This document provides best practices for administering Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM) software. It discusses setting up security profiles and organizational breakdown structures to control user access. Global codes and calendars should be carefully managed to avoid corruption of shared data. Project templates can help standardize new project setup but require consensus on activity definitions. The EPPM web interface is best for collaboration features while administration remains in the client application.

1. P6 Security and Administration
Session ID#: 15476
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Prepared by:
Brian Criss, PSP
Vice President of Professional Services
DRMcNatty & Associates, Inc.
Best Practice Overview for
Enterprise Administration

2. • What is the purpose of the P6 administrator?
• Establishment of Security for End Users
• Security Profiles / Project Access/ Policy
• Preservation of Global Data
• Codes• Codes
• Cost Accounts
• Calendars
• Resources

3. • Where to go to setup P6?....Depends on the
Version of Primavera you are running.
• P6 v7 and Earlier = Client Application
Primavera P6 Administration
• P6 r8 and Higher = ….depends?
• P6 Professional = Client Application
• P6 EPPM = Use P6 Web for admin.

4. • Administration of P6 EPPM version 8.x
• Most functions are in the web product related to
administration of the system.
• User Accounts, EPS, OBS, Project Codes
Primavera P6 Administration
• User Accounts, EPS, OBS, Project Codes
• Some items related to schedule functions are still
available in the Optional Client.
• Activity Codes, Resources, Calendars

5. • P6 EPS Structure
• The EPS is not the
only means by
which to view
projects in P6.
• The EPS Structure’s
Primavera P6 Administration
• The EPS Structure’s
primary function
should be to
facilitate the
security model

6. • OBS Structure
• Hierarchical
Structure use to
grant access to
projects for end
users.
Primavera P6 Administration
users.
• A good strategy is
to have the OBS
mirror the EPS
structure.

7. • Project Access
• Users may be assigned
access to multiple
OBS/Responsible
Manager elements.
Primavera P6 Administration
• Project security privileges
can be different for each
level of project access

8. Primavera P6 Administration
Alignment of EPS / OBS
Elements is a good method to
begin building the P6 Security
Model

9. • Admin considerations for an Enterprise
environment (i.e…not everyone is Superuser).
• Adding Projects – In order for end users to add a
new project in P6, they will require access to at
Primavera P6 Administration
new project in P6, they will require access to at
least 1 EPS node.
• For larger deployments, the process by which new
projects are added to P6 should be clearly defined
and communicated to users.

10. • Enterprise Deployments – Adding Projects
• Tip: Create a dedicated EPS node specifically for the
creation of new projects.
• Allows flexibility for people to freely use the system and
Primavera P6 Administration
Allows flexibility for people to freely use the system and
create new projects as required to capture all work in P6.
• Requires system administrator to move the project to the
appropriate EPS node.
• Provides a QA opportunity for System Admin or
Supervisor.

11. Primavera P6 Administration
1. Users select project from Templates Node and “copy” the project.
2. Paste the project in the “New” node and update as appropriate with
Project Codes, etc.
3. System Administrator can then move the project to a secure node (such as
Energy Services).

12. • Global Data
• Primary elements which may be polluted are:
• Project Codes
• Activity Codes
• Calendars
Primavera P6 Administration
• Calendars
• Project Codes will end up being an essential
element for any reporting or integration solution for
any organization.

13. • Tips for Preserving Global Data:
• Use the security profiles to limit the number of users
who can modify these dictionaries.
• Limit the practice of importing data from outsiders
Primavera P6 Administration
• Limit the practice of importing data from outsiders
into the system.
• Customize or Brand the default data in a blank P6
database
• “Standard 5-Day Workweek”

14. Good Example of what
should be avoided…
Administrators need to
control the ability to import
new projects into P6.
Primavera P6 Administration
new projects into P6.
Calendars is one of the
more problematic areas to
keep clean.

15. • Admin Settings
• Control Data Limits for several elements in
P6.
• Time Periods
Primavera P6 Administration
• Time Periods
• Do not modify the default settings for
days, weeks, months.
• Recommend to check the box which says
“use activity calendar work days”

16. Primavera P6 Administration
•Maintain the Default Hours per Time period.
•Check the box for “Use Assigned Calendar to specify the number
of work hours…”

17. The “Earned Value
Primavera P6 Administration
The “Earned Value
Calculation” setting may
influence the display of
Baseline Bars in the Gantt
Chart.

18. Admin Preferences – Data
Limits
•Allows administrators of P6 to
determine limits for EPS/OBS/WBS
elements
Primavera P6 Administration
•Number of Codes per Project
•Maximum number of Baselines
•Max number of copied Baselines

19. Primavera P6 Administration
Startup Filters determine whether
or not “Current Project” values
display, or “All Values”

20. • Admin Categories
• Contains several system defaults for specific data
elements in P6.
• Recommended to customize the Admin Categories
Primavera P6 Administration
Recommended to customize the Admin Categories
to fit the organization needs as an initial step in
setting up the P6 database
• Notebook Topics
• WBS Categories
• Expense Categories

21. Primavera P6 Administration
Customize as an initial part of the P6 setup

22. • Project Templates:
1. Desired by most organizations to provide a
starting point in the development of new project
schedules.
Primavera P6 Administration
2. P6 provides the option to create specific
“template” projects in P6 EPPM (Web).
3. Alternative methods typically entail a specific EPS
node where templates reside.
• Copied and re-purposed to create new projects.

23. • Project Templates: GOOD
• Facilitate the creation and adherence of standards
for the organization.
• Activity ID’s
• Activity Codes
• Logic and Milestones.
Primavera P6 Administration
• Logic and Milestones.
• Efficient for End Users to quickly create new
projects.
• For organizations where users manage 30-50 projects,
this ability is appreciated.

24. • Project Templates: BAD
• Terminology for activities in the schedule is often
not documented or communicated to users.
• “I don’t know what this activity means??”
• Arriving at a consensus for what should and
Primavera P6 Administration
• Arriving at a consensus for what should and
should not be contained in the standard templates
is extremely PAINFUL!!!
• The end result is the development of 50+ templates to
accommodate every fork in the road a project may
face.

25. • P6 EPPM (aka P6 Web)
• Provides features for collaboration with “non-
schedulers”
• Recommended Uses for EPPM are:
• Notebook Entries
Primavera P6 Administration
• Notebook Entries
• Issues Tracking
• Risk Tracking
• Try and Keep as Simple as Possible!!!
• Never get a second chance to make a first impression
• Use the “User Interface Views” to help the initial
experience.

26. Create User
Interface Views
as a method of
creating a
Primavera P6 Administration
creating a
consistent
starting point for
users of P6 Web.

27. 1. Use Weighted Project Codes
to determine criteria for
Project Score
2. Select Metric Value for
Green, etc.
Primavera
Project Scoring

28. Sample Project Score in EPS View
Primavera P6 Administration
Individual Project Score is calculated
automatically. Roll up of information available
for summary reporting

29. Questions?
Brian Criss
VP of Professional Services
bcriss@drmcnatty.com
T. (877) 367-7990 x7995
Web www.drmcnatty.comWeb www.drmcnatty.com

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evaluation
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