a good application for a “schedule of values” so you can align $$$ with your schedule

20. CPM Schedule Only enough detail for your level of “control” or “knowledge” Master Schedule

21. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Key elements of CPM submittal? • Remember Jim Zack’s “Scheduling Game # 1” (don’t do it…) • Letter of Transmittal • “Hardcopy” Reports – “PDF” is hardcopy… • Electronic copy of Schedule • Schedule Narrative • Schedule Graphic

22. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Key elements of CPM submittal? • “In a format that can be imported to P3ec 5.0 without variance from hardcopy…” • Electronic copy of Schedule • P3ec (XER) format • Primavera Contractor 4.1 and higher • Recommendation: DO NOT convert submittal files, do not accept Suretrak files that are not in a P3 format. Do not accept & convert MS Project files – they calculate differently than P3. Do not accept files that will not open.

23. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Key elements of CPM submittal? • Insist on a complete narrative or you could be responsible for what you don’t know that you didn’t know… • Schedule Narrative • Baseline (Initial Submittal) should identify and justify all lags, constraints and hammocks & preferential logic • Updates should identify all changes from previous submittal • The Narrative is to the Schedule as the Specifications are to the Drawings (Drawings are incomplete without specs, Schedule is incomplete without Narrative…)

24. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Key elements of CPM submittal? • The schedule may be “evidence”, clearly identify… • Letter of Transmittal • Date • Project • Data date • Attachments

25. Reviewing CPM Schedules • Key elements of CPM submittal? • The electronic schedule file should say the same thing as the hardcopy • Hardcopy Reports • Tabular activity list with Early/Late dates, durations, float • Predecessor/Successor Report (only place you see lags) • If cost loaded, activities with budgets, this period, to date, remaining and at completion cost (billing…)

26. Tabular activity list

27. Predecessor/Successor Report

28. Cost Loading Report

29. Review Narrative

30. Reviewing CPM Graphics • Key elements of CPM submittal? • Like the tabular report, the bar chart has to say the same thing as the electronic file • Schedule Graphic • A simple bar chart with logic • Include columns for activity ID, description, early dates, original and remaining duration, percent complete and total float • Highlight progress (Blue) based on Pct, critical path (Red) based on Longest Path, Baseline (Yellow) under current bar

31. CPM Bar Chart

32. Reviewing CPM Schedules • A process for reviewing schedules • Load, test, analyze, evaluate… • Baselines • Establish a good starting point and foundation • Updates • Be aware of what changes from update to update • Time Impact Analysis • Be aware of the impacts of changes as they happen

33. BASELINE REVIEW • Keep your objectives clear • Quality Control vs. Audit • Establish a realistic and useable schedule • Look at bar chart last • Recalc & diagnostics • Check settings & dictionaries • Evaluate data integrity • Confirm compliance • Validate buildability

34. Baseline Review • Confirm Submittal • Review Baseline Narrative • Copy and compare, run Scheduling-Leveling Report • Recalculate &Diagnostics Schedule Options, User Preferences, Calendars, Admin Preferences Check Settings & Dictionaries Calendars, Descriptions, Durations, Relationships, Lags, Float, Critical Paths, Cost/Resource allocation Evaluate Data Integrity Revise & Resubmit Scope, Constraints, Milestones, Notebooks Confirm Compliance Work Sequence, Staging, Site Logistics, Constructability Validate Buildability Accepted, Accepted-As-Noted or Rejected Acceptance

35. Recalculate & Diagnostics • Import without calculating • Make a copy & recalculate • Run a ClaimDigger Report • Any variance with uncalculated schedule • Means the schedule was changed after calculating and before making a backup file • Then run Scheduling-Leveling Report • Diagnostics

36. Import without calculating

37. Make a copy and recalculate • Use the EPS to isolate contractor schedules from your master schedule • Use the File/Import command to load the contractors schedule into P3ec • Making a copy of the schedule is as easy as Edit/Copy and Paste • Open the copied project and recalculate (use F9) • Use ClaimDigger to check for any variances • Any Variances means the project was modified in some way after it’s last calculation

38. Run ClaimDigger Report

39. Variances with original submittal? • Any Variances means the project was modified in some way after it’s last calculation • This may cause the electronic data to vary from the “hardcopy” in the submittal • This is usually just an honest mistake made by a scheduler trying to meet a deadline • But it means that the schedule file needs to be resubmitted

40. Scheduling-Leveling Report • When you schedule the project, check the box to log statistics to a file • First time using P3ec, you have to edit the filename so it prints on your local computer • Store each submittal in a folder with the submittal name on it

41. Scheduling-Leveling Report

42. Data date says May 2nd… Start On constraint says May 1st… Look up the activity… The Constraint is unsatisfied because no early start can be before the data date

43. Check Settings & dictionaries • Schedule Options • User Preferences • Calendars • Admin Preferences

44. Leveling not recommended except for the contractor to use it as an analysis tool to determine need for “preferential logic” Recalculation not recommended because it may change costs Retained logic is the default. Progress Override will ignore logic you previously accepted (see next slide) Schedule Options

45. Calculation Options

46. P3ec default may show time User Preferences

47. Use the “Collapse All” command on the View Menu to summarize the calendar list Calendars

48. Calendars

49. Calendars If the calendars are different, for example this one doesn’t have holidays in it, do you think that will cause schedule dates to change?

50. Admin Preferences