10 Primavera P6 Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity

In the past decade, I’ve been working on many projects, from small to large-scale, in different industries. I have seen different kind of Primavera P6 tools. XER reader, XER cleaner and XER analyzer are type of tools and solutions which can be useful if Oracle Primavera P6 is used to create the project schedule in your company.

Primavera P6 was the core technology in most of the construction, engineering, oil & gas companies, but I’ve seen how technology is shifting, and how organizations become more dependent on third-party solutions to speedup processes and deliver projects on time and on budget.

In this article, I would like to share some well-known and less-known Primavera P6 tools which the industry is using.

ScheduleReader

Licensing project stakeholders, who need a read only access to the project, with Oracle Primavera P6 software is a costly investment, moreover users would require a proper training to learn how to use Primavera P6.

ScheduleReader is intended for all project teams and contractors who need a Read-Only copy of a project and currently view project schedules in a static XLS and PDF file format.

ScheduleReader will provide the user with a dynamic view of the project information and will allow to use of different layouts to group and filter the project data, with an option to save the previously crated layout and export it in a PLF file format, which can further be shared with project participants. Users can also import a layout exported from Primavera P6, in PLF format.

Progress update feature allows for the users to propose an update to the progress on the activities they work on, and send feedback back to the scheduler. The reporting feature is highly useful, with DCMA 14 project quality points, custom generating reports, feature to import/export reports.

Website: schedulereader.com

Project Tracker

Next on this list is a software tool, developed by Willmer Ltd. Project Tracker allows users to read projects and baselines from Primavera P6, Asta Powerproject and Microsoft Project.

Users can import project information from XML, MPP and XER project files into Project Tracker, the solution will provide the user with an option to create different type of reports and analysis based on the project data contained in the imported project files.

Main strengths and features of Project Tracker is the ability to create S Curve analysis based on duration, resource or cost, which will give the user a clear way of seeing the project’s progress. Beside the S Curve analysis, Project Tracker gives the user a possibility to view the project information in an earned value analysis, graphical dashboard reports and project quality reports also known as the DCMA 14 report.

Other useful feature is the possibility for the user to create and save views of filtered curves and the option for dynamic feedback of progress status at any point.

Website: wilmer.co.uk

XER Schedule Toolkit

Spencer Group stands behind the software application that is used to view and analyze project schedules and plans. XER Schedule Toolkit allows the user to open and view MPP and XER project files exported from Microsoft Project and Oracle’s Primavera P6, accordingly.

XER Schedule Toolkit operates in a Microsoft Excel environment and the output file is generated in an Excel Worksheet. This allows the project data to be shared and edited even by non-Toolkit or planning software users, providing great team collaboration among project stakeholders. This whole process keeps every stakeholder of the project up-to date and engaged with the planning process, ultimately leading to successful project delivery.

In addition to the team collaboration features it has, XER Schedule Toolkit provides great analytic tools as well. Filter by activity and resource, create reports using cost and units, DCMA 14 schedule quality checks, earned value analysis and S-Curve view.

XER Schedule Toolkit also comes in a cloud based version. Hosted on Amazon Webservices, the online version allows secure access to your projects from your PC and tablet.

Website: xertoolkit.com

ScheduleCleaner

ScheduleCleaner is a Windows desktop application that allows for users to secure the confidential data contained in XER project schedules, exported from Oracle’s Primavera P6.

This application enables for planners, schedulers, contractors and other project participants to take control of the sensitive project information within XER project files, tailoring it to the needs of the different project stakeholders.

Users can mask or remove values from different project data categories in the XER project file, including costs, units, rates, POBS and more.

When a XER project file is run through ScheduleCleaner, it will produce a filtered copy of the schedule, which can further be shared with different stakeholders of the project, an approach that ensures that the receiving stakeholder has access only to the required project information necessary to perform his duties.

Another useful feature of ScheduleCleaner is the option to keep the project data unique by converting global data to project data. This feature keeps the project database clean, specifically when working with calendars and activity codes.

Companies using ScheduleCleaner will benefit with increased data security when sharing XER project schedules and scheduler’s time saved when manually cleaning XER files. Furthermore, avoiding database pollution from unwanted data and cutting costs for maintaining the database, is achieved with ScheduleCleaner.

Website: schedulecleaner.com

XENA Professional

Accelerated PM in a joint partnership with Mustang Technologies created a solution for cleaning XER files, exported from Primavera P6. XENA Professional acts as an in-between tool that modifies the project information from XER project schedules.

