Construction Planning with Primavera P6 Training Course

Participants can translate construction scope into a coded work breakdown structure suitable for scheduling and reporting.

• Work breakdown structure aligned with contract packages and deliverables
• Coding structures for location, discipline, contractor and construction phase
• Control accounts connecting scope packages with responsibility and reporting
• Bill of quantities and drawing registers used for scope verification
• Defining measurable work packages before creating detailed programme activities
• WBS dictionaries recording scope boundaries, assumptions and ownership

Participants can develop measurable activities that represent realistic construction methods and trade handovers.

• Activity naming conventions identifying location, trade, workfront and deliverable
• Construction sequencing from mobilisation through testing, commissioning and handover
• Breaking work packages into measurable activities with clear completion criteria
• Procurement, fabrication, delivery and installation activities integrated into programmes
• Trade interfaces mapped between civil, structural, mechanical and electrical works
• Milestones defined for approvals, access, sectional completion and possession

Participants can apply calendars and duration assumptions that reflect site working arrangements and productivity.

• Global, project and resource calendars configured for construction working patterns
• Weather allowances, holidays and shift arrangements incorporated into calendars
• Production rates converted into activity durations using quantity take-offs
• Crew sizes, plant outputs and access restrictions tested against durations
• Long-lead procurement durations separated from manufacturing and delivery periods
• Duration assumptions recorded in a schedule basis memorandum

Participants can create logic-linked networks and identify the critical path through a construction programme.

• Finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish and start-to-finish relationships applied
• Lead and lag usage tested against physical construction sequence
• Critical path method forward pass and backward pass principles
• Open ends, redundant logic and circular relationships identified
• Driving relationships reviewed using Primavera P6 trace logic tools
• Logic narratives explaining key sequence assumptions and interface dependencies

Participants can manage constraints and milestones without distorting forecast logic or critical path results.

• Mandatory start and mandatory finish constraints assessed for schedule distortion
• Start-on and finish-on constraints applied only where contractually necessary
• Project milestones linked to notice-to-proceed, approvals and completion obligations
• Contract data dates and completion dates reconciled with baseline requirements
• Constraint logs recording source, owner, rationale and removal actions
• Negative float investigated through logic, durations and contractual dates

Participants can produce an initial logic-linked Primavera P6 programme from a defined construction scope.

• Creating projects, WBS elements, activities and calendars in Primavera P6
• Importing activity data from structured spreadsheet planning registers
• Assigning predecessors, successors, lags and milestone relationships efficiently
• Grouping and sorting layouts by WBS, location and responsible party
• Gantt chart formatting for construction sequence and milestone communication
• Schedule calculation settings checked before reviewing early and late dates

Participants can assess schedule quality using defined checks and communicate corrective actions to programme authors.

• DCMA 14-point assessment principles applied to construction programme quality
• Missing logic, excessive lags and high-duration activities flagged
• Critical path continuity checked from data date to completion
• Float values reviewed for constraints, outliers and misleading paths
• Schedule health reports converted into corrective action registers
• Independent programme review comments structured for formal submissions

Participants can resource-load activities and analyse labour, plant and material demand across the programme.

• Resource dictionaries structured for labour, plant, material and subcontract packages
• Labour crews assigned using production rates and planned quantities
• Plant resources matched to excavation, lifting and concrete operations
• Material delivery requirements linked to installation activity demand
• Resource calendars reflecting shifts, availability and planned shutdowns
• Histograms analysed for peaks, gaps and unrealistic mobilisation profiles

Participants can evaluate resource conflicts and develop workable options for resource-constrained construction programmes.

• Resource levelling options compared against contractual completion dates
• Priority rules for critical activities, scarce plant and specialist crews
• Workfront release dates coordinated with access and predecessor completion
• Crew continuity assessed using resource profiles and activity sequence
• Subcontractor interfaces reviewed through shared area and handover milestones
• Levelling decisions documented with resulting critical path consequences

Participants can create cost-loaded schedules and derive time-phased budget information for project controls.

