Oracle Primavera Platform Integration

This topic describes options and steps specific to Oracle Primavera projects.

Primavera P6 XER and XML Files

Primavera P6 linking supports custom field mapping (normal, code, and user defined fields). You do not need P6 installed on your computer to link and import XER or XML files into Acumen.

  • XER Files: XER files are the standard means of exporting data outside of a P6 database. When you export an Acumen project as an Oracle Primavera P6 XER file, any existing user-defined fields are included in the export and are available for use in Primavera.
  • XML Files: After importing Primavera XML files, Acumen runs time analysis to calculate values such as total float and free float because the XML files do not include this information.

Primavera P6 Web Services

Acumen includes direct integration to Primavera P6 through web-services. This means that P6 users can link directly to Primavera to analyze their projects. You can import a single project or multiple projects from Primavera P6 web services.

Acumen uses profiles to connect to P6 Web Services servers. The system can store multiple profiles that include the address, user name, password, and so on. The P6 Web Services Import Wizard guides you through setting up the profile and selecting projects.

Acumen supports Oracle-hosted P6 web as part of the integration with Primavera Web Services.

Oracle Primavera Platform Options

Use the Deltek Acumen Options dialog box to set specific options for Oracle Primavera.

Primavera P6 Workbook Baselines

Acumen allows you to assign a P6 baseline schedule to a P6 schedule so that you can compare baseline data with the current schedule.

XER files exported from Primavera P6 do not contain associated baseline project data. This is a challenge when running metrics within Acumen that compare baseline data with the current schedule.

To overcome this, you can assign a given P6 baseline schedule to a P6 schedule that has been brought into an Acumen workbook. This process merges a baseline dataset with the current project dataset overcoming the issue of baselines not natively being saved as part of an XER export from P6. A Primavera file can be assigned as both a snapshot and a baseline in a single step.

On the S1 // Projects tab, after you add a project, right-click on the project and either select Assign Baseline or Assign Baseline and Add Snapshot.

You can tell if a baseline has been assigned to a schedule by looking for the black B ( ) on the Primavera P6 file icon in the Projects panel of the workbook on the S1 // Projects tab.

After you assign a baseline, you can add the Baseline Project Time Now and Baseline WBS Code columns to the S1 // Projects Activities grid. The Baseline Project Time Now column displays the Time Now date from the assigned baseline project and is useful if, for example, you want to see if activities that are in the baseline but no longer in the project should have been completed. The Baseline WBS Code column displays the WBS code on the baseline activities. These fields are also available to use in metrics and on the S2 // Diagnostics tab, as well as in reports.

Loading a Multi-Project XER as a Single-Project Baseline

You can import a multi-project XER (master project with subprojects) into Acumen as a single-project baseline. This allows you to have baseline dates for metrics when you use multi-project XER files.

Primavera Risk Analysis

Acumen uses your installed copy of Risk Analysis (V8.x and higher), formerly known as Pertmaster, to link directly to Primavera Risk Analysis files.

You must have Risk Analysis installed on your PC in order to link and to import .plan files from a Risk Analysis file. If you don't have Risk Analysis installed, you can:
  • Natively read .plnx files into Acumen.
  • Import .plnx files generated in Risk Analysis.

In addition to importing cost and schedule data, Acumen imports both risk input and risk output data from your Risk Analysis file. This enables you to conduct advanced risk-based analytics. Risk Analysis linking supports custom field mapping.

Note: You cannot run risk analysis on files imported from Primavera Risk Analysis.

Oracle Primavera Text Encoding

Select Text Encoding to ensure that all characters in a file import display correctly.

Oracle Primavera XER files do not include any information about what is being used to encode the files. If the file you are importing does not use standard encoding (for example, it uses Russian instead of English), then the characters may not display correctly when you import the file.To ensure that all characters in a file import display correctly, select Text Encoding after you link a project and before you import the data.

Standard Field Mappings

  • Physical % Complete: The Physical % Complete field is auto-mapped to the P6 activity Physical % Complete field.

Earned Value Technique Codes

When you map a field with Cobra EVT values in it to the Acumen Earned Value Technique field, Acumen recognizes the single character EVT values (A for Level Of Effort, B for Milestones, C for Percent Complete, and so on).