Duration
Type is a setting which allows the user to control how the duration, resource
units, and resource units/time are synchronized for activities, so that the
following equation is always true:
Original, Remaining or Planned Duration = (Budgeted, Remaining or Planned Units) / (Budgeted, Remaining or Planned
Units/Time)
If the activity is not started, the names of the values
are : Original Duration
x Budgeted Units/Time = Budgeted Units
If the activity has started, the names of the values are : Remaining Duration x Remaining Units/Time = Remaining Units
The
following table lists the value that changes to balance the equation
Duration x
Units/Time = Units
The following table illustrates how the variables in the
above equation changes when you change one among them in each of the Activity
duration types.
Duration Type
|
When You Change
Duration, what
changes? |
When you change
units/time,
what changes? |
When you change
units, what
changes? |
When you add a
resource, what
changes? |
Fixed Units/Time
|
Units
|
Duration
|
Duration
|
Duration
|
Fixed Duration and Units/Time
|
Units
|
Units
|
Units/Time
|
Units
|
Fixed Units
|
Units/Time
|
Duration
|
Duration
|
Duration
|
Fixed Duration and Units
|
Units/Time
|
Units
|
Units/Time
|
Units/Time
|
Table 1. Activity duration types
The duration type is set at the
Project Details level for the Project, but can be modified per activity. Your
organization’s project needs will help to determine which duration type to use.
We’ll be discussing in the following section as of what situation forces you to
choose a particular Duration type.
As a hint, if you
are adding resources to activities and you do NOT want P6 to
recalculate the existing resources units, duration and units/time, go to Edit,
User Preferences from the Menu bar, select the Calculations
tab and select the Preserve the Units, Duration and Units/Time for
existing assignments radio button.
Example:-
Now let us consider a Case and work on it to
get a better understanding on the Activity duration types.
Given Case :Consider
a software company where a resource is assigned design work of a particular
website. It is estimated that the design work would be completed within 5 working days of the resource. The
particular resource has a regular shift duration of 8 hours /day.
Find what happens to values of the Original
duration, budgeted units/time and Budgeted units when
i.
Original duration
changes to 10 days
ii.
Budgeted
units/time changes to 10hours/day
iii.
Budgeted units
of work changes to 20 hours In each of the
activity duration types.
Findings: Original
Duration =5 days ,
Budgeted
units/time = 8h/d
From
the formula we know Budgeted units =
Original Duration X Budgeted units/time
= 8 x 5 = 40 hours
Type I :-Fixed Units / Time
Units/time for the resources remains fixed; Even when
activity duration or budgeted units changes. Used when resources with
productivity output per time period is fixed. Mostly used when Activity type is
Resource Dependent. This option is
selected if your organization is concerned with leveling
resources and you assign resources specific hours per day on activities.
Original
Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted
Units/Time
Duration Type
|
When You Change Duration, what
changes? |
When you change units/time,
what changes? |
When you change units, what
changes? |
Fixed Units/Time
|
Units
|
Duration
|
Duration
|
Table 1.1.1 Fixes Units / Time
Coming back to our case
Where
Original Duration =5 days ; Budgeted
units/time = 8h/d And Budgeted units = 40 hours.
i.e. Original Duration = units / (units/time) è 5= 40 / 8
We were asked to analyze what would
happen if
Changes made
|
(i) Original
Duration Changes from 5 to 10 days
|
(ii) Units /
time changes from 8 to 10
|
(iii) Units
changes from 40 to 20
|
|||||
Values changed
|
Budgeted units
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted units
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
||
80h
|
8h/d
|
4d
|
40h
|
2.5d
|
8h/d
|
|||
Original duration
|
=>
|
(Units )/ (Units/time)
|
10=> 80/8
|
4 => 40/10
|
2.5 => 20/8
|
|||
Table 1.1.2 Fixes Units / Time Workout
Type II: Fixed
Duration & Units/Time
Activity duration
and units / time remains fixed; even if remaining unit’s changes. Mostly used
when Activity type is Task Dependent
Activity. Organizations which have the project deadline fixed and is also
concerned with leveling resources used this activity duration type.
Organization may consider increasing number of resources to keep the resources
leveled. Since this activity is Task dependant and activity duration type is
fixed duration & Units/time there would be no layoff in duration time.
Original
Duration =
Budgeted Units / Budgeted
Units/Time
Duration Type
|
When You Change Duration, what
changes? |
When you change units/time,
what changes? |
When you change units, what
changes? |
Fixed Duration and Units/Time
|
Units
|
Units
|
Units/Time
|
Table 1.2.1 Fixed Duration & Units/Time
Given Original Duration =5 days ; Budgeted units/time = 8h/d And Budgeted
units = 40 hours.
