Which Primavera P6 program should you purchase? Primavera P6 EPPM or Primavera P6 Professional? If you need to purchase the software, you had better understand which Primavera P6 is best for you. Primavera P6 software is costly, and you don’t want to make the wrong choice.
Navigating the Primavera suite of applications isn’t exactly straightforward. So I thought I should clear up what Primavera P6 EPPM does that Primavera P6 PPM doesn’t and vice versa.
[UPDATED Oct 2016] – I originally wrote this article in 2012 and it was long due for a major update. Lots has changed since the original. Make sure to check out the comparison chart below that covers Primavera P6 EPPM vs PPM.
Since version 8, Primavera P6 can be purchased in 2 flavours: you can purchase licenses of Primavera P6 Professional Project Management (P6 PPM) or Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (P6 EPPM). These are separate products in the Oracle world but in truth they used to be one application under the Primavera P6 banner. What’s the difference? Let’s find out.
What is Primavera P6 Professional Project Management?
Primavera P6 Professional Project Management (PPM) is the Primavera Windows-based project planning tool that is popular around the world for managing construction projects. Primavera P6 Professional is a tool to build, schedule and track complex project schedules.
Architecturally, it consists of a the Project Management client that installs on a Windows PC and connects to either a server-based or a local database. Microsoft SQL or Oracle databases are supported, as is SQLite.
Primavera P6 Professional (PPM) is programmed with the CPM Scheduling (Critical Path Method) algorithm. At the most basic level it assigns dates to tasks based on sequencing and task duration. The output is a project schedule with dates applied and a Critical Path clearly identified, not to mention the calculation of a project end date.
One of the biggest selling points of Primavera P6 Pro is that the software can easily handle large project schedules of up to 100,000 activities. (BTW: don’t ever build a schedule THAT big….it’s not good for your health).
Top that CPM Scheduling engine up with Resource & Cost Management features, Gantt Chart, graphs, spreadsheets, analytic tools and reporting, and Primavera P6 Professional becomes the tool of choice for engineering, heavy construction, oil & gas and related industries.
Some would argue that Primavera P6 Pro is old technology, and they wouldn’t exactly be wrong. The codebase for the tool has been around for almost 2 decades (don’t quote me – my best guess), and even the look and feel of P6 Pro reminds of Windows 3.11 days. But the fact of the matter is that P6 works, and works hard. And the use of the tool worldwide has positioned Primavera P6 Pro as the standard tool on major projects for both Owners and Contractors.
| Primavera P6 Pro (PPM) | Key Points |
| Runs on | Windows-only |
| Database | Microsoft SQL or Oracle or SQLite |
| Latest Version | 16.2 |
| Most Popular / Stable Version | 15.x |
Is Primavera P6 Professional PPM a standalone tool or an enterprise tool?
Well, it can be both and is often used in either way. Many contractors often purchase a single-license of Primavera P6 PPM and install the software and the database on a single PC, making it a standalone install. But Primavera P6 PPM can also be implemented for a large organization, where the database is installed on a shared server and many users access the data from their own PC’s where Primavera P6 PPM is installed.
What is Methodology Management in P6?
Methodology Management (MM) is a tool to management project templates or, what the Primavera designers called methodologies. The MM tool looked exactly like Primavera P6 Professional but it was used only to build and manage project templates, not build and track actual projects. Methodology Management is installed alongside Primavera P6 Professional in versions 7 and earlier. Methodology Management was removed from Primavera P6 Professional as of version 8. There is now a true “project template” in Primavera P6 but, oddly enough, only in Primavera P6 EPPM version 8, not Primavera P6 Professional. So the templating functionality of Methodology Management no longer exists in Primavera P6 Professional.
Is there are a 64-bit version of Primavera P6 Professional (PPM)?
Why use Primavera P6 Professional when there’s a web version (EPPM)? Isn’t web better?
