Complete Guide to Activities in Primavera P6 Standalone

🎯 Your Complete Reference for P6 Activities

Everything you need to know about managing activities in Primavera P6

📋 Table of Contents

Activity Types in P6
Activity Properties
Duration Types
Percent Complete Types
Activity ID Philosophy
Activity Codes Setup
How Activity Type Affects Progress

🔷 1. Activity Types in Primavera P6

Primavera P6 provides 5 distinct activity types, each designed for specific scheduling scenarios.

Task Dependent

Default type. Duration is FIXED and independent of resources assigned.

Behavior: Adding/removing resources does NOT change duration
Use When: You know the exact time needed (e.g., concrete curing 7 days)
Example: Formwork erection, inspection activities

Duration = FIXED (user-defined) | Resources = Variable

Resource Dependent

Duration is CALCULATED based on resource productivity and quantity.

Behavior: Adding resources REDUCES duration, removing resources INCREASES it
Use When: Work is production-based (e.g., bricklaying 1000 m² wall)
Example: Excavation, concrete pouring, painting

Duration = Budgeted Units / (Resource Units/Time × Calendars)

Level of Effort (LOE)

Duration is TIED to driving predecessors/successors - stretches automatically.

Behavior: Starts with earliest predecessor, finishes with latest successor
Use When: Activity runs continuously throughout a phase (e.g., project management, security)
Example: Site supervision, weekly safety meetings

LOE activities always have 0 Total Float because they drive from relationships, not calendars.

Start Milestone & Finish Milestone

ZERO-DURATION markers for key project events.

Start Milestone: Marks beginning of a phase (e.g., Notice to Proceed)
Finish Milestone: Marks completion of deliverable (e.g., Handover)
Use When: Tracking decision points, approvals, deliveries

                Example Milestones:

                M100 - Contract Award (Start)

                M200 - Design Approval (Finish)

                M300 - Beneficial Occupancy (Finish)

WBS Summary

CALCULATED summary representing rollup of subordinate activities.

Behavior: Dates/duration calculated from children, cannot be manually edited
Use When: Creating phase-level summaries in Gantt view
Example: "Phase 1: Foundation Works" summary bar

⚠️ Warning: WBS Summary activities do NOT drive logic - they are display-only. Don't create relationships TO or FROM them.

⚙️ 2. Critical Activity Properties

Property	Purpose	Best Practice
Activity ID	Unique identifier (max 40 char)	Use structured coding (see section 5)
Activity Name	Descriptive title (max 120 char)	Clear, action-verb start (e.g., "Pour column concrete")
Calendar	Working time definition	Assign specific calendar per trade/location
Activity Status	Not Started / In Progress / Completed	Automatically updated during schedule update
Planned Dates	Early/Late Start/Finish	Result of CPM calculation
Actual Dates	Real start/finish from site	Enter during progress update
Constraints	Force date restrictions	Use sparingly - prefer pure logic

⏱️ 3. Duration Types

P6 offers 3 duration calculation methods:

Duration Type	Formula	When to Use
Fixed Duration & Units	Duration = Fixed Units/Time varies	Task Dependent activities (default)
Fixed Units/Time	Units/Time = Fixed Duration varies	Resource Dependent activities
Fixed Duration & Units/Time	Both FIXED Budgeted Units varies	Rarely used - rigid scheduling

For most construction projects: Use "Fixed Duration & Units" for Task Dependent, and "Fixed Units/Time" for Resource Dependent activities.

📊 4. Percent Complete Types

4.1 Duration % Complete

Duration % = (Actual Duration / (Actual + Remaining Duration)) × 100

Pro: Simple and intuitive
Con: Doesn't reflect resource consumption or cost

4.2 Physical % Complete

Physical % = Manual Entry by Engineer (0-100%)

Pro: Most accurate - reflects actual work installed
Con: Requires site measurement and judgment
Use: Best for Earned Value Management (EVM)

4.3 Units % Complete

Units % = (Actual Units / Budgeted Units) × 100

Pro: Automatically calculated from resource actuals
Con: Only works if resources properly loaded

🔑 Key Decision

For construction projects with EVM: Use Physical % as primary, with Duration % as backup. Never mix types within the same project!

🆔 5. Activity ID Philosophy & Best Practices

5.1 Why Activity ID Matters

A well-structured Activity ID system enables:

Quick visual identification of activity location/type
Automated filtering and grouping
Integration with other systems (cost, procurement)
Historical analysis across projects

5.2 Coding Conventions

Option 1: Sequential by WBS

            A1000 - Site Mobilization

            A1010 - Site Fencing

            A1020 - Temp Facilities

            A2000 - Excavation Phase Start

            A2010 - Bulk Excavation

            A2020 - Footing Excavation

Option 2: Structured Code

            Format: PHASE-ZONE-TRADE-SEQ

            01-A-STR-010 = Phase 1, Zone A, Structural, Item 10

            01-A-STR-020 = Phase 1, Zone A, Structural, Item 20

            02-B-ARC-030 = Phase 2, Zone B, Architectural, Item 30

Option 3: Hybrid (Recommended)

            Format: PREFIX + Number

            EXC-100, EXC-110 = Excavation

            FND-200, FND-210 = Foundations

            STR-300, STR-310 = Superstructure

            ARC-400, ARC-410 = Architecture

            MEP-500, MEP-510 = MEP Works

Leave gaps in numbering (e.g., 10, 20, 30) to allow inserting activities later without renumbering the entire schedule.

🏷️ 6. Activity Codes Setup

6.1 What are Activity Codes?

Activity Codes are custom fields for grouping, filtering, and organizing activities beyond WBS.

6.2 Essential Activity Codes for Construction

Code Name	Values Example	Purpose
Phase	Mobilization, Foundation, Structure, Finishes, MEP, Closeout	Group by construction phase
Trade/Discipline	Civil, Structural, Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing	Filter by responsible discipline
Location/Zone	Building A, Building B, Basement, Ground Floor, Typical Floor, Roof	Analyze by physical location
Responsible	Owner, Contractor, Subcontractor A, Consultant	Track responsibility
Critical	Critical, Near-Critical, Non-Critical	Focus management attention
CBS	01.01, 01.02, 02.01 (Cost codes)	Link to cost breakdown

6.3 How to Create Activity Codes in P6

Enterprise → Activity Codes
Click Add
Enter Code Name (e.g., "Phase")
Define Code Values:
- Add each value (e.g., "Foundation", "Structure")
- Optionally assign colors for visual distinction
Assign codes to activities:
- Select activities → Activity Details → Codes tab
- Pick value from dropdown

Use Global Activity Codes (at EPS level) so codes are consistent across all projects in your enterprise.

📈 7. How Activity Type Affects Progress Calculation

7.1 Task Dependent Progress

            Activity: Concrete Curing (7 days, Task Dependent)

            Day 3: Duration % = 3/7 = 43%

            Physical %: Entered manually = 40% (slightly slower)

            Impact: Duration continues regardless of actual progress

7.2 Resource Dependent Progress

            Activity: Brick Wall 100 m² (Resource Dependent)

            Budgeted: 2 masons × 5 days = 100 m²

            Actual Day 3: Only 50 m² completed

            Impact: Remaining Duration recalculates: (100-50)/20 = 2.5 days left

7.3 LOE Progress

            Activity: Site Management (LOE)

            Linked to: Foundation Phase (Start) → Structure Complete (Finish)

            Progress: Always 100% between predecessor/successor dates

            Impact: If structure delays, LOE extends automatically

⚡ Critical Insight

Activity Type selection fundamentally changes how P6 calculates remaining work. Choose wrong type = wrong forecasts!

🎯 Quick Reference: When to Use Each Type

If your activity is...	Use this type
Time-driven (e.g., curing, approvals, testing)	Task Dependent
Production-driven (e.g., excavation, pouring, installation)	Resource Dependent
Continuous support (e.g., management, security, quality)	Level of Effort
Decision point / handover / approval	Milestone
Phase summary for presentation	WBS Summary

📚 Summary: Master Checklist

✅ Choose correct activity type based on nature of work
✅ Use structured Activity ID convention
✅ Create essential Activity Codes (Phase, Trade, Location)
✅ Assign appropriate calendar to each activity
✅ Select percent complete type (Physical recommended for EVM)
✅ Minimize use of constraints - rely on logic
✅ Never create relationships to/from WBS Summary activities

Next: Complete Guide to WBS in Primavera P6