Primavera Manual - Part 3

Lab 3 Leveling and Targets Setting Max and Min Levels Leveling a network means to move activities in time, moving those with float, using some or all of the float, to achieve a more uniform resource profile. Take 15 minutes to read through the example that follows to see how the method works. The following page shows a bar chart for a portion of a project and the corresponding man hour histogram. A good tool to use is to include the resource column or a report with the resource line included in the Content Window. First comes the network and here the example is of ACME National Hair Center. Perhaps the biggest thing to notice in the histogram below is that there are several uncharacteristically high peaks. Many of the peaks are associated with activities that have total float. We want to use this float then to delay the corresponding activities so that we can smooth the profile. Setting Max and Min Levels; Leveling and Comparing to Targets; Input a New Network

Lab 3 Leveling and Targets

3.1 Setting Max and Min Levels

Leveling a network means to move activities in time, moving those with float, using some or all of the float, to achieve a more uniform resource profile Take 15 minutes to read through the example that follows to see how the method works.

First comes the network and here the example is of ACME National Hair Center.

The following page shows a bar chart for a portion of a project and the corresponding man hour histogram A good tool to use is to include the resource column or a report with the resource line included in the Content Window.

ACTIVITY ID

EARLY START

EARLY FINISH

ORIG DUR

(c) Primavera Systems, Inc.

Activity Bar/Early Dates Critical Activity Progress Bar Activity Late Dates Milestone/Flag Activity

Man-Hour Histogram Leveling Demonstration DEWSC - Planning & Scheduling

0 80 160 240 320 400 480 560

SEP 1 1997

SEP 15

SEP 29

OCT 13

OCT 27

NOV 10

NOV 24

DEC 8

DEC 22

JAN 5 1998

392

488 440

304 312

360 360 456 504

360 376

160 112

160 160

88 144 128

72 Man-Hour

Perhaps the biggest thing to notice in the histogram below is that there are several uncharacteristically high peaks Many of the peaks are associated with activities that have total float We want to use this float then to delay the corresponding activities so that we can smooth the profile.

In general there are many methods or algorithms for how we choose activities to delay The default for Primavera and the one we will use the most is called the conventional method However before we get to what to move, we need to establish a leveling limit that seems

achievable

Notice that the entire Histogram shows many peaks and many valleys

In order to find a place to begin leveling, try finding the average man-hour use per day Note that to level, the histogram has to be done daily In order to find the average we need to know the total man-hours and the total duration in days To find the total man-man-hours on large projects use the earned value or other resource report To find the duration, look for the last activity, click on “Dates,” and investigate

it ending workday number corresponding to the early finish For this

Project Start 8SEP97

Project Finish 14JAN98

Data Date 8SEP97

Plot Date 8SEP97

(c) Primav era Systems, Inc.

Schedule dates Normal Limit/Resource Above Normal Maximum Limit/Resource Above Maximum DEWSC - Planning & Scheduling Date Revision Checked Approved

Leveling Demonstration RC-11 MANL Sheet 1 of 1 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

SEP

8

1997

SEP

15 SEP22 SEP29 OCT6 OCT13 OCT20 OCT27 NOV3 NOV10 NOV17 NOV24 DEC1 DEC8 DEC15 DEC22 DEC29 JAN5

1998

JAN 12

Days

72 72

88 88 88 88 8

48 48 48

72 72 72 72 72 72 72 72 72 72 72 72 72 72

96 96 96 96

64 64

88 88

64 64 64

16 16 16 16 16

32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32

16 16 16 16

24 224

32 32 32 32

24 24 24 24 24 24 24

Man-Hour

project assume we have 5376 MH and a 93 day duration, therefore the average resource use is 5376/93 = 57.8  58/day.

There are many other caveats that you will learn in class about

choosing a beginning level If we assume that 58 is a good level for right now, notice when you may have to start to move activities On day 5 the required resource is 144 (I know it’s hard to see) This is larger than 58, so we would see what activities could be moved

Obviously, if an activity is critical or has already started it would seem less likely that these activities could be delayed and moved

downstream Consequently, attention must be focused on activities that begin on Day 5 and have total float Well that’s how the algorithm works and how the computer moves day by day through the network.

