Instructions to create a progress graphic.

In this example, we are going to create a graphic to make a close track of the performance of a schedule of activities. The objective for the use of this graphic is to compare the progress exactly as scheduled against the actual progress as it is being presented by each evaluation period. Once we get a schedule of activities, and considering this as approved, then we can start producing the first part of the graphic. Using Primavera P6 as a support tool to get the progress updated to a chosen data date, we can use the function of update progress by the periods selected (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.).

Use the icon

in order to activate the progress spotlight tool.

Then choose Tools, Update Progress and select the Update Date to be used.

Select a New Data Date, then select if youll use the highlighted activities or only the manual selection (if you made it). Then select how to calculate the remaining duration (hint: select always recalculate in order to take advantage of your previous selection and combination of Activity Type, Activity Duration and Activity Percent Complete). Click OK and let P6 work on the update. To confirm the process, perform a Schedule (Tolls, Schedule or F9 and use the same data date of the update previously performed.

Once we make this, we get the percent complete value and then we start building a spreadsheet where we set the periodic dates into a column 1, and then the percent complete of the ideal progress schedule values we are getting from the periodic ideal update on a column 2. On a third column, we can make exactly the same, but now using the actual periodic values as a result of the periodic actual updates tracked on the project.

You can also show a brief of this, using only a value for the end of the month:

The comparison on the spreadsheet is cold, so now we need to produce a graphic where we make a cumulative track of the progress, describing a curve by the time period selected as the frequency of update registers (this is commonly known by engineers as a bell shaped graphic or as a Gauss Curve). Please see below image, with an idea of how to show a graph of the weekly progress. Please stress out the importance of the separation between the separation of what is required (purple), what was offered (contractor) and the current progress (red); the separation between the actual and the required is big, but it is more important to see that the actual values are also separated from the contractor schedule; it means that the company is not able to reach the performance as offered.

In the next graph, please take a look at this: considering the progression of values prepared for the weekly ideal updates previously calculated, and selecting only the end of the month values, we can produce a graph where we can see the previous graph result and the trend required to get the finish milestone date.

At a glance, we can compare the Ideal schedule accepted and the update results. The way the lines are shown are the key of the reading: lines drawn closer one from the other mean that the schedule is being respected, executed as planned and is thrustworthy to be used as a forecast tool to announce a finish date. On the other hand, if the lines are separating one from the other, then the schedule might be under or ahead the original plan. If the actual graph line is under the ideal curve, then the actual progress is shown as behind schedule. If the actual graph line is shown over the ideal curve line, then the actual progress is ahead the schedule. This might sound especially good, but we need to be careful and consider than this can be a sign of an over planning or a loose schedule.

A match one to one means everything is being executed as planned. The way the company establishes how close they can be to the ideal progress is the way they can measure their performance; one means ideal, a value less than one means that they are under performing and a value higher than one is an over performance compared to the baseline schedule.

If there are other releases of the schedule, this just need to be set as another column and another line; this is the case simply when we analyze how the performance should be set in order to reach a value in a period of time. Now, as a brief of all the produced information, we need to build a small table where we compare the committed schedule versus the actual schedule in order to check one on one the variances of the start date, finish date, actual start, forecasted finish date, ideal progress, actual progress and with both scenarios, we can get a simple performance decimal value, being 1 the ideal figure and monitoring all the variances regarding this we can get at a glance the project health. An important input is also the related to compare the elapsed time from the start date until the finish contract date, then we can compare how long has been formalized the contract and how close or far is the progress regarding compared to the elapsed time.

Note: For a Better understanding of the progression of the values, please see the DUMMY.xlsx file and the PPT with the executive information to be presented.