That’s what you might think, but Primavera P6 EPPM (more below) is still coming into its own and I would say it isn’t there yet. Even Oracle is working on it, many users have complained about Primavera P6 EPPM’s poor performance, when they’ve been used to the relative speediness of Primavera P6 Professional. A slow tool isn’t acceptable either even its web-based. EPPM’s java core has proved to be a major headache as well, with constant popup reminders to upgrade and grant permissions. P6 EPPM has some really nice features that P6 Professional doesn’t, but it’s still been a real tough sell for legacy P6 users.
The other factor is that Primavera P6 Professional is relatively easy to install and manage with no costly addons. Primavera P6 EPPM is built on-top of web applications, and the architecture gets complex fast, not to mention the many optional addons like BI reporting, and P6 Analytics that essentially add some features that Primavera P6 Pro already has natively.
Read on for more.
What is Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management?
Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management is an enterprise portfolio and project management tool. Primavera P6 EPPM is 100% web-based, so it runs in a browser and connects to a webserver that serves-up a visually-rich interface. P6 EPPM also connects to a main database where all of your project information is stored.
The advantages of a web-based project management tool are many. It’s easy to onboard users – just provide a login, no installation on your local PC necessary. And of course, web means mobile, so you can access and update your P6 project data on mobile apps with EPPM.
Primavera P6 EPPM brings a whole new set of features and functionality that sets it apart from mainstay Primavera P6 Professional. For example, the web side of EPPM is very rich in graphs, charts, pivot tables and dashboards. It’s a new way of seeing P6 project data in a rich graphical sense. Many graphs and charts have drill-down capability so you can dive deep into your data.
Primavera P6 EPPM has a big focus on Portfolio Management, which allows you to manage groups of projects together in a portfolio, and to manage that data, be it cost, schedule or resource-focused. The Portfolio Management features are good, even incorporating a project selection feature where you can score next year’s projects and decide which ones deserve a green light. Evolved risk management functions were added to EPPM as well, but I admit they are not intuitive at all.
My personal opinion is that Primavera P6 EPPM is a very advanced and sophisticated web-base pm tool.
But it’s not without it’s foibles.
What’s wrong with Primavera P6 EPPM?
Primavera P6 EPPM was written on Java. Although there’s much debate on whether Java is dying or not, it’s a major thorn in the side of Primavera P6 EPPM users.
Java is constantly popping up with security warnings, it takes forever to load many screens and it’s slow.
Primavera P6 EPPM users’ main complaint is that the tool is slow. It takes many screens a long time to load. Many screens have to reload to get the right data to show and it’s slow. It can be slow to login, and to logout. And who likes to wait for slow websites?
No one.
Primavera P6 EPPM isn’t as robust of P6 Professional. It doesn’t handle the huge projects well that P6 Professional handles with moderate ease. So if you’re into 10,000 activity schedules, you might have trouble making things work in Primavera P6 EPPM.
The other main beef users have is that some of the features of Primavera P6 Pro don’t exist in P6 EPPM. Features like daily data (recently added to EPPM), bucket planning, the WBS screen, text reports and more. This list is getting shorter all the time, but it has taken long enough for many users to make up their minds about the inadequacies of Primavera P6 EPPM.
Who is EPPM for?
Primavera P6 EPPM is truly geared for a medium to large sized organization. It’s enhanced features make it an excellent tool for companies managing a few too many projects. Since it requires a lot of infrastructure, it’s not ideal for smaller companies even though they might like the mobile access.
| Primavera P6 EPPM | Key Points |
| Runs on | Web-based, any web-browser |
| Database | Microsoft SQL or Oracle |
| Latest Version | 16.2 |
| Most Popular / Stable Version | 8.x |
Does Primavera P6 EPPM work with Primavera P6 PPM?
Yes…. um… sort of.
It’s like this. Primavera P6 EPPM ships with an altered version of Primavera P6 PPM called Primavera P6 Professional for EPPM. Some of the PPM features are scaled back, mostly on the administrative side to allow the 2 tools to connect to the same database. For example, all admin functions need to be done in the Web-tool – adding users, creating EPS, managing global activity codes – all of it happens in the web now.
