General Detail Window of the Activities Page

Overview

Use this detail window to configure activity durations, general information, constraints, and units and costs.

Screen Elements

Activity selector

Cycles through the available activities and determines which data display in the detail window. Click "" up or "" down arrow to change which activity and its corresponding data are displayed.

Details section:

Activity ID field

The unique identifier of the activity.

System generated by combining the system default or the user-defined auto-numbering activity ID prefix and suffix.

Activity Name field

The name of the activity.

The activity name does not have to be unique.

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.

Durations section:

Planned Duration field

The total working time from the activity planned start date to the planned finish date.

The planned working time is calculated using the activity's calendar.

Actual Duration field

The total working time from the activity actual start date to the actual finish date for completed activities, or the total working time from the actual start date to the current data date for in-progress activities.

The actual working time is computed using the activity's calendar.

Remaining Duration field

The total working time from the activity remaining start date to the remaining finish date.

The remaining working time is calculated using the activity's calendar. Before the activity is started, the remaining duration is the same as the planned duration. After the activity is completed the remaining duration is zero.

At Completion Duration field

The total working time from the activity's current start date to the current finish date.

The current start date is the planned start date until the activity is started, then it is the actual start date. The current finish date is the activity planned finish date while the activity is not started, the remaining finish date while the activity is in progress, and the actual finish date once the activity is completed. The total working time is calculated using the activity's calendar.

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.

Units and Costs section:

Units and Cost list

Determines which types of units and costs the application will track: Labor Units, Labor Costs, Non-Labor Units, Non-Labor Costs, or Material Costs.

The fields that display in this section depend upon what type of unit or cost you choose.

Planned <unit or cost> field

The Planned unit or cost. This field name varies on your choice from the Units and Costs list.

Actual <unit or cost> field

The actual unit or cost. This field name varies based on your selection from the Units and Costs list.

Actual units are calculated as Budgeted Units multiplied by Duration percent complete.

Actual cost is calculated as Actual Units multiplied by Price/Unit.

Remaining <unit or cost> field

The remaining unit or cost. This field name varies on your choice from the Units and Costs list.

At Completion <unit or cost> field

The units or costs incurred at the completion of an activity. This field name varies on your choice from the Units and Costs list.

The At Completion Units field displays the number of units used at the completion of the activity.

The At Completion Costs field displays the costs remaining at the completion of the activity.

Status section:

Started option

Determines whether the activity has started. Click "" to select the date from a calendar.

Finished option

Determines whether the activity has been completed. Click "" to select the date from a calendar.

Activity % Complete field

The percent of the activity that has been completed.

Calculated as (Original or Planned Duration minus Remaining Duration) divided by Original or Planned Duration.

If the activity's percent complete type is set to Physical, the application will not calculate a value for the Activity % Complete field.

Units % Complete equals (Actual Labor Units plus Actual Non-labor Units) divided by (Actual Labor Units plus Actual Non-labor Units plus Remaining Labor Units plus Remaining Non-labor Units).

Percent Complete Type list

Determines whether activity percent complete is calculated based on:

  • Physical: The activity's percent complete will be entered by the user for this activity.
  • Duration: The activity's percent complete will be calculated from the actual and remaining duration.
  • Units: The activity's percent complete will be calculated from the actual and remaining units.

Constraints section:

Primary Constraint list

Determines the primary constraint on the activity. Choose from one of the following options:

  • Start On: Imposes the specific start date you choose. The Start On constraint can delay an activity's early start or move forward an activity's late start to satisfy the constraint date.
  • Start On or Before: Defines the latest date an activity can start. This constraint only affects late dates and might decrease total float. When calculating a schedule, P6 imposes the start on or before constraint in the backward pass only if the calculated late start date will be later than the imposed date
  • Start On or After: Defines the earliest date an activity can begin. This constraint affects only early dates. When calculating a schedule, P6 imposes the start on or after constraint in the forward pass only if the calculated early start date will be earlier than the imposed date.
  • Finish On: Imposes the specific finish date you choose. The Finish On constraint can delay an activity's early finish or move forward an activity's late finish to satisfy the constraint date
  • Finish On or Before: Defines the latest time an activity can finish. The finish on or before constraint affects only late dates.
  • Finish On or After: Defines the earliest date an activity can finish. The finish on or after constraint reduces float to coordinate parallel activities, ensuring that the finish of an activity is not scheduled before the specified date. It is usually applied to activities with few predecessors that must finish before the next phase of a project.
  • As Late As Possible: Imposes a restriction on an activity with positive float to allow it to start as late as possible without delaying its successors. When calculating a schedule, P6 sets the activity's early dates as late as possible without affecting successor activities.
  • Mandatory Start: Imposes the early and late start dates you choose. P6 uses the mandatory early start date regardless of its effect on network logic. A mandatory early start date could affect the late dates for all activities that lead to the constrained activity and all early dates for the activities that lead from the constrained activity.
  • Mandatory Finish: Imposes the early and late finish dates you choose. P6 uses the mandatory finish date regardless of its effect on network logic. This constraint affects the late dates for all activities that lead to the constrained activity and all early dates for the activities that lead from the constrained activity.

Secondary Constraint list

Determines the secondary constraint on the activity. Available only when the Primary Constraint is not Start On, Finish On, Mandatory Start, or Mandatory Finish. Choose from one of the following options:

  • Start On or After: Defines the earliest date an activity can begin. This constraint affects only early dates. When calculating a schedule, P6 imposes the start on or after constraint in the forward pass only if the calculated early start date will be earlier than the imposed date.
  • Finish On or After: Defines the earliest date an activity can finish. The finish on or after constraint reduces float to coordinate parallel activities, ensuring that the finish of an activity is not scheduled before the specified date. It is usually applied to activities with few predecessors that must finish before the next phase of a project.

Tips

If you have more than one activity selected, the detail window will not be visible.

Getting Here

  1. Click "" Projects.
  2. On the Projects navigation bar, click "" Activities.
  3. On the Activities page, select an activity and click the General detail window.

Related Topics

About Status

Configuring Status

About Constraints

Working with Activity Constraints

About Duration Types

Working with Duration Types


Copyright information