Defaults Page of the Project Preferences Dialog Box

Overview

Use this page to configure default settings for new activities and assignments.

Screen Elements

Duration Type list

Determines whether the schedule, resource availability, or costs are most important when updating activities. The duration type applies only when you have resources assigned to the activity. Choose a duration type based on which factor is most important (least flexible) in planning your project.

Percent Complete Type list

Determines the way in which the application calculates the percent complete for the activity.

This default activity percent complete type will be applied to all new activities added to a project. If you change this setting for an existing project that has activities, the percent complete type of those existing activities will not be changed.

Activity Type list

Determines how duration and schedule dates are calculated for an activity.

Task Dependent: Activities are scheduled using the activity's calendar rather than the calendars of the assigned resources. Choose task dependent when you want to control the duration of the activity yourself (that is, no resources are assigned), or when one or more resources assigned to the same activity can work according to the same calendar. The activity is scheduled according to the activity’s calendar, not the resource calendars. For example, you might have an activity to cure concrete; you know how long the task takes and the addition of resources won’t complete the task any earlier. You would designate this activity as task dependent.

Resource Dependent: Activities are scheduled using the calendars of the assigned resources. This type is used when several resources are assigned to the activity, but they might work separately. Choose resource dependent when you want to schedule each resource according to his/her own time schedule, or resource calendar, not the activity calendar. The assigned resource availability determines the start and finish dates of the activity. Typically, you use this type when multiple resources assigned to the same activity can work independently, or when availability can affect the activity’s duration. For example, an activity that requires an Inspector might be delayed if that resource is assigned to multiple projects or is on vacation.

Start or Finish Milestone: Milestone activities are zero-duration without resources, marking a significant project event. Choose start milestone or finish milestone to indicate that the activity marks the beginning or end of a major stage in the project. Milestones have zero duration. They can have expenses assigned to them, but not resources. In an office building addition project, examples of milestones might include Project Definition Complete, Structure Complete, or End Bidding Process.

Level of Effort: Activities have a duration that is determined by its dependent activities and are typically administration type. Choose level of effort to indicate that the activity’s duration depends on its predecessor and/or successor activities. A level of effort activity is usually one that is ongoing, such as clerical work, change management, or project management tasks. For example, site cleanup could be considered a level of effort activity; it occurs repeatedly and is dependent on the completion of a phase.

  • WBS Summary: Activities that are used to roll up date, duration, and percent complete values for a group of activities that share a common WBS code level. Choose WBS Summary to indicate that the activity is a summary-level WBS activity. A WBS Summary activity represents a group of activities that share a common WBS level. The summary-level WBS activity enables roll-ups of dates for the activity group. The duration of a WBS Summary activity extends from the start of the earliest activity in a group to the finish of the latest activity. WBS codes control which activities are part of a WBS Summary activity; P6 incorporates any activities that share a component of the WBS Summary activity's WBS code into the WBS Summary activity. For example, all activities whose WBS codes begin with A (A.1, A.1.1, A.1.2, etc.) can be part of one WBS Summary activity whose WBS code is A. At a lower level, all activities whose WBS codes start with A.1 (A.1.1, A.1.2, etc.) can be part of a WBS Summary activity whose WBS code is A.1.

Calendar field

The default calendar for new activities.

Cost Account field

The default cost account associated with the resource, role, or expense.

Price/Unit field

The default price/unit used to calculate the cost for activities that have labor/non-labor units but no assigned resources and for activities that have assigned resources or roles that do not have a specified price/unit.

To change the price/unit, type a new amount followed by a forward slash (/) and time unit designation, for example, $20/h.

Activity ID Prefix field

The single or combination of letters and/or numbers to act as the Activity ID Prefix. This field can contain 1 to 20 characters.

Activity ID Suffix field

The single or combination of letters and/or numbers to set as the Activity ID Suffix. The value must be a number between 1 and 999,999.

Increment field

The number to act as the increment. The number must be a value between 1 and 99,999.

Rate Type list

The rate type that corresponds to a specific price/unit value defined for a resource or role. A resource or role can have up to five rate types and corresponding price/unit values.

The default rate type setting determines which of a resource's or role's price/unit values is initially applied to new assignments within a project. The rate type on the assignment can be edited to change the price/unit.

If the Default Rate Type setting for a project that has existing assignments is changed, the rate type of those existing assignments will not be changed.

Drive activity dates by default option

Determines whether to set drive activity dates by default.

Resources can be assigned to the same activity more than once option

Determines whether resources can work on the same activity multiple times.

Tips

Changes to the defaults will only be applied to activities new to the project. Existing activities will not be affected.

Getting Here

  1. Click "" Projects.
  2. On the Projects navigation bar, click "" EPS.
  3. On the EPS page, click the Actions menu and select "" Set Project Preferences....
  4. In the Project Preferences pane, click Defaults.

Related Topics

Configuring Project Defaults


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