So yes, you can get the benefit of both tools if you’ve bought Primavera P6 EPPM.
Are there Mobile Apps that work with EPPM?
Yes. Primavera P6 EPPM has both an Android and a iOS app (called Oracle Primavera P6 EPPM). These apps can be used to both view and update project activities that you have been assigned. The app has a Timesheet submittal feature as well. I haven’t found any reviews yet. If you’re interested, the app has a built-in demo so you can try it out without an EPPM install kicking around.
Primavera P6 EPPM vs PPM – how do the 2 Primavera P6 Applications Compare?
Here a handy chart that will help you understand the differences that we’ve discussed up to here in this article.
What Primavera P6 software should you buy?
From a scheduling perspective, Primavera P6 PPM and EPPM do the same thing. They schedule projects in exactly the same manner.
From a cost perspective, they are actually priced somewhat similarly.
But from a functionality perspective, if you have one or two projects to schedule and work for a small to mid size company, Primavera P6 Professional is for you. It will allow you to send your schedules to companies you work with. It is straightforward to use and has a world-class scheduling engine.
If you are in the market to purchase an Enterprise project management tool or you and your team are currently managing 30 or more projects, P6 EPPM is definitely a solution to explore.
Have Your Say
If Oracle fixes EPPM’s performance issues, would you make the switch? How important is using a web-based project management tool to you and your organization?
We use EPPM, but I wish we could use it without the web client. The web client is slow and not an effective scheduling tool for anyone that’s used to working *quickly*
I think Primavera/Oracle either needs to completely re-write the web client or ditch it because our schedulers will *never* use it. If I wasn’t required to have it installed to do administrative functions, we wouldn’t install it at all.
Brooks,
Thanks for the comments. You are not the first to find fault with EPPM.
Let me ask you – If EPPM were faster, would you use it? Is it strictly a matter of speed and screen refreshes? Or are there other factors that turn you off?
Can I have PMP highway project sample to get idea about activities and WBS
Using the latest version currently in EPPM…I hate I have to constantly save…when it is status week and hundreds of PC are in the data base it is slow…I literally have to save after every change, because if it locks up/freezes, it looses your work when it finally comes alive again.
That sounds frustrating Faye.
Perhaps your IT department can beef-up the server or something. Glad you’re bringing it to light, mind you.
I feel you Brook, we are on the same boat. Probably it is due to syncing of data to server then back to other user machines including yours. Hard core planners prefer not to work on web client.
Michael well written article. You do a great job explaining the pro’s and con’s for each package.
I am curious if you think P6 is slowly migrating to the web based environment and plans to phase out the windows based software. I do not see thing happening any time soon but that appears to be the trend as they moved all admin functionality to what was P6 Web.
Hi Roshan. Great question. I attended a conference in April this year where similar concerns were voiced at Oracle directly.
My opinion:
1) Oracle is definitely pushing EPPM (the primary reason it’s priced similarly to P6 PPM). EPPM and the web opens up more opportunities for Oracle to improve the product. For example, EPPM now integrates with many other existing Oracle products – that’s because the web infrastructure makes integration easier. We all have smartphones and tablets now – EPPM opens up huge possibilities for mobile apps that pull and update P6 data. This is where the glory is.
2) Will the windows-client (PPM) go away in the next 2-3 years? Will Microsoft Word? Probably not. At the conference, Oracle was pretty clear that there are no plans to ditch PPM anytime soon. It would suicide to do so if you ask me. I see many many users still plodding away on P3 or P6.2.1 which are old and out-dated, but still get the job done. For those who are still managing large schedules, the windows tool is a no-brainer – it handles big data well, it’s more reliable and in some ways simpler.
My two cents on the matter.
So what do YOU think. Would you rather use a windows-tool or a web-tool to manage the type of schedules you work with (even if you could have cool mobile apps along with the web-tool)?
Why can’t they simply tie the EPPM into the same database as the PPM? I would love to have EPPM simplicity for my field staff to do their updates but it would be torture to build a schedule within a web interface.
Evan,
EPPM can be tied into PPM. Actually it’s the other way around. But yes it is possible.