Changes made
|
(i) Original
Duration Changes from 5 to 10 days
|
(ii) Units /
time changes from 8 to 10
|
(iii) Units
changes from 40 to
20
|
|||||
Values changed
|
Budgeted units
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted units
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
||
80h
|
8h/d
|
5d
|
50h
|
5d
|
4h/d
|
|||
Original duration
|
=>
|
(Units )/ (Units/time)
|
10=> 80/8
|
5 => 50/10
|
5 => 20/4*
|
|||
Table 1.2.2 Fixed Duration & Units/Time Workout
Type III
:-Fixed Units
This duration type is chosen if you want the activity units
to be fixed even when duration or resource units per time changes. Total amount
of Work is fixed. Used when Activity type is Resource Dependent Activities. Unlike previous Duration types increasing
resources decreases the activity duration. Generally used when you have
resource under contract basis and you have X units of work to get to be done from
that particular resource.
Original
Duration = Budgeted Units
/ Budgeted Units/Time
Duration Type
|
When You Change Duration, what
changes? |
When you change units/time,
what changes? |
When you change units, what
changes? |
Fixed Units
|
Units/Time
|
Duration
|
Duration
|
Table 1.3.1 Fixed Units
Given
Original Duration =5 days ; Budgeted
units/time = 8h/d And Budgeted units = 40 hours.
Changes made
|
(i) Original
Duration Changes from 5 to 10 days
|
(ii) Units /
time changes from 8 to 10
|
(iii) Units
changes from 40 to
20
|
|||||
Values changed
|
Budgeted units
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted units
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
||
40h
|
4h/d
|
4d
|
40h
|
2.5d
|
8h/d
|
|||
Original duration
|
=>
|
(Units )/ (Units/time)
|
10=> 40/4
|
4 => 40/4
|
2.5 => 20/8
|
|||
Table 1.3.2 Fixed Units Workout
Type IV :-Fixed
Duration & Units
Activity duration and Units
to remain constant even when the units/time changes. Mostly used when time
period and the total amount of work are fixed. Used when Activity type is Task Dependent Activities. Rate at which a resource can work on the
activity can be changed. You could use this if your organization is
more concerned about coming in on the schedule date and within the costs (which
are usually associated with the units)
Original
Duration = Budgeted Units / Budgeted
Units/Time
Duration Type
|
When You Change Duration, what
changes? |
When you change units/time,
what changes? |
When you change units, what
changes? |
Fixed Duration and Units
|
Units/Time
|
Units
|
Units/Time
|
Table 1.4.1 Fixed
Duration & Units
Given Original Duration =5 days ; Budgeted
units/time = 8h/d And Budgeted units = 40 hours.
Changes made
|
(i) Original
Duration Changes from 5 to 10 days
|
(ii) Units /
time changes from 8 to 10
|
(iii) Units
changes from 40 to
20
|
|||||
Values changed
|
Budgeted units
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted units
|
Original
Duration
|
Budgeted
units/time
|
||
40h
|
4h/d
|
5
|
50
|
5d
|
4h/d
|
|||
Original duration
|
=>
|
(Units )/ (Units/time)
|
10=> 40/4
|
5 => 50/5*
|
5 => 20/4
|
|||
Table 1.4.2 Fixed
Duration & Units Workout
Summary
Given
Original Duration 5days;
Budgeted Units 40hours; Budgeted
Units/ time 8hours/day. The
following table summarizes as of what happens to the variables in each of the
activity duration types.
Duration
Type
|
Original Duration Changes from 5 to 10
|
Units / time changes from 8 to 10
|
Units changes from 40 to 20
|
|||
Budgeted units
(Or. Val:- 40h)
|
Budgeted units/time(Or. Val:- 8h/d)
|
Original Duration
(Or. Val:- 5d)
|
Budgeted units
(Or. Val:- 40h)
|
Original Duration
(Or. Val:- 5d)
|
Budgeted units/time
(Or. Val:- 8h/d)
|
|
Fixed
Units / Time
|
80h
|
8h/d
|
4d
|
40h
|
2.5d
|
8h/d
|
Fixed Duration & Units/Time
|
80h
|
8h/d
|
5d
|
50h
|
5d
|
4h/d*
|
Fixed Units
|
40h
|
4h/d
|
4d
|
40h
|
2.5d
|
8h/d
|
Fixed Duration & Units
|
40h
|
4h/d
|
5d
|
50h*
|
5d
|
4h/d
|
Table 2: Activity duration table chart
Or.Val - Original
Value * - in
certain cases original duration remains fixed and the other fixed variable is
forced to changed.
Reference:-
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