Understanding Import & Export with NetPoint 4.

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Eric Lowther PMA Consultants

2013-2014 PMA Technologies, LLC

Primary Differences Regarding Import/ Export

CPMTools
F9 and Early/Late Dates Float & Total Float Gantt Charts (Waterfall layout) PDM Leads & Lags Milestones Only Database Driven Many Constraint Types Resources by hours/day and Resource Calendars Resources apply to Activities & LOE P6 Single value, Not MSP yet LOEs/Hammocks vary

NetPoint
Planned Dates Drift, Float & Total Float Time-scaled LDM networks and AutoGRAPH Logic diagramming method (LDM) and embedded nodes Positive & negative lags Milestones & Benchmarks Object Driven 2 Types: SNET, FNLT One time unit/schedule vs day and hour/shift considerations, No resource or shift calendars Resources for activities only, not hammocks, milestones, benchmarks Single & multiple values code assignments, use 1st behavior Hammocks do not support resources and cannot be empty

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EXPORT NETPOINT 4.2 INTO PRIMAVERA P6+ USING API

Demonstration

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Working with the Primavera P6 API +

NetPoint 4.2 Primavera API
Administrative rights required to install API (application program interface)

Primavera P6 v6 or v7
Transfer to V8 using xer in development

P6 Menu Options Enabled When Available

The API installs at the default location of Program Files > Primavera Set custom API location using menu option File>Import/Export>Set location for P6 API Administrative rights required to reset API
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Plan Ahead for Export to P6

Consideration for Export to P6
Only planning units = day schedules When defining a code, select the 1st option to set single value code assignment behavior. Set in in Code Property box. For any activity, all resource assignments should be either by day or duration, not mixed. Option to convert available in P6 Export Options New option to export global number of working hours per day to P6. Option in P6 Export Options Hammocks cannot contain disconnected milestones (Export Stops and Error Report is Provided) P6 has limit of 120-character descriptions (Export Stops & Error Report is Provided)
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Manage Planned Dates Before Export

What is a planned date?
An object has a planned date when not on its early date, object has drift or can move earlier in time

Using planned dates in NPT is easy,

but this is not the case in CPM tools.

Planned Dates will snap to the Early Date with F9 in CPM tools
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Manage Planned Dates Before Export

Strategies to consider to Address Planned Dates Conversion in NetPoint
Find and review objects on planned dates
Set criticality threshold to drift to see all non-critical objects that will move Use filters to see objects with drift, particularity start milestones Temporary check with Early Dates mode - positive drift objects snap to early dates except start milestones separately filter drift values > 0 for SM

Address objects on planned dates

Limit changes to objects that originate drift of a chain Carefully apply lags/link offsets and SNE constraints, or let go to early dates Start milestones with drift can be SNE constrained or converted to benchmark Use activity right click menu Snap to predecessor but this may not be the activity early date which is based on its network vs the objects drift Update from Excel report, include drift as a field and apply SNE constraints
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Steps to Export to Primavera P6+

1

Openplan,addressCPM/GPMdifferences&planneddates 2 GotoFile>Import/export>ExporttoPrimaveraP6 Enterprojectid Makeselectionsforcalendars,codes,resources andworkinghours/day,details...

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Details on P6+ Export Options

1 2
Calendarsnowaresetasprojectcalendarsbydefault, butglobalmaybeselected Codesmustbecheckedtotransfer.Anyobject>one valuepercodeassignedhasthosecodesignored,but acceptssinglevaluecodesontransfer.*Usesingle valuepercodebehavior. Resourcesmustbecheckedtotransfer.InP6,all resourceassignmentsforanactivitymustbethesame perdayorperduration. ResourcesinNPTdonotconsiderhours/day,but globalworkinghourscanbesetfortransfertoP6 usingtheWorkinghours/dayoptions.

ClickOK.ReviewthenF9toschedule(until scheduled,finishmilestonesmayshow1daylater andhammocksnotcalculatedyet)

2013-2014 PMA Technologies, LLC

After Export to P6
NetPoint
Planned dates, instant feedback Activity & delays Milestone Benchmark Hammock Activity or milestones with start constraint Activity or milestones with finish constraint Logic diagramming method and embeds ID transfer but not required Calendars Resources & Resource limits Resources daily only, no hours Codes iobjects Task Dependent Milestone, need to F9 to calculate Milestone with mandatory constraint, need to F9 to calculate Level of Effort, need to F9 to calculate Activity and milestones with Start On or After Activity and milestones with Finish On or Before Embeds converted to lags If not in NPT plan, IDs are created with prefix ~ Now NP_<Project Name>_<Calendar Name>, Recurring holidays become fixed holidays days In NetPoint Resources under <Project Name>-P, limits do not transfer Resources assign as a global hours/day based on export choice Export as Activity Codes named <Project ID> - <NPT Code Name> with one value code iobjects attached to object export as Documents and are assigned to the correct object. Canvas iobjects associate with the project.

