CAPPS – Tracking Variance to Plan - Introduction

When updates are done from remote locations, it is sometimes hard to know if the scope of work is on track or not. In P6 we have the idea of variances against a baseline, but sometimes it is even more practical to compare variances against the current schedule or the last update.

CAPPS - Variances Can Help a Lot

Variance to planned schedule information is updated/stored in P6 when you use CAPPS to update your project.

Frequently projects need to display variance to plan on completed activities in meetings and on reports progressively as the activities are completed. This information provides not only status, but can also assist in addressing continuous improvement during the project.

The information provided in P6 after a CAPPS schedule update contains both variances and flags, making it easier to see how the activities are doing for the non-P6 expert. The flags provide a very visual capture of the status, and can also be used for sorting and filtering as can the specific variances.

We will walk through a simple update using CAPPS and view the date variance information generated by CAPPS.

First we login to CAPPS to enter our updates. We've entered a round of updates below:

We click ‘Save Progress’ and the Progress Update Status and send them into P6 CAPPS Holding buckets.

Back in P6 we run the CAPPS Approval Process and can hold back any tasks we want to validate. 

Once the CAPPS approval process is complete (PASS), in the activity tab in P6 we can view the updated date information with the Start Date, Finish Date Variances and Variance Flags. These elements can be used in P6 layouts as you can see above as well as in P6 reports.

The above layout is a very simple example displaying only completed activities where either the Start Variance Flag or Finish Variance Flag are not displaying the green check. In a large project, the user can add in a date qualifier to see only the activities closed for example, in the last update along with other filter elements such as a specific Variance Flag, a negative start variance, or a negative finish variance. The user can add additional coding to the filter and in the layout to group, sort, and filter the information to produce a very useful and informative layout.

Don’t forget that you can also filter and create a layout to display any activities which started early or finished early – or both. There are additional variances captured using CAPPS to provide easy access to additional project variance to plan information on items such as duration, labor units and expenses.

Emerald Associates Announces the New Release of Primavera P6 Add On Tools for Automating and Updating P6 Project Data

Emerald Associates, an Oracle Platinum Partner and experts in Oracle Primavera solutions for over two decades, announces the new release of three innovative software tools that improve the management of Primavera P6 project data. The P6 Loader, CAPPS (Capital Project Progressing System) and TAPS (Turnaround Progressing System) automate the updating process of Primavera P6 in unique ways, saving Primavera P6 users time, energy and resources while managing project data.

Calgary (PRWEB) November 18, 2014 -- As implementation experts in Oracle Primavera project management software, Emerald Associates goes above and beyond the basic delivery of Oracle Primavera software tools. After over 20 years of implementing and integrating Primavera software for various clients all over the world, Emerald intimately understands the common technical and functional problems associated with running such sophisticated project management software. As a result, Emerald Associates has developed solutions to those common problems through the development of Emerald Tools. These software tools act as add-ons or enhancements to Oracle Primavera software, and in the case of these new releases, Primavera P6 EPPM (Enterprise Project Portfolio Management).

Oracle Primavera is the leading provider of Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM) solutions. Primavera P6 is Oracle’s premier solution for planning and scheduling projects of any size. Whether you are starting a new project or managing an ongoing one, manual data entry is required to gather and maintain data coming from multiple sources (ex. accounting, estimating etc.). The challenge of managing project data transcends company size, industries and departments, but it is paramount to ensure projects are running on time and on budget.

Emerald’s P6 Loader saves time by automating the manual data entry process through the secure import and export functionality of nearly all data elements between Primavera P6 and Microsoft Excel. With version 3.0, export capabilities have been significantly enhanced, baselines and calendars exposed, navigation improved and additional user security layers developed. “We don’t execute client P6 implementations without it anymore” stated Emerald's CEO Nicole Jardin. Aware of the contradiction associated with billable consultants using time saving tools, Nicole adds, “Emerald Associates is committed to improving our clients' project delivery and once you develop the ability to avoid manual data entry, there is no going back”.

While the P6 Loader automates manual data entry, TAPS and CAPPS use two different technologies to simplify and automate the Primavera P6 updating process. CAPPS is a secure web-based updating toolthat allows any project contributor to update their activities, steps, resources, expenses and notes outside of the Primavera P6 software itself. With CAPPS, the tabular user interface simplifies the updating process, making it possible to get timely updates from non-P6 users wherever they may be. The new release of CAPPS 7.0 allows for the definition of multiple admin users (an admin is a user who can manage filters and therefore define what data a normal user can access and update). With the new version, those responsible for the tool configuration can select multiple administrators, making it easier for the management team to get frequent status updates from the right person.

While CAPPS uses a simple tabular grid that allows for easy updating from an extended project team, TAPS uses barcode scanning technology to simplify the updating process. As indicated in its name, this tool is commonly used on complex and time sensitive projects such as turnarounds, shutdowns or outages. TAPS is used in many industries with clients in the oil & gas, petrochemical, agribusiness, and power generation.

TAPS is known for its speed and accuracy when it comes to Primavera P6 updating. Typically, field personnel note their activity progress and report it to a scheduler. That scheduler is then responsible for entering those updates into the Primavera P6 schedule. With TAPS, instead of manually finding an activity and updating the start, finish or percent complete, two fast scans can find and update the activity within seconds. P6 activity statusing time can be reduced by 75%, allowing more time to analyze and act on the data as opposed to simply aggregating it. With the new release of TAPS 7.0, users have the ability to mix and match scanning the remaining duration of an activity or the percent complete. There is also enhanced functionality through better error handling and superior calculations of an activity start date based on its calendar.

The new releases of the P6 Loader, CAPPS and TAPS demonstrate Emerald’s longstanding commitment to streamlining project delivery not only for their clients but for anyone interested in getting the most out of their project management software. These P6 automation tools are three of many unique tools developed by Emerald Associates and born out of twenty years of specializing in Oracle Primavera project management solutions. These new releases also come at an opportune time with Emerald's year-end sale. Save 25% off of Emerald Tools and 15% off the price of Oracle Primavera Software until December 19, 2014.

About Emerald Associates Inc.

Emerald Associates is an Oracle Platinum Partner specialized in Primavera and amongst the select few seasoned Oracle Platinum Partners worldwide. Since 1995, Emerald’s dedicated team of project managers, engineers and programmers have been delivering innovative, integrated, engineered solutions for clients in project based industries ranging from oil & gas, nuclear, health care, pharmaceutical, engineering, construction and the public sector. They pride themselves on delivering best-of-breed project management solutions to a diverse client base, building longstanding relationships through cost effective quality Primavera implementation and integration, specialty client automations, timely support, and engineered or hosted environments for all Oracle Primavera tools.