Having leveled this project before I know that 60 is a better level than

58 So here’s what happens in Primavera for leveling First select TOOLS from the upper menu bar then select LEVELING.

Or use Shift + F9

A new screen will appear that invites selection

Here there are a lot of choices, forward leveling vs backward leveling, smoothing, leveling for the entire or partial project, and prioritization

To begin with, leave everything as the default Double click on the RESOURCES button on the right side of the screen and you’ll see:

Once a resource has been selected, the LIMITS button will be

activated Click to see:

Clicking on the “+” will give you a list

of your resources For this project we’ll

be using MH for man-hours.

The Normal limit should be set at the value you have selected to try to achieve (here 60), while the Maximum limit should be set higher that the highest peak on your resource histogram One hundred fifty is higher than the maximum of 144 on this project Once you identify these limits, Click on OK as you back out of the levels you have

entered This will commence the leveling process A report (Leveling Report) is automatically generated This is one of the reports you will

be required to submit with your project, so pay special attention to its contents The following two pages are a partial printout of the leveling report Notice that there are two special column categories: Delayed

by Pred and Delayed by Res As you can likely see, any activity with information in either of these columns has been affected by the

leveling process When doing your project be sure that several

activities move For the project the concern is not with improving the profile necessarily, but instead with understanding the process and evaluating the results In the report that follows many activities

moved.

This is not the same project shown on previous pages but uses 46 as the Normal limit and 120 as the Maximum limit.

Leveling Test Primavera Project Planner Starr Distribution Warehouse Report Date 16SEP98 12:33 Forward Resource Leveling Analysis Report Start Date 08OCT97 Fin Date 06MAR98 Data Date 08OCT97 Page no 2 - - - - - - - - Daily Res Rem -Early Start - -Delayed by Pred - -Delayed by Res. - Early Leveled Activity Id Resource Usage Lag Dur Date Tf Norm Max Date Tf Norm Max Date Tf Norm Max Start Finish

10 Delivery and setup o 1 08OCT97 0 08OCT97 08OCT97

20 Delivery of storage 1 08OCT97 0 08OCT97 08OCT97

30 Clear and grub 2 09OCT97 0 09OCT97 10OCT97

40 Survey 3 13OCT97 0 13OCT97 15OCT97

50 Structural fill 2 16OCT97 0 16OCT97 17OCT97

60 Water & compact 1 20OCT97 0 20OCT97 20OCT97

70 Machine grading 1 21OCT97 0 21OCT97 21OCT97

80 Hand grading 2 22OCT97 0 22OCT97 23OCT97

90 Install undr.grnd.pl 3 29OCT97 0 29OCT97 31OCT97

130 Machine excavate con 1 28OCT97 4 28OCT97 28OCT97

100 Machine excavate for 2 24OCT97 6 24OCT97 27OCT97

140 Hand excavate contin 1 29OCT97 4 03NOV97 1 03NOV97 03NOV97

150 Install forms & reba 3 05NOV97 0 05NOV97 07NOV97

110 Hand excavate for sp 1 28OCT97 6 28OCT97 28OCT97

120 Install rebar & anch 2 29OCT97 6 03NOV97 3 03NOV97 04NOV97

160 Pour concrete footin 2 10NOV97 0 10NOV97 11NOV97

190 Crane lift & place s 3 13NOV97 0 13NOV97 17NOV97

170 Remove forms 1 12NOV97 5 12NOV97 12NOV97

180 Backfill footings 1 13NOV97 5 18NOV97 2 18NOV97 18NOV97

200 Install edge forms 2 21NOV97 0 21NOV97 24NOV97

210 Place ABC 1 25NOV97 1 25NOV97 25NOV97

220 Grade & compact ABC 1 26NOV97 1 26NOV97 26NOV97

230 Place welded wire fa 1 01DEC97 1 01DEC97 01DEC97

Leveling Test Primavera Project Planner Starr Distribution Warehouse Report Date 16SEP98 12:33 Forward Resource Leveling Analysis Report Start Date 08OCT97 Fin Date 06MAR98 Data Date 08OCT97 Page no 3 - - - - - - - - Daily Res Rem -Early Start - -Delayed by Pred - -Delayed by Res. - Early Leveled Activity Id Resource Usage Lag Dur Date Tf Norm Max Date Tf Norm Max Date Tf Norm Max Start Finish

