Duration Type:

 Fixed Duration & Unit/Time

 Fixed Duration & Units
 Fixed Unit/Time
 Fixed Units

Equation
Budgeted Units = Budgeted Unit/Time * Duration
You have to memorize above equation to have better idea about Duration Type Working

Duration Type Budgeted Units Budgeted Unit/Time Duration

Fixed Duration & Variable Variable Fixed /Constant
Unit/Time

Fixed Duration & Variable Variable Fixed /Constant

Units

Fixed Unit/Time Fixed as you put Fixed Variable

value in resource You can change if
assignment at one resource is
activity level in working 12 hr/day if
Budgeted Units Two working 24
Column after Hrs/Day
resource analysis.
Fixed Units As above As above As above
 Planning Phase Execution Phase

Duration Type Budgeted Units Budgeted Unit At Completion Remaining

/Time Units Unit/Time
Fixed Duration & Fixed Fixed Vary Fix
Unit/Time

Fixed Duration & Fixed Fixed Fix Vary

Units

Fixed Unit/Time Fixed Fixed

Fixed Units Fixed Fixed

Fixed Duration & Units/Time or Fixed Duration & Units:

 Indicate that the schedule is a limiting factor in your project.
 The activity's duration does not change regardless of the number of resources assigned
when you modify or update activities.
 You usually select one of these duration types when you are using task-dependent
activities.
 When you update the remaining duration for the activity, you can select to calculate
either the remaining units or the units per time period.
 The duration type enables you to control which variables of an equation are calculated
when you change a value.
If you want to recalculate the remaining units and keep the units/time for the resource
constant, select Fixed Duration & Units/Time. The application uses the
Equation: Remaining Units = Units/Time x Remaining Duration.
For example, if a resource is assigned to an activity for 8 hours/day for 5 days, the remaining
units or work is calculated as 40 hours.
If instead you want to keep the remaining units constant and recalculate the units/time, select
Fixed Duration & Units. The application uses the
Equation: Units/Time = Remaining Units/Remaining Duration.
For example, if a resource is assigned to work 40 hours in 5 days, the units/time is calculated as
8 hours/day.

Fixed Units/Time: Indicates that resource availability is the most critical aspect of your project.
In this case, the units/time or rate of the resource remains constant, even if the activity's
duration or work effort changes. You most often use this duration type when you are planning
resource-dependent activities.

Fixed Units: Indicates that the budget (units or cost) is a limiting factor; that is, the total
amount of work is fixed. When you update activities, the work effort required to complete the
activity does not change, even if the activity's duration or the resource rate changes. Typically,
you would use this type in conjunction with resource-dependent activities. Increasing resources
can decrease the activity duration.

Which Primavera P6 percent complete type should you use and when? You’re at the point
where you are ready to track progress on your schedule. But what method do you use to
measure activity and/or project progress? Primavera P6 has three different ways to track
schedule progress. Let’s explore the best applications for each type.

Your percent complete type determines how schedule progress is measured in Primavera P6. As
mentioned above, Primavera P6 has three percent complete types or ways to measure
progress: Duration, Physical and Units. It is possible in Primavera P6 to assign a unique percent
complete type to each activity; percent complete types are assigned at the activity level. What
percent complete type you use depends on the nature of work the activity describes and/or
your entire project.

This article defines and discusses the application of each percent complete type available in
Primavera P6.

Duration Percent Complete

The Duration percent complete type in Primavera P6 requires the least amount of input. What
is unique to this percent complete type is that it assumes that the percentage of worked
achieved relates directly to the remaining duration – hence Duration % Complete. For example
a 10-day duration activity that is (duration) 50% complete computes 5-days remaining duration.
Great! All you need is your Duration % complete value and the remaining duration is
automatically computed.

Because of its simplicity it would appear that the duration percent complete type would be
most popular. However, one should be aware of a negative fact relating to Duration % compete
type; it does not account for non-uniform production rates or learning curves. Yes, perhaps, the
crew is projected to work at a faster pace for the second half of the activity progressed above,
and their estimate to complete the activity is 2-days instead of 5-days.

There is no way in Primavera P6 to update the remaining duration without affecting the %
complete value; they are linked. In other words, P6 assumes that if you’re 50% done, then there
must only be five days of remaining duration. If there were less or more days and you adjust
the remaining duration accordingly, you will change the percent complete.