M
EPPM is actually tied with PPM database. only fact to be considered is there two version of p6 desktop, P6 Professional(it is standalone), P6 Client. if u want to work on same database using p6 PPM and EPPM u should install P6 Client but draw back is that then too u can do admin functions in EPPM only
Actually the PPM client works on both implementations.
The only difference is the database. You can connect to an EPPM database but the Admin functions are disabled while you are connected to that database. If you log out then log into an PPM database the admin functions are enabled.
What an explanatory article! Thank you for your professional touch on the question.
Thank you Samuel!
Performance is the first and worst problem with EPPM. There are some things to like about it – floating predecessor and successor windows are great. But most of our schedulers spend about five minutes with it and say “no way am I going to use this thing.”
On the other hand, PPM is a notoriously flaky and fickle application. I’d hoped that with the Oracle acquisition that the product would become more stable, but that hasn’t been the case so far. We haven’t spent enough time with EPPM to determine if it’s more stable than PPM, but I *hope* it’s less crash-prone.
Brooks,
I would agree that I’d like to see better performance as well – and there are lots of factors, some of which are not related to the software itself. But it’s a difficult transition for anyone who has used the PPM to move to web. It’s much easier if you haven’t seen PPM before.
What version of PPM are you using? Some of the flackiness / crashes can be avoided by moving to a more stable version (version 7 sp4 seems to hit the mark) or by applying service packs. Many users aren’t aware of the service packs and the bugs that they fix.
Hi Michael,
Thanks and really appreciated your article. I need your views on following business case..
In our company , we INSTALLED Primavera P6 V 8.2 EPPM and we are in process of moving all user (which are now using different versions of standalone primavera client )to centralizes enterprise P6 EPPM.
We are planning to give access of P6 EPPM Web base client to all users.
But as rightly suggested by Brooks , user might find it different as well as difficult to operate.
What do you suggest , which interface should be given to end users / Planner ?
For top management and managers , Web interface seems to best but for planner , we still discussing pros and cons of Client Access Vs Web Based access.
Can you please throw some light on this?
Hi Suhas,
Ok, firstly, it’s definitely a move in the right direction to migrate to a single central db. Without a central db, there’s little power in having a database at all and sharing information, or analyzing trends across multiple projects.
Secondly, it’s a difficult transition for ANY user to move to a new application, even if it’s Microsoft Excel 2003 to Excel 2010 – a lot of things are different and it will take time for any user to adapt. I used to be a pm in call centers and rolling out a new application to 100+ users was always painful at first. But over time, everyone adapts. Users just want to get their work done and they usually think any new application is wasting their time and fixing what wasn’t broken.
In the case of P6 specifically, I tend to recommend to companies that build large schedules (Construction / Oil&Gas) to have their planners stick with the P6 windows-client when they roll out P6 EPPM. The windows client handles large schedules much better. If you’ve got projects in progress, rolling out the web client to those planners will be very disruptive and may affect their work (and thus the project).
The web client has the tools that managers and management like. Take a slow, modular approach and start by giving them access Dashboards. The give them Portfolios, Resource Management, etc.
Another approach is to target a pilot group. Find a few users who are savvy and give them the web-client as a pilot. Let them explore it on a small project for a few weeks. Teach them some cool things they can’t do in the windows-client. This group then becomes your model to show off to other groups / users / project team what you can do with the new technology. This is a common approach in IT rollouts of new software. Pick a pilot group, work with them to get feedback – what works, what doesn’t, how is this going be adopted when we roll out to everyone? The idea is really to let users have a voice and be heard. Most users will revolt if you try to shove new software down their throats, so you have to ease it in and convince them that it will help them.
Hope that helps shed some light on rollouts of P6 EPPM. Let me know what you decide to do.
Michael
Your Comments
My company is currently using 6.7 SP4. We rolled this tool out about 2 years ago and had so many issues with the PV webtool that most folks abandoned it. Even when it was performing as designed, the design was so poor and functionality so limited (i.e. filtering) that no one wanted to use it. It can only improve in 8.2.
Thanks Michael,
I have been through all the comments. We use P6 EPPM in our organisation here in middle east.
I would like to know more about the admin functions and the prefect usage of EPPM, can you guide me to some information available for this purpose. I need to use it professionally so the higher management is convinced to keep it in the company.
Thanks
Hi Shahnawaz,
In 8.2 app administration sits in EPPM (web tool). This means management of any enterprise data (activity codes, project codes, OBS, EPS, user management) is done in the web tool – it cannot be done in the windows tool.
In terms of the “perfect usage” of EPPM…. it all depends on your organization, it’s goals, needs and abilities. EPPM has good features for the organization that does Portfolio Management – wants track resources across a portfolio, wants stats and costs on groups of projects. It is a strong tool, but many companies need to grow into. Many companies are not ready for Portfolio Management or cross-project analysis.
I wish I could point you to some good documentation, but I’m not a fan of any Oracle literature – their docs are just mumbo-jumbo and don’t speak to specifics. You might look at some of Oracle case studies on EPPM over at http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/primavera/p6-enterprise-project-portfolio-management/resources/index.html .
Ifyour company has EPPM, I wouldn’t recommend pulling it out. There’s a good investment there, but perhaps there needs to be some help in understanding how a company’s pm processes map to the tool. Feel free to email me directly to discuss specifics (or use our Contact Us page).
I hope that helps somewhat. M
Hi. good to see all comments. i have one quick question. one of our client wants to work with ppm for site users and eppm for one centerlized DB to connect with other Oracle erps. is it possible to push and pull data automatically from and to PPM and EPPM.
Your earlier response in this regards is highly appreciated.
Hi,
I understand from your explanation that you would have two dbs – one for PPM and one for EPPM. I would rather suggest having 1 central db with EPPM. Users would be able to connect to the db either through the windows client (like PPM) or through the web-client (EPPM). If you go with 2 dbs, there is no way to synchronize data between these 2 dbs.
Hope that helps,
M
Hi Michael;
Great responses. Thanks. I work for a government agency in the Project Controls group. Our project managers who update their schedules currently have only a few days each month to do so, because Project Controls needs the rest of the days to perform qa/qc of the data and run reports. I was thinking of having a 2-DB arrangement and then synchronizing them. With what you are saying, is there another way to make that happen i.e., allowing project managers more time to work with their schedules without impacting the integrity of the data for reporting and program management purposes?
Hi Mohsen,
No, I’m not really saying that. There is no way to sync 2 databases easily. You could manually export and import .xer or .xml files moving data from 1 db to the other.
Hi Michael,
Our client uses P6 ver 7 and doesn’t use the web module at all at this point. But the PMO is keen on digging in for some access control features (esp resource fields). Besides fixing up a dashboard for each resource manager and freezing his controls in other areas in it, is there any other way a resource manager can access only the resource fields in a project and just nothing else?
Also, this would mean that he still can access all the other fields in the client version anyway. I’m looking for options for access control on activity details like this one here.
Thanks.
Hi SM,
P6 EPPM (web) version 8.x has some extended security where you can in fact limit a user’s ability to edit fields inside a project. You create something called a User Interface View where you can pick specifically what fields can be edited (or not). Here’s Oracle Faq http://bit.ly/12utTqv . Unfortunately, that feaures only exists in P6 Web, not in the windows client.
Hope that helps,
Michael
Michael….. THANK YOU
You really have an amazing way in sequencing information and write simple yet informative articles.
Many Thanks
BR
Omer
Hi Mike,
I have a project planned in P6. It has about 750 activities. Now I am trying to update the Schedule by Clicking on F9 and then trying to change the Earliest Data date in the box. I cannot change the date because it seems to be locked to the original planning date.
Can you please help me resolve this?
Thanks
Tariq
Hi Tariq,
I’m pretty sure you have more than 1 project open. Close all projects and open the one that you are trying to update.
Hope that helps,
PT
Mike,
Nice article. Good reasons to stay away from EPPM. Speed and ease of use is absolutely essential in my business. We currently use v7 sp4. I’ve seen that the upgrade to 8.2 (PPM) is available. Your chart showed that v7 sp4 is the most stable.
What features are missing out on by not upgrading to v8.2? Conversely what headaches are we dodging by staying where we are?
Thanks for your response.
GV
Greg,
P6 v7.x is definitely the most popular. I would add that P6 Professional 8.2 is fairly stable as well. There is a Service Pack 1 (Aug 2012) available.
There are a few nice features – as I’ve highlighted above, the PPM interface is completely overhauled allowing much more customization and easy of use. Support for MSP 2010 importing as well, and new a line-numbering feature. Then more enhancements to Time-Scaled Logic Diagrams – a feature I personally don’t find very exciting. That’s it, not much else. The main thing is the interface.
So what headaches are you dodging? From an application perspective, I don’t see any. I’ve run the tool myself for quite some time and find it as robust as P6 v7.x. Of course, there’s always the headache of rolling out new software to your users.
The only other headache might be dealing with Oracle’s licensing. If you purchased P6 long ago, they may ask you to “convert” you licenses to their new licensing model and sometimes there’s a cost to that, but Oracle’s also good at discounting.
Hope that helps,
Michael
hello Michael
My question is :
Is there another version of Primavera (p6r8.2) except the web edition?
If yes, can you give me the address of the download links or you can Email me?
Tnx
Neda, it’s pretty clear in the article that Primavera P6 Professional is the windows-based tool. Licenses of P6 can be purchased online at Oracle.com.
PT
Am an old but fit engineering contractor wanting to be able to pick up work in scheduling. Have lots of Project management and construction experience but in order to get more work as a contractor or God forbid as permanent employee I am thinking of buying P6 and get some training.
I oversaw the use of P6 last year, very painful crashes) for a major process plant so I could get around it in terms of scheduling, logic build etc but looks to me like I should buy the P6 V7 as the most stable and releavant.
I have driven P3 but even on major engineering projects I have never seen either P3 or 6 properly resource loaded with labour and labour costs or expenses etc as these are setup aligned to engineeringwork packs. Please advise on best purchase selection and on last comment.
Thank you for your great advice
Regards
Terry
Terry, P6 is not perfect but it’s pretty darn good. I would get my hands on a copy of P6 from a local reseller. Then you might consider our recently launched online training portal at https://premium.plannertuts.com for your training needs. We’ve got discounts running for the next few days.
Regards,
PT
Presently our organisation utilize EPPM P6 V8.2.
As an administrator can I monitor the user details for access the projects.
How to rearrange the EPS level in web?. Even i rearrange in web it is not reflecting in P6 client .
@CT you need to change the EPS structure in P6 web then reopen the P6 Client. Makes sure if you company has multiple databases set up (production / staging) you are logging in the right one. Here is an article HOF wrote about changing the EPS nodes in the V8.2 client.
http://www.haironfirepm.com/2013/01/02/primavera-help-how-to-add-eps-nodes-in-primavera-p6-v8-1/
Hi,
New in the game, coming from SAP PM, I have been tasked to bring up a shutdown plan for a FPSO, away from MSP to P6. The key driver is dashboards for management.
In this debate, no one really touched on the standard available dashboards, but EPPM being web based would be the better of the two, right?
It is a small plan. It has two FPSOs.
Your advise/Comment Mike?
@Ferrandi,
There are no dashboards to speak of in P6 Professional (windows), only in EPPM.
I would probably recommend the planning to be done in the windows app, and let the executive see the web-based Dashboards. This would essentially be a P6 EPPM installation with what is called the P6 Optional Client (a slightly scaled-down windows client).
I recommend using the windows client for planning as it is a more robust tool for projects like shutdowns. It has resource leveling which EPPM does not.
Let me know if you need implementation help with Primavera.
M
Hi,
I need to produce a report; number of resources per day. Using P6 R8.3 I can produce a resource report but only by the dates in the plan.
