Occasionally we revisit some of our reader’s favourite posts from the annals of the Plan Academy tutorial library, and today we’re revisiting a topic that is always hot – importing updates from excel. Let’s take a look!
Often large projects demand many sub-teams or subcontractors update a portion of the master project plan on an on-going basis.
If your subcontractors are not up to speed on their Primavera skills, you may need a solution that simplifies gathering updates and getting them into Primavera P6.
Enter Excel….and Primavera P6’s import from Excel feature.
This video tutorial will walk you through the process of filtering and exporting a subcontractor’s activities to excel and re-importing the updated spreadsheet into P6.
How to Import Primavera P6 Updates From Excel
Your Comments
Hi Micheal
When building a new project in P6, I will usually will receive my data in Excel format. I create a project in P6 with 1 activity then export the fields that I need to Excel. Next I copy and paste activity names etc. (trying to save key strokes) from the Excel data. I can import the names etc. but the dates/resource qty’s will not import properly to P6. I watched your tutorial and appear to be doing what you have done. I input the qty’s as a text file but it still does not import properly….help
Paul
Paul,
One thing to note is that not all fields can be updated from Excel. If you look at exported data in Excel, you’ll notice that in Row 2 (the 2nd header row), some fields have an asterisk (*) in the column name. Those fields with an asterisk can’t be populated with Excel data. “Start Date” and “Finish Date” or two likely candidates that can’t be updated. That’s because Primavera calculates those fields and populates them. So, my first question is – Are you trying to populate data into a field that is non-updatable?
If the answer to the above is “no”, then I would probably ask if every cell that has data in it in the excel import file has a leading aspostrophe? EG: ‘A1020 or ‘4 or ‘Paul McCartney . Those leading apostrophes need to be there for the import to work. In the tutorial, I mentioned a free excel plug-in called ASAP tools that has a feature to help with this.
One last mention would be about import the right data on the right excel tab. For example, to import resource assignments, the resource must specified on the TASKRSRC excel tab. If you don’t have this tab in your file it might be because of the options you picked on the first export. You have to make sure to check the appropriate data on the “Export Type” screen when running the export wizard.
Paul, hopefully, some of these suggestions point you in the right direction. Please reply back if you’re still having problems and I will see if I can dive in some more to help you out.
Happy planning!
Michael
Hi Michael,
Greetings from Brazil !
I try to use the SDK in Primavera. My version is 8.1.
I already conclude the installation process, but when I need to enter the name and password I can´t stablish a connection with the database.
Can you help me ?
I need to solve this situation very quickly because I need to convert my WBS into a activity-code basis, using the tutorial displayed in this website.
Regards,
Bruno.
Hi Bruno,
You’ll need to send me more information – are you getting an error message? What is happening on login?
Before you can login using the SDK, the user you are logging in with (most likely “admin”?) needs proper security privileges – make sure the user has the Global Profle .
FYI: Bruno’s question relates to another post here -> https://www.planacademy.com/how-to-convert-a-projects-wbs-to-activity-codes-in-oracle-primavera-p6/
Send me more info Bruno…and would you mind posting your next comment on the other tutorial…thanks!
Michael
Dear Michael-
Thanks for your Tutorials.
Question->
As per Comment above-
For Updating via Excel-Should not the following be “Editable” in Excel-
Actual Start/Actual Finish/Percent Complete/Remaining Duration/Expected Finish?
Just as an Example-the Expected Finish when Exported has an Asterisk in the Column Header->Which should not be.
expect_end_date
(*)Expected Finish
Could you please confirm in your reply which of the above Fields are “Editable” In Excel by Sub-Contractors-that is not having an Asterisk in the Column Headers?
Thanks Very Much-
Aftab Khan
Hi Aftab,
Unfortunately, many fields that you think would be editable in Excel for reimport are not. I do not know why Expected Finish has an asterisk and is not editable.
However, for me there is no asterisk on
– Actual Start / Finish
– Activity % Complete
– Remaining Duration
– Activity Status
Meaning that these ARE editable in Excel for re-import.
Hope that helps,
Michael
Thanks Michael-
Question->Did the Field for “Expected Finish” Give You an Asterisk in concerned “Column” when Exported from P6 to Excel?
Thanks.
Aftab Khan
Hi Aftab,
Yes there is an asterisk on Expected Finish when exporting that field to Excel. It cannot be updated through excel export / import in P6.