Physical Percent Complete

Like its name implies, the Physical percent complete type is based on the work ‘physically’
achieved on an activity. This is a huge advantage over the Duration % complete type. Now you
can account for non-uniform production rates. The Physical % complete value and remaining
duration are not linked. Physical % complete does not compute a remaining duration when a %
complete value is entered on an activity. This is, however, a double edged sword. On the one
hand you can better describe the remaining physical work required on an activity, and on the
other you have to input more data.

Applying the Physical % complete type to our example above, a 10-day long activity that is
(physical) 50% complete will have 10-days remaining duration. Wait! That does not make sense;
it should be 5-days remaining duration. No, remember! The Physical % complete value is not
linked to the remaining duration. The remaining duration equals original duration until a
remaining duration is manually input. Yes, in Physical % complete type you have to input the
remaining duration or an expected calendar finish date. Physical % complete is, therefore, more
laborious for data entry, but it frees up the estimator to describe the actual remaining physical
work required to compete the activity.

Units Percent Complete

The Units % complete type drives activity % complete values based upon actual labor units
entered. It is particularly helpful in describing work effort when an activity has both multiple
resources assigned and differing burn rates among the resources. It is often used in
combination with a timesheet software module, e.g. Primavera Progress Reporter or in P6 16.1,
the timesheets in the Team Member application.
Units % complete type links work achieved (Units % complete value) and not remaining
duration, but work achieved and remaining labor units. Like Physical % complete type it
requires more manual input. In our example not only is duration specified (10-days), but 100-
hours of planned work is expected. When 50-hours of planned work is complete Primavera P6
computes the activity is (units) 50% complete. The remaining duration, however, stays at 10-
days. Similar to Physical % complete the Units % complete requires the manual input of either
remaining duration or an expected calendar finish date.

Application of Percent Complete Types

Now that we are familiar with the differing % complete types, the question becomes which one
to use for our particular activity and/or project?

The Primavera P6 help guide recommends using Duration % complete type when activities are
duration driven, e.g. administrative work or training. Neither administrative work nor training
directly produce a tangible product. Progress is not based on progress in the creation of a
product, such as a wall construction, but on time spent. Progress of these activities, again, are
duration driven. Though it is considered the simplest % complete type it is typically used for
projects that are more esoteric, such as research projects, where progress is more difficult to
define.

If it is possible to measure physical work achieved or remaining, as in the case of a wall

construction, Physical % complete type is recommended. These activities are work-product
driven, e.g. document creation. The Physical % complete type is particularly advantageous in
construction where a ‘physical’ tangible object is the end goal.

Units % complete type is recommended for consulting work or other activities that are work-
effort driven. Here the individual effort of resources on an activity is important to quantify.
Again, this percent complete type is typically used in conjunction with a resource time reporting
module. Time reporting software is important, otherwise, entering the actual a labor hours for
multiple resources on numerous activities may quickly become a laborious data entry effort.

Summary
The Duration, Physical, or Units % compete types may be defined at the activity level. However,
it is generally best to stay in one single “swim lane” or % complete type for the entire project.
This results in less confusion or complexity when your schedule requires progress updates from
multiple team members.
For research projects where progress is not always tangible and difficult to measure Duration %
complete type is typically recommended. Duration % complete type projects also require the
least amount of input. These projects are considered duration driven.

Though Physical % complete type necessitates more manual data input, it is the most accurate,
as it measures work physically achieved. Construction projects, in particular, are well suited to a
Physical % complete type. The ability to enter an anticipated calendar finish date also makes
the Physical % complete type preferable.

I worked on one consulting project where team members or responsible managers were asked
to report (physical) percent complete and an expected calendar finish date on all their
activities. Responsible managers had to report not only on work progress, but also the future
completion date of that work. Their focus was not only on their present situation or location,
but also on their final destination. Physical % complete type projects are work product-driven.
For these reasons, it’s common for the Physical % complete type to be used instead of Duration
% complete type.

The Units % complete type computes remaining labor units from actual labor units on an
activity. And Units % complete is linked to remaining labor units. Further, you enter either an
activity remaining duration or an expected calendar finish date. So if your activity is constrained
by both an original duration and a planned resource work effort, then Units % complete is most
appropriate. Units % complete type projects are work effort-driven.

Again, percent complete type assignments are at the activity level. And though not an absolute,
it is preferable, to try and stay in one’s “swim lane”. This helps for streamlining project activity
updating procedures. At the project level, Percent complete types can be set to a default in
both Primavera P6 Professional and P6 EPPM, which can help with keeping a consistent method
throughout the development and change management of your schedule.