When project files from contractors and external stakeholders are imported in the company’s P6 database, XENA Professional helps medium and large companies keep their P6 database clean.

By importing the XER file, it then modifies the resource, project and activity codes, so they are changed from global to project-specific codes. A process which prevents the contractor’s schedule codes from being added to your organization’s global coding structure.

Furthermore, XENA Professional solves the issue most companies have when sharing the project schedule and project information with internal or external stakeholders and contractors. Users also have the ability to create and import custom templates which can further automate the whole process of cleaning the XER project files.

Website: xenautilities.com

Project Reader XER

The name says it all, this solution is a reader for XER project files. Developed by October Software, Project Reader XER is a user-friendly software solution, giving an ability for users to view and edit XER project files, exported from Oracle Primavera P6.

Compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, Project Reader XER is an affordable reader for XER files. For medium and large companies, this tool can save big costs on software licensing.

This XER solution makes it easy to add or remove users and give access to stakeholders in your organization or external contractors. Also, with features like customizable Gantt chart, OBS and WBS, project managers, team members, stakeholders and contractors would be able to have access to any data related to the project.

Other views include: Resource View, Resource Usage View and Task Usage View and Baseline Comparison, providing all relevant data in the project available to the stakeholders of the project.

Website: october-software.com

Change Inspector

Change inspector is a schedule change analysis software, which allows users to open and view P6 XER project files and MPP files, in order to produce detailed and streamlined schedule change analysis reports.

This tool can work with different file types, including P6 XER project files, XML and Microsoft Project plans. With an ability to connect to the Oracle database and option to compare baselines from XER files containing multiple projects.

With grouping and filtering features, Change Inspector allows users simply to drag and drop the project data. With an ability to create custom filters and advanced datagrid to present and analyze schedule information.

Change Inspector excel dashboard feature displays important schedule information and users can create different types of charts, making reporting to higher management a much more convenient task for project managers.

Website: changeinspector.com

Schedule Analyzer

This complete set of tools will assist any planner, scheduler and claims analyst who is creating the project schedule in XER files, exported from Primavera P6.

With modules which are included as a single package, modules like baseline checker and update checker will assists schedulers and planners in performing impossible scheduling tasks.

Baseline and update checker included in a user friendly dashboard, will display quality assessment on a single screen. The dashboard feature will help users to find any particular activity in the XER file, exported from Primavera P6.

The feature logic league is an extended relationship database system with which users can review and control the critical path method logic relationship, maintain scenarios and accelerate schedules.

With the Purge POBS feature, users can clean the POBS records from any given XER project file.

Website: scheduleanalyzer.com

Emerald Associates P6 Loader

Emerald Associates has developed useful set of tools allowing users to ease and smooth the process when working with XER project files, exported from Oracle Primavera P6.

P6 Loader lets users to import/export project data between Primavera P6 and Microsoft, in a user-friendly manner. Enables users to save time when they are manually input data into P6 database, by automating the whole process of data entry.

P6 Auditor is a web-application that gives the user a control over the P6 EPPM database, ability to generate reports about the changes made in the database and the activity of all users.

P6 QA Tool allows users to identify and solve scheduling problems. With its real time schedule validations and with the inline P6 business process feedback features, users can benefit from producing quality schedules faster.

You can find the full Emeralad Associates list of innovative project management solutions on their website.

Website: emerald-associates.com

XER Reader Macro

Although it’s ‘just’ an Excel macro, this XER Reader macro is free and allows for the user to view project schedules created in Oracle’s Primavera P6.

When a XER project file is loaded into the XER Reader macro, it will display the project information contained in the project schedule. With metrics such as DCMA 14 (only displays 10), because for Missed Task, Critical Path test, CPLI, BEI it requires a baseline to be imported or need to be done manually within the Primavera P6 software.

The detailed report on Activities is also available under the ‘Details Report’ tab, Work Breakdown Structure view is under the ‘WBS’ tab and there is also the ‘Table Summary’ view.

XER Reader macro allows for the user to create one type of a chart, the Gantt chart, you can draw your own Gantt chart and add columns for Labor units, Performance % complete etc.

Website: github.com/djouallah/xer-reader

Are you using some of the above Primavera P6 tools? Appreciate your feedback and comments bellow.

Read more about Primavera P6 scheduling related topics on my blog https://projectschedulepro.com/