Michael
Hi,
I tried importing to Excel. I have a small problem when I do it.
Some of the activities that primavera imports from excel loose their place on the WBS and move to the top of the program. Is there a way to fix this?
Thanks,
Vijay
Hi Vijay,
Not completely sure. The only thing I can think of is that the data in the wbs_id column in excel was edited so that on the import, P6 doesn’t know the data in that field or can’t link it to an existing WBS. I would check that field before you import to make sure it has valid data in it before you import.
Let me know how it works out,
Michael
Hi
I have a question about WBS UDF in P6 . How can i write thise kind of fild with excel import and export or excel sdk?
Hi Javad,
The only way to import WBS is either using the xer parser https://www.planacademy.com/using-primaveras-xer-file-parser-import-wbs-from-excel-without-the-sdk/ or using the SDK https://www.planacademy.com/how-to-import-wbs-from-excel-to-primavera-p6-using-the-sdk/ . I would try either of those to import a UDF for WBS.
Hope that helps!
Michael
Michael, It is my first time viewing your website. It is very helpful. It unlocked the export update door for me. Can I highlight rows and add text to make it easier for my subs to know the locations they are updating.
Hi Bob,
I’m sure you can highlight rows by changing cell colors, but adding text is not recommended. P6 is finnicky and won’t import if you edit the column headers, tabs, and add text around. I would do some testing to make sure.
Let us know how you make out.
Michael
Hi Michael,
I’ve problem with the import process from excel to Primavera 6.2.1. The total number of activities that will be imported is around 10.000 – 30.000 activities with 21 fields for each activities.
Currently I’ve to split the data into small number around 2000 activities with 10 fields data and it took around 20 minutes per excel import. I’ve to conduct the process twice a week.
kindly need your advise, may be you have a better way to do this.
Thanking you in advance.
Dear Michael,
Iam trying to import percentage to P6 but i cant , what i did before is exporting xls sheet from P6 then i load the required data including percentage ( physical & duration ) then import to P6 but no percentage come out .
So can you help me ? I just want to know how to transfer percentage from xls to P6 ?
Thanks alot
@Mohamed,
Unfortunately both Physical and Duration % complete can’t be imported from Excel (look for the asterisk in the column name in Excel – indicates that it can’t be updated). The workaround is as follows:
1) Create a User Defined Field for each column and export them to Excel
2) Update the %’s in Excel and re-import
3) Create a Global Change (Tools-> Global Change) to copy the UDF imported-values back to the original fields.
Hope that helps!
Michael
@Michael:
Would this UDF workaround work for setting predecessors and successors?
What about non asterisk fields not importing? In my case, activity codes are not importing.
Thanks.
Hi Michael
With reference to the Physical % Completion, it is a (*) filed in Primavera and it is not a calculated field.
I need to import Physical % completion in Primavera from Excel becaues I need to calculate the EV based on that.
Is there a way to import that instead of entering that manually ?
Thanks
Gihan
When i am updating progress , By going to tools – updated progress,suppose my schedule has 50 activities ,out of that only 10 activities is started actually at site ,when i update the that activities ,the remaining activities dates is taking as base line dates only
@Sha.
This is going to be a bit more than we can troubleshoot over comments. If you’d like to contact me directly about this issue, I can offer some consulting help at a reasonable rate. michael@plannertuts.com
Our case is we have a custom form in oracle EBS this form is a progress sheet for a projects, and its calculate the % of completion for each task (Activity).
What we need is to update % of complete for each activity in primavera , we try to search for a API’s or Interfaces for Primavera but we didn’t have luck .
Our objective is to update multiple activities % of complete programmatically or by API’s or Interfaces to prevent update each activity manually so if there any way to achieve this objective it will be appreciated .
Hi Michael, nice tutorial.
I’ve tried this but also included for suspend and resume dates (I often find an activity may be interupted and need to use this to keep an accurate record).
Unfortunately it didn’t import the suspend and resumes even though they’d been filled in; any idea why?
Thanks
Ah, I’ll answer my own question, the column is asterisked; can’t import, and no to physical % complete as well…
Okay, I gues the subco could fill those in anyway and I’ll enter manually.
Michael, now I really do have a strange one!
