Schedule a Project

Schedule your project to sequence your activities into a logical order of execution by assigning dates to all activities. Scheduling your project also determines the project's critical path and allows you to calculate sub-critical float paths to monitor activities. You can schedule a program to schedule all of the projects in the program using their own data date or a specific date.

Advanced Scheduling Options Video

Note: After importing P6 project data into Primavera Cloud, you must reschedule the project and recalculate costs before making any project updates.

To schedule a project:

1. Navigate to the Activities page
   1. In the object selector, select ﱆ Project or  Program, and then select a project or a program from the list.
   2. From the  Main Menu, select  Schedule, and then select Activities.
2. Select  Schedule.
3. In the Schedule dialog box, on the Schedule Project tab, configure your data date options:
   • Select one of the following:
     • All projects use their own data date: Select this option to use the individual data date for each open project.
     • Apply selected data date to all open projects: Select this option and specify a data date in the Data Date field.
   • Select Display scheduling log upon completion to automatically display the scheduling log when the scheduling process is complete.
4. Select the Settings tab and configure your scheduling options:
   • Use schedule options from: If you are scheduling a program, select the project whose scheduling options you want to use for the scheduling process.
   • Recognize relationships to and from other projects: Select this option to recognize relationships to other projects while scheduling the project.
   • Make open-ended activities critical: Determines whether to designate open-ended activities as critical during scheduling.
   • Use Expected Finish Dates: Select this option to use expected finish dates while scheduling the project. If no Expected Finish Date is assigned, the date will default to the Remaining Early Finish date and time.
   • When scheduling progressed activities use: Select an option to determine how in-progress activities are scheduled.

     Retained Logic: The remaining duration of a progressed activity is not scheduled until all of its predecessors are finished.

     Progress Override: The schedule ignores activity relationships and allows the activity to progress without delay.

     Actual Dates: Backward and forward passes are calculated using actual dates.

   • Calculate Start-to-Start lag from: Determines when you want the successor to start. When a start to start relationship exists and the predecessor starts out of sequence, the scheduler delays the successor activity until the lag expires and all predecessor relationships have been satisfied. Use this option to specify whether to subtract the lag from the predecessor's early start date or its actual start date.

     Early Start: Calculates the expired lag as the number of work periods between the actual start and the data date and determines the successor's start date as the predecessor's remaining early start plus any remaining lag. Select this option when the successor's start depends on the amount of work that the predecessor activity accomplishes.

     Actual Start: Calculates the successor's start date as the data date plus any remaining lag. Select this option when you want the successor's start to depend on the time elapsed from the predecessor's actual start (regardless of the amount of work that has been accomplished in the predecessor activity).

   • Define critical activities as: Specify the criteria to determine whether an activity is considered critical.
   • Calculate float based on finish date of: Select an option to determine how float is calculated:

     Each Project: Float is calculated based on the finish date of each individual project.

     Opened Projects: Float is calculated based on the finish date of all opened projects scheduled together.

   • Compute total float as: Select the method to use to calculate total float for activities.
   • Calendar for scheduling relationship lag: Select the calendar to use for calculating relationship lag.
   • Recalculate costs upon completion: Select this option to automatically recalculate costs after the scheduler is run.
5. (Projects or Programs) Select the Multiple Float Paths tab and configure the following options:
   • Use schedule options from: Select a project from the list of options. Settings specific to an individual project display upon selection.
   • Calculate Multiple Float Paths: Select this option to calculate multiple float paths for your schedule.

     Note: You must select Calculate Multiple Float Paths to edit the rest of the fields on this tab.

   • Calculate Multiple Paths Using: Choose which method will be used when calculating the critical and sub-critical float paths:
     • Free Float: Calculate float paths based on driving activities. This option starts with the longest path to begin the calculation.
     • Total Float: Calculate multiple float paths based off of activity delays using the Relationship Total Float.
   • Select multiple float paths ending activity: In the Select Multiple Float Path Ending Activity picker, select the activity that will be the last activity in your multiple float path calculations, and then select Select. Any activities that are successor activities to the one chosen are not included in the multiple float path calculations. If you leave this field empty, the multiple float path calculations defaults to the final activity in the project or program.
   • Specify the number of paths to calculate: Specify up to 1,000 float paths to calculate for your schedule.
6. Select Schedule Now.

Tips

• The scheduler calculates the project schedule using activity requirements only. Consequently, activities requiring the same roles or resources can be scheduled simultaneously, creating overallocations. Use the leveling feature to resolve role or resource overallocations in your project by adjusting activity dates according to the availability of all assigned roles or resources.
• If you choose to run the leveler, the project is automatically scheduled before the leveler is run, according to the last scheduling settings.
• If you choose to calculate multiple float paths, each project within a program will adopt the schedule settings that you've applied in the scheduler.
• After you schedule the project, you can review the log to view data and statistics about the scheduling process. You can access the log from the Schedule dialog box by selecting View Log, from the system notification you receive when the scheduling process is complete, or from the Manage Services page. When the scheduler is run, the application checks for loops, or circular relationships, in the activity relationship logic. If a loop is detected, then the scheduler fails. You can view the error report with the activities in the loop from the scheduling log. To resolve the loop, return to the Activities page and view the relationship trace logic for the activities in the loop and remove a relationship.