240 Pour slab on grade 3 03DEC97 0 03DEC97 05DEC97

250 Erect tilt-up walls 15 08DEC97 0 08DEC97 29DEC97

260 Place masonry block 3 08DEC97 12 08DEC97 10DEC97

270 Install ledger angle 2 30DEC97 0 30DEC97 31DEC97

280 Place glue lam beams 3 02JAN98 0 02JAN98 06JAN98

340 Install metal stairs 2 15DEC97 12 30DEC97 2 30DEC97 31DEC97

290 Place wood joists 2 02JAN98 1 02JAN98 05JAN98

300 Install trusses 3 07JAN98 0 07JAN98 09JAN98

320 Build wall partition 2 19DEC97 12 06JAN98 2 06JAN98 07JAN98

380 Run electrical condu 10 12JAN98 0 12JAN98 23JAN98

310 Install plywood 2 12JAN98 8 12JAN98 13JAN98

350 Install metal roof 3 14JAN98 8 26JAN98 0 26JAN98 28JAN98

370 Installation of gutt 1 19JAN98 10 29JAN98 2 29JAN98 29JAN98

390 Install blowers, com 2 03FEB98 0 03FEB98 04FEB98

360 Apply waterproofing 2 21JAN98 9 02FEB98 1 02FEB98 03FEB98

430 Paint exterior 3 05FEB98 0 05FEB98 09FEB98

470 Install landscape ir 3 10FEB98 0 10FEB98 12FEB98

480 Plant trees, shrubbe 4 13FEB98 0 13FEB98 18FEB98

490 Place ABC for asphal 2 19FEB98 0 19FEB98 20FEB98

560 Install above grnd 3 23DEC97 41 08JAN98 31 05FEB98 11 05FEB98 09FEB98

500 Grade ABC 1 23FEB98 0 23FEB98 23FEB98

410 Place wall insulatio 3 26JAN98 20 23FEB98 0 23FEB98 25FEB98

510 Place asphalt cement 2 24FEB98 0 24FEB98 25FEB98

Notice the how the network has changed Activity 180, Backfill

Footings has lost 3 days of float although it has not become critical May other activities have lost total float too

Practice 3.1

1 Input the activities, resources, and relationships found on page 51.

2 Calculate the network, then find the project duration in workdays, and the total number of man-hours.

3 Run and printout a Daily MH histogram (Original MH histogram), write out on the histogram the average man-hours per day Label the histogram

appropriately Name the histogram as “Original Daily MH Histogram.”

3.2 Leveling and Comparing to Targets

Before we level the project, let’s make a copy of the current schedule;

a baseline so that we can compare it with future schedules To create

a target, select the Tools, Project Utilities, Target from the upper

menu.

Then name your target, 4 characters – make it unique.

G H 3.3 Input a New Network

SS0

SS3

The duration and total budget resource data for above activities are listed in the following table

Act ID Act Name Dur (day) MH Act ID Act Name Dur.(day) MH Act ID Act Name Dur (day) MH

T

Remember that you MUST copy your original schedule to a target file before leveling This baseline schedule (target) will give you a point of comparison for future schedules The target file must have a different name than your original schedule To create a Target File, select

TOOLS from the upper menu, then select PROJECT UTILITIES, and lastly, select TARGETS Enter a new name for your target file, 4

characters - make it unique Click on OK The computer will grind and finally leave you in the project Now you have a target schedule – Let’s move on to leveling.

Practice 3.2

1 Determine an appropriate level to begin leveling (show your calculations on the Histogram) Make your normal limit slightly higher than the average (Total MH/Project duration and the maximum higher than the highest peak also from Practice 3.1.

2 Level the network using the procedure described on pages 45 to 47 Review the leveling report If some activities have moved, print the leveling report and move to 3 If not, establish a new normal limit and try again

3 Run an Early Start Report that compares the leveled dates with the original dates in the Target See the screen shown below.

4 Run a leveled, detailed relationship report Explain how this report is

different than the one run in LAB 2.

5 Run a daily MH histogram of the leveled project Label the peaks and

histogram appropriately Name the current histogram “Level Daily MH

Histogram.”

6 Run an S-curve with early, late, and target early and target late lines Be sure that the lines are distinguishable by using different patterns, weights, colors, etc Annotate the S-curve with words and arrows so that everything can easily be understood.

Turn in the following at the end of LAB 3: