Scheduling the Project in Primavera P6
The software calculates the shortest time in which the project may be completed, Activities are moved forward in time until they meet a Relationship or Constraint or a calendar nonwork time. Un-started activities without logic or constraints are scheduled to start at the Project Start Date or as permitted by calendar nonwork times.
Scheduling the project will identify the Critical Path(s) when there is a Closed Network.
The Critical Path is the chain(s) of activities that takes the longest time to accomplish; a delay to any activity in the chain will delay the end date of the project. The calculated completion date depends on the critical activities starting and finishing on time.
If any of them are delayed, the whole project will be delayed.
Critical Path
The Critical Path is the shortest duration that a project may be completed in and a delay to any activity will delay the end date of the project, activities A1000 to A1030 and A1060 below also shown in red are on the critical path:
Total Float
Total Float is the amount of time an activity may be delayed without extending the project end date.
- An activity with Total Float may delay another activity,
- May be displayed in a column and in the Gantt Chart, as per the thin black bar below and
- May be negative.
Free Float
The Free Float is the amount of time an activity may be delayed without delaying another activity.
- Displayed only in a column and
- Is never in the negative.
| P6 does not display Free Float as a br. |
Relationship Colors
Relationship colors in P6 may not be formatted as with most other software:
- Solid Red are Critical and normally do not have Total Float,
- Solid Black are Driving Non-Critical and their successors have Total Float,
- Dotted Black are Non-Driving Non-Critical and their predecessors have Free Float.
Eastwood Harris Supplies Project Management Training Manuals, Project Management Training Presentations and Consulting on Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project 2010 across Australia.