P6 Security and Administration

Session ID#: 15476

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Prepared by:

Brian Criss, PSP

Vice President of Professional Services

DRMcNatty & Associates, Inc.

Best Practice Overview for Enterprise Administration

• What is the purpose of the P6 administrator?

• Establishment of Security for End Users

• Security Profiles / Project Access/ Policy

• Preservation of Global Data

• Codes• Codes

• Cost Accounts

• Calendars

• Resources

• Where to go to setup P6?....Depends on the

Version of Primavera you are running.

• P6 v7 and Earlier = Client Application

Primavera P6 Administration

• P6 r8 and Higher = ….depends?

• P6 Professional = Client Application

• P6 EPPM = Use P6 Web for admin.

• Administration of P6 EPPM version 8.x • Most functions are in the web product related to

administration of the system.

• User Accounts, EPS, OBS, Project Codes

Primavera P6 Administration

• User Accounts, EPS, OBS, Project Codes

• Some items related to schedule functions are still

available in the Optional Client.

• Activity Codes, Resources, Calendars

• P6 EPS Structure• The EPS is not the

only means by

which to view

projects in P6.

• The EPS Structure’s

Primavera P6 Administration

• The EPS Structure’s

primary function

should be to

facilitate the

security model

• OBS Structure• Hierarchical

Structure use to

grant access to

projects for end

users.

Primavera P6 Administration

users.

• A good strategy is

to have the OBS

mirror the EPS

structure.

• Project Access• Users may be assigned

access to multiple

OBS/Responsible

Manager elements.

Primavera P6 Administration

• Project security privileges

can be different for each

level of project access

Primavera P6 Administration

Alignment of EPS / OBS

Elements is a good method to

begin building the P6 Security

Model

• Admin considerations for an Enterprise

environment (i.e…not everyone is Superuser).

• Adding Projects – In order for end users to add a

new project in P6, they will require access to at

Primavera P6 Administration

new project in P6, they will require access to at

least 1 EPS node.

• For larger deployments, the process by which new

projects are added to P6 should be clearly defined

and communicated to users.

• Enterprise Deployments – Adding Projects• Tip: Create a dedicated EPS node specifically for the

creation of new projects.

• Allows flexibility for people to freely use the system and

Primavera P6 Administration

Allows flexibility for people to freely use the system and

create new projects as required to capture all work in P6.

• Requires system administrator to move the project to the

appropriate EPS node.

• Provides a QA opportunity for System Admin or

Supervisor.

Primavera P6 Administration

1. Users select project from Templates Node and “copy” the project.

2. Paste the project in the “New” node and update as appropriate with

Project Codes, etc.

3. System Administrator can then move the project to a secure node (such as

Energy Services).

• Global Data• Primary elements which may be polluted are:

• Project Codes

• Activity Codes

• Calendars

Primavera P6 Administration

• Calendars

• Project Codes will end up being an essential

element for any reporting or integration solution for

any organization.

• Tips for Preserving Global Data:• Use the security profiles to limit the number of users

who can modify these dictionaries.

• Limit the practice of importing data from outsiders

Primavera P6 Administration

• Limit the practice of importing data from outsiders

into the system.

• Customize or Brand the default data in a blank P6

database

• “Standard 5-Day Workweek”

Good Example of what

should be avoided…

Administrators need to

control the ability to import

new projects into P6.

Primavera P6 Administration

new projects into P6.

Calendars is one of the

more problematic areas to

keep clean.

• Admin Settings• Control Data Limits for several elements in

P6.

• Time Periods

Primavera P6 Administration

• Time Periods

• Do not modify the default settings for

days, weeks, months.

• Recommend to check the box which says

“use activity calendar work days”

Primavera P6 Administration

•Maintain the Default Hours per Time period.

•Check the box for “Use Assigned Calendar to specify the number

of work hours…”

The “Earned Value

Primavera P6 Administration

The “Earned Value

Calculation” setting may

influence the display of

Baseline Bars in the Gantt

Chart.

Admin Preferences – Data

Limits

•Allows administrators of P6 to

determine limits for EPS/OBS/WBS

elements

Primavera P6 Administration

•Number of Codes per Project

•Maximum number of Baselines

•Max number of copied Baselines

Primavera P6 Administration

Startup Filters determine whether

or not “Current Project” values

display, or “All Values”

• Admin Categories• Contains several system defaults for specific data

elements in P6.

• Recommended to customize the Admin Categories

Primavera P6 Administration

Recommended to customize the Admin Categories

to fit the organization needs as an initial step in

setting up the P6 database• Notebook Topics

• WBS Categories

• Expense Categories

Primavera P6 Administration

Customize as an initial part of the P6 setup

• Project Templates:

1. Desired by most organizations to provide a

starting point in the development of new project

schedules.

Primavera P6 Administration

2. P6 provides the option to create specific

“template” projects in P6 EPPM (Web).

3. Alternative methods typically entail a specific EPS

node where templates reside.• Copied and re-purposed to create new projects.

• Project Templates: GOOD

• Facilitate the creation and adherence of standards

for the organization.• Activity ID’s

• Activity Codes

• Logic and Milestones.

Primavera P6 Administration

• Logic and Milestones.

• Efficient for End Users to quickly create new

projects.• For organizations where users manage 30-50 projects,

this ability is appreciated.

• Project Templates: BAD

• Terminology for activities in the schedule is often

not documented or communicated to users.• “I don’t know what this activity means??”

• Arriving at a consensus for what should and

Primavera P6 Administration

• Arriving at a consensus for what should and

should not be contained in the standard templates

is extremely PAINFUL!!!• The end result is the development of 50+ templates to

accommodate every fork in the road a project may

face.

• P6 EPPM (aka P6 Web)

• Provides features for collaboration with “non-

schedulers”

• Recommended Uses for EPPM are:• Notebook Entries

Primavera P6 Administration

• Notebook Entries

• Issues Tracking

• Risk Tracking

• Try and Keep as Simple as Possible!!!• Never get a second chance to make a first impression

• Use the “User Interface Views” to help the initial

experience.

Create User

Interface Views

as a method of

creating a

Primavera P6 Administration

creating a

consistent

starting point for

users of P6 Web.

1. Use Weighted Project Codes

to determine criteria for

Project Score

2. Select Metric Value for

Green, etc.

Primavera

Project Scoring

Sample Project Score in EPS View

Primavera P6 Administration

Individual Project Score is calculated

automatically. Roll up of information available

for summary reporting

Questions?Brian Criss

VP of Professional Services

bcriss@drmcnatty.com

T. (877) 367-7990 x7995

Web www.drmcnatty.comWeb www.drmcnatty.com

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