P6
F9 must be applied after export to go to early dates

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IMPORTING TO NETPOINT Overview

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Primary Considerations before Import from CPM

Only supports transfer of day schedules Network Size Level 1 or Level 2 recommended Summarize / Subset Keep Object Names short Constraints: only SNE and FNL transfer, all others ignored Codes in P6 will transfer to NPT and lend well to AutoGRAPH Resources Resources will be supported in NPT for activities only not LOEs Resources will not have hours/day but based on daily rate only . NetPoint imports resources on a full-time basis only. If fractional durations, NetPoint rounds down if finish before noon, or up if finish after noon. Resources then distributed as /day or /duration. If per duration is chosen, rate is constant. Resource limits do not transfer LOEs/Summary Activities Objects can only belong to 1 LOE/hammock Resources on LOE/ hammock will not transfer Empty LOEs will not transfer to NPT

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IMPORT PRIMAVERA P6+ INTO NETPOINT USING API Demonstration

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Before Importing from P6

1

Check LOES: Linked to members only, must be connected to fragnets at start with SS and at end with FF links, each member belongs to one LOE only Set Relationship lag calculation to be based on Predecessor Calendar (P6+)

F9 to schedule/Calculate using CPM forward/ backward pass Also must Summarize in P6+ to commit changes to database

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Steps to Import from Primavera P6+

PresetNPTpagesizetoaccommodatebetterfirstview. 1 InFile>Import/export> ImportfromPrimaveraP6 3 SelectProjectandClickImport

LoginwithAdminPrivileges

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Steps to Import From P6 continued

4

Reviewimportreportchanges/omissions.Save,itcannotberecalled!

Accepttheimport

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Review NetPoint Plan after Import

1 2 3

Setpagesizeandadjustschedulecalendardatesforbestview AddressPreimportreport,i.e.,addbackomittedlogic TomaintainCPMdatesaddressimportednegativelagsbefore affectingnetworkwithfilterforlinkswithgap<0. ChangetoSS/FFlogicand/oraddnegativelinkoffset Review/addressimportedconstraintsorlinkoffsetsadded inCPMtofixtosomethingotherthanearlydatenotbe requiredwithGPMplanneddates RunAutoGRAPHormanuallylayoutschedule.Planwill rememberlayoutandgridinfoiforiginallyinNPT,then broughtbackintoP6

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IMPORT/EXPORT WITH MS PROJECT New feature via MSProject xml

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The Basic Approach

New process developed in NetPoint 4.2

NetPoint 4.2

MSProject XML
No API requirements

MSProject 2007 & Later

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NETPOINT EXPORT TO MSPROJECT VIA MSPROJECT XML Demonstration

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Plan Ahead for Export to MSProject XML

Only supports transfer of day schedules Manage planned dates in NPT prior to export of Project xml Resource assignments ignored run NPT resource report Codes do not transfer run NPT code report No special hammock considerations to MSP Limit use of link lags - NPT lag calculation is based on the predecessor object, but MSP the lag calculation is based on default calendar review lags exported to MSP MSP limit of 255 character-descriptions, otherwise truncated

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Steps to Export NetPoint to MSProject xml

1

InNPT,gotoFile>Import/export>Export toProjectxml,selectlocationandname
InMSProject,GoFile>Openandto navigatetothexmlfile,checkthatxmlis selectedindropdown.ClickOpen

SelectAsnewprojecttobeableto easilyreviewimportresults.Click Finish

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After Export to MSP

NetPoint
Planned dates are instantly calculated Activity & delays Start & Finish Milestone Start & Finish Benchmark Hammock Activity or milestones with start constraint Activity or milestones with finish constraint Logic diagramming method and embeds ID transfer but not required Calendars Resources & Resource limits Resource definitions and assignments Resources daily only, no hours Iobjects Codes Fixed Duration Milestones: Start milestone sets start at 8am, finish milestone set finish at 4pm Milestone with mandatory constraint set at 8am for start benchmark and 4pm for finish benchmark Transfer directly as a Summary without complications Activity and milestones with Start On or After Activity and milestones with Finish On or Before Embeds convert to lags, review for lag calendar that was based on predecessor in NPT but now is based on project calendar in MSP Activity IDs do not transfer, System IDs are transferred as unique IDs. Project calendar with exact name, or append with 1, 2 if a matching calendar exists. Recurring holidays accepted. Names match NPT resources, or append with 1, 2 if a matching resources exist in MSP, limits do not transfer Resource definitions export, but assignments do not export Resources export with 8hr/day 8am to 4pm only Iobjects do not transfer Codes do not transfer

MSP
Schedules automatically, if manual setting is used press F9 to schedule

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IMPORT MSPROJECT XML TO NETPOINT Demonstration

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Steps to Import Project XML into NetPoint

1 2 If manual setting used, F9 to schedule/calculate InMSP,opentheprojectfileandNPT,gotoFile>Saveas>andnameandselect locationoffile,changingtheSavetypeasXMLFormat(*.xml)

InNPT,gotoFile>Import/export> ImportfromMSProjectxmland navigatetoxml.ClickOpen.

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Steps to Import MSP xml into NetPoint, contd

5 GotoPreImportreport.Savethis,itcannotberecalled!

Accepttheimport

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Review NetPoint plan after xml import

1 2 3

Setpagesizeandadjustschedulecalendardatesforbestview AddressPreimportreport,i.e.,addbackomittedlogic TomaintainCPMdatesaddressimportednegativelagsbeforeaffecting networkwithfilterforlinkswithgap<0. ChangetoSS/FFlogicand/oraddnegativelinkoffset Review/addressimportedconstraintsorlinklagsfromCPMtofixto somethingotherthanearlydatenotrequiredwithGPMplanneddates Reviewlagstoseeanycalendardiscrepancieswhicharebasedon predecessorcalendarinNPTvsdefaultcalendarinMSP CheckMilestonesconversionasperrule:Ifnopredecessor,thenStart Milestone.ElseifbeforenoonthenStartMilestone.ElseFinishMilestone. RunAutoGRAPHormanuallylayoutschedule.
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Questions & Answers?

PRESENTED BY:

ERIC LOWTHER ELOWTHER@pmaconsultants.com

2013-2014 PMA Technologies, LLC

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