I’ve exported using the exact same filters in the source project in the export set-up. I’m exporting from a Reflection. The spreadsheet is only showing activities down to about level 3, most of the project is missing. I’ve tried this a few times and checked all the setting I know about, also tried exporting from the source project (same result).
Any idea why this is?
Turns out this is a know bug in P6. Check out the ‘My Oracle’ website where they suggest a workaround.
Thanks Michael for your commitment towards helping planners and schedulers all over the world. Some of your tutorials have helped some keep their jobs and become better in what they do. Thank you.
Dear Michael,
Can i import Budgeted units for any resources distributed over time from excel to Primavera?
If so, please tell me how.
Thanks,
Rizwan
HI Mike,
Suppose contractor have deleted some activities in their updates. When you are merging a reflection in your master schedule it will automatically delete the deleted activities or you have to go and do it manually?
Your opinion on this will be appreciated. We are managing a project that have 20 to 25 contracts that needs to maintain in a master schedule. It is time consuming for our team to go delete all the activities manually.
Thanks.
A.H
Don’t believe it will delete activities – you’ll have to do it manually.
Dear Michael ,
when i am importing resources on p6 using a spread sheet from the same schedule but previous update some of the duration%complete went up to 100% although it doesn’t have actual finish . How can i get over that ?
Hi Michael, Just came back to you for a solution for importing progress. THansk again for an easy and clear explanation
Regards
from Australia
My pleasure Tom.
Very helpful, thanks for the upload!
Does this work with version 15.2?
Absolutely!
Very clear and thorough explanation, thanks and good job.
Thanks – always aim to be clear and helpful.
Thank You Very Much for this Tutorial. I am about to start a Planning Work of 1 meager Project that will involve a Team of 4 Planners. And this will be useful within the Planning Teams
Hi Michael,
Thanks for this tutorial. Few more questions:
Trying to import remaining cost and at completion total cost, are these two columns can be imported?
And can I import few projects data same time, not one by one?
Thanks
Remaining Cost – Yes. But “At Completion Total Cost” is a calculated field.
I don’t think you can import multiple projects at the same time for excel.
Hello Michael,
Thanks for the clear explanation,
But I have a concern about the security,when the reflection is sent to subcontractor, is there any warranty that they can’t see or check the whole financial situation of the project, or the can only handle their own activity.
Regards
Bahzad
Bahzad – when you pass xer files back and forth (whether created from a reflection or not) you are usually passing the entire project and all data over.
You could use a tool like ScheduleCleaner to clean out any private data before sending it over.
Hi Michael,
I’m Nadia from Indonesia, I just started learning how to used Primavera by your you tube video. Thank you for your very useful content.
But I’ve got some problem
I’m trying to export and import data from Primavera to Excel but i got some problem. First i try to export and directly import the file that I recently exported (not edit anything in the excel file). But I got some message ” Process did not complete successfully. See log file for details.” This always happen
Hope you can help me thank you 🙂
Nadia, does the log file give any hints as to why it’s not working? Check the log file.
Hi Michael
I’m Hatem, I have a problem when try updating budgeted units by importing from Excel
it’s duplicated with a different Cost Account ID, then I try to export activities and resource assignment and copy Cost Account ID from TASK tab to TASKRSRC tab, but it’s duplicated again
So my question is how to update budgeted units that have a Cost Account ID without it comes duplicated
I highly appreciate your efforts and thanks.
Hi try this.
First export some project data to Excel from P6. When you do, make sure to check all of the 5 check boxes corresponding to the P6 data areas..
Now this file becomes your template. When importing updated data back, make sure again you check all 5 checkboxes again. This will ensure you don’t duplicate data on import.
Test this and see if it works.
Michael
I want to add another step. When importing data from Excel:
Within the Import wizard, on the Update Project Options dialog, select the Modify button. Set the Action for Activity Resource Assignments to Insert New as shown below.
hi,
are you able to upload multiple projects from excel to P6. My client has just implemented P6 and wants to know if they can bulk upload their projects onto P6. They have over a 1000 projects
Unfortunately no, you cannot. Hopefully the sales people didn’t suggest that you could.
P6 will allow you to update certain fields in a project via Excel. You cannot import and create a project in P6 via Excel. You can import projects from Microsoft Project.
Hi Michael,
When i export the p6 activities, i am not getting the apostrophe before all the text and numbers in the excel. Any reason for this ?
I believe perhaps this isn’t an issue anymore with updates to both Excel and P6.