• Cost accounts mapped to WBS elements and activity assignments
• Labour, plant, material and subcontract costs assigned to activities
• Planned value curves generated from cost-loaded programme data
• Time-phased budgets reconciled with approved cost plan categories
• Cash flow forecasts derived from planned expenditure profiles
• Cost loading assumptions recorded for audit and change control

Participants can establish, maintain and compare schedule baselines under formal project change control.

• Baseline schedule approval requirements defined within project controls procedures
• Original, current and supplementary baselines distinguished for reporting
• Baseline copies created and assigned within Primavera P6 projects
• Change requests assessed for scope, sequence, duration and resource effects
• Schedule basis memorandum updated after approved programme changes
• Baseline comparison layouts highlighting variance against planned dates

Participants can update construction schedules using consistent progress rules and current site information.

• Status date selection aligned with reporting cut-off and site records
• Actual starts, actual finishes and remaining durations entered correctly
• Physical percent complete, duration percent complete and units percent complete compared
• Rules of credit defined for measurable construction activity progress
• Progress evidence drawn from inspections, quantities, timesheets and delivery records
• Out-of-sequence progress assessed using retained logic and progress override

Participants can explain forecast movement and identify the causes of schedule variance after each update.

• Current critical path compared with approved baseline critical path
• Total float movement analysed by activity, path and contractual milestone
• Variance tables identify delayed starts, finishes and remaining work
• Remaining duration forecasts tested against productivity and resource availability
• Near-critical paths monitored through float thresholds and look-ahead reviews
• Forecast narratives distinguish completed events from anticipated future risks

Participants can calculate and interpret earned value indicators from integrated schedule and cost data.

• Planned value, earned value and actual cost definitions established
• Budgeted cost of work scheduled derived from time-phased baselines
• Budgeted cost of work performed calculated from approved progress rules
• Schedule performance index and cost performance index interpreted
• Estimate at completion forecasts compared using standard earned value formulas
• Earned value limitations recognised for subcontract and quantity-based work

Participants can produce practical look-ahead plans that connect the master programme to site execution.

• Three-week and six-week look-ahead schedules filtered from Primavera P6
• Constraint removal logs assigned to design, procurement and site owners
• Last Planner System principles applied to weekly work planning
• Ready-for-work criteria checked before releasing activities to site teams
• Daily production records compared with planned quantities and crew outputs
• Look-ahead meetings structured around workfronts, constraints and commitments

Participants can identify delay effects and develop schedule recovery options supported by programme evidence.

• Delay event registers linked to affected activities, evidence and notices
• Time impact analysis principles applied to prospective delay events
• Windows analysis principles used for retrospective programme assessment
• Concurrency assessed through critical path status and overlapping delay periods
• Recovery options compare resequencing, additional resources, overtime and shiftwork
• Mitigation actions tested for cost, safety, quality and access impacts

Participants can produce clear programme reports for project teams, senior managers, clients and contractors.

• Executive dashboards report milestones, critical issues, trends and decisions
• Narrative reports explain progress, variance, risks and recovery actions
• Layouts tailored for client, site team, subcontractor and management audiences
• S-curves display planned, earned and actual performance information
• Milestone charts distinguish contractual obligations from internal control dates
• Report quality checks confirm dates, status, assumptions and data sources

Participants can administer programme data using controlled coding, versioning and schedule governance practices.

• Project calendars, codes and dictionaries governed through controlled standards
• Schedule update cycles define responsibilities, cut-off dates and approvals
• Version control procedures preserve submitted programmes and change records
• XER exports, imports and data checks managed without corrupting schedules
• Security roles restrict unauthorised changes to baselines and project data
• Planning assurance audits test compliance with programme management procedures

Participants can build, review and present a complete Primavera P6 construction planning pack with justified management actions.

• Project scope converted into coded WBS, activities and milestone structure
• Logic-linked programme developed with calendars, durations and construction interfaces
• Resources and costs assigned to produce time-phased demand profiles
• Baseline, progress update and variance analysis prepared from supplied records
• Critical delays assessed with recovery actions and responsibility assignments
• Management dashboard and programme narrative prepared for stakeholder review