What I require is a resource usage report which tells me the following:-
1. If a Systems Tech activity = 20.07.2013 to 23.07.2013 – Then I need the report to show him for days 21,22 and 23.
2. If 2 x Systems Techs are required – I have entered 6 hours as original duration and 12 hours as budget time/units. I need the report to show 2 Technicians required.
How is this possible?
I heard that oracle company doesn’t provide the combination with java api and ppm. is it true? I don’t understand why they limit that.
Hi,
PPM does have an API in version 8.3
However, all P6 api’s are java-based and require a java-application server like WebLogic. So I believe they’ve packaged it in with P6 EPPM.
You can get some info here http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E29618_01/English/Integration_Documentation/Integration_API/Doc/index.htm – look in the “What’s New”
I also found an Oracle Support doc that shows how to patch the API to run on a P6 Profession 8.1 or 8.2 db. I can forward it on if you’re interested – reply with your email.
Michael
I have PPM 8.3 installed on the company server, and it’s working greatly.
The only reason we are thinking of upgrade to EPPM is progress reporter and integrating time sheets.
If EPPM is slow then this makes me think if there is a way to integrate time sheets with PPM.
Is it worth it to upgrade to EPPM just to be able to integrate timesheets and progress reporter, or should we try to use a third party timesheet application.
Please advise
I updated project changes on P6 R 8.2 web based now i want to undo saved percentages of one or two activities. I am using here Unit of % complete.
P6 has saved to 100% for the activity now i want to change to 50% but system is not allowing me to change.Please advise
Regards,
Shoeb Ahmed Khan.
Hi thanks for your reply.
I’m providing integration between our system and ppm, and i think that i already have the document that you want to share.
btw, i have a another question. according to the replies on the article, I recofirmed that I regret choosing the eppm because of the web service. The seller told if you want more users to use the eppm with more cheap price, you have to use webservice. so i chose that. but, i can’t find the better side of eppm compared with the ppm.
And the web client of eppm and the client of eppm have different ui..
besides, some abilities can be done in the web client. among them, deleting project can’t be found in the web cleint.
please let me know the document of using the web client?
@verystrongjoe you can find all of the Primavera online docs here:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/apps-tech/primavera/documentation/index.html
@Shoeb Try changing the “Actual Units” on the assignments tab – that field drives the Units % Complete.
@Micheal Thanks for your response, Actually am new to P6 am trying to update the project without cost, Only resources and Activities are there on my project. To update the schedule which percentage is advisable ?
Regards,
Shoeb Khan.
@shoeb,
Typically in most industries, Physical % Complete is most commonly used.
M
Michael
We have recently introduced release 8.2 PPM and EPPM
The client version does have some increased functionality
eg
Row number function
Ability to disable autoreorginisation
Page break functionality in the group and sort function
The graphs in the EPPM dashboards are frustrating
There does not seem to be a way to group by week or month
Am I missing something
Dennis
Michael
Thanks for your value able advise, I am creating a project n using physical % complete to track the progress ,But Am unable to see progress % on WBS level & Project level. Please advise.
Thanks,
Shoeb
@Dennis Yes, there are some major differences in functionality between PPM and EPPM. If you can’t group properly in the Dashboards, you probably can on another screen elsewhere, depending on what portlet you are working with.
@shoeb
Physical % Complete does not roll-up to the WBS level. Use Performance % Complete – but check the Earned Value Tab for each WBS on the WBS screen – make sure you are using Activity % Complete (left side of screen).
A lot of good comments, throwing the FAT 32bit Professional Client in and out for the arena. There are so many pros and cons against each interface, the functionality is so close, it usually ends up as a personal choice which interface you prefer. I believe the answer is not to pick one, it is to pick both.
If you have more than 5,000 activities to manage on a daily basis, spend 70% of your time on the Professional Client, the last 30% on the web.
One thing is for certain, the web interface will soon be the portal of choice, everything is leaning that way. That’s why web service is preferred to API, because it can be used as a multi thread process, like P6 Web.
Great answer. I had the same problem.
Hi Michael,
Great article! I would appreciate your help in advising me on how to go about this.
I’m learning Primavera, self-study. I have P6 Professional R8.2 installed on Windows 7 32bit running as database Microsoft SQL Server 2012. Everything works fine.
My question is: Is it possible to install P6 EPPM R8.3 on the same system? If so, how would that play out with the installed database? Would I need to install another instance of SQL Server and run both?
Can you give me the steps to take or point me to a resource that will help me?
Thanking you in advance.
Yes, you can install P6 EPPM on the same system. They would not be able to access the same database mind you. You would have to create another database in your MS SQL for P6 EPPM. MS SQL can manage hundreds of dbs, so no need for a new install of SQL.
I would probably point you to the Oracle documentation for EPPM. http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/documentation/primavera-093289.html Hope that helps. M
Hello Michael, thanks for your help. The documentations for EPPM is God sent and is becoming a great learning resource for me.
I’ll be lurking around here a lot.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing this useful insights into P6 PPM & P6 EPPM. I just joined an organisation, and they have both versions installed. I need to amendments to the EPS, so I have to go through P6 EPPM web based to achieve this, but question is , shouldn’t I see the effect of the changes made to the EPS in the P6 PPM version assuming they are both running on the same database? How do i see changes made in P6 EPPM in the PPM version??
Question two: assuming I can’t view changes in PPM, then how do I make changes to the EPS in PPM, since all admin functions need to be done in the Web-tool – adding users, creating EPS, managing global activity codes – all of it happens in the web now as stated by you in your narrative above.
Thank you so much for for your help.
@Michael.
I tried using Performance % complete. But when am adding the resource to one of the activity ,WBS its turning 100 % compete at WBS level and 100 % complete at project level. Please advise how to over come this problem. I do not have cost involved to my project.
Regards,
Shoeb Ahmed Khan.
@hi michel.,
i have a one doubt about of primavera versions.which one is the better one p6 8.3 client application or web application..
please suggest me
@Anil,
If you are new to P6, I recommend starting with the P6 windows client first. P6 EPPM is not meant for everyone and Oracle is still working out some kinks.
Michael
Hi Michael,
I am into project controls. Your article has helped me a lot to understand the basic differences in the two versions PPM & EPPM.It has answered many of my questions.
Further I would like to know what does it meant by ,”Implementation of Primavera”, I am working currently working on P6 V7 , scheduling projects and updating the progress periodically.
Kindly guide me, what all needs to be learnt more to be an P6 Implementor in an Organisation.If you could any resources it will be very helpful.
With Regards,
OmPrakash
Hi Om,
Thanks for reading our blog.
A P6 implementator is a software consultant who helps organizations design, install, and configure their P6 software installation. I’ve done this for many years. This role is mainly for those who have technical software and database skills. Is this what you are interested in? I don’t have any resources to share, but perhaps we could discuss it offline if you are truly interested. michael@plannertuts.com
M
Thanks Michael,
I would definately like to go ahead,I have sent you a mail.
Awaiting your Reply,
Regards,
Om
Michael:
Is there a way to transfer activity code fields from one project to another? I can’t find a reference to this process in the Help screens in P6. We are using version 7.0, SP 4. (See why I still like P3? :)).
Thanks.
GV
Hi Michael
is there any EPPM R8.* as trial. we have 6.2.1 in our corporate since 5 years and now we think to upgrade but firts to try. your advice please.
Regards
Ahmed Maher
Appreciate your Great In formations.
Cheers !
Hi Michael,
I have some query related to Primavera p6(PPM).
1- I have installed primavera p6 professional portfolio management(v7.0), i want to configure web services and API, so how i integrate this things, i have no web services setup and API, there is any link to download.?
2- in Primavera p6(PPM) can i integrate web services, if yes then how? could you please suggest me what will be the step to install web services.?
3- there is any link or path to download primavera p6 web srvices with API.?
Thanks & Regards
Dharmendra
Sorry for the dumm question. I am planning to buy P6 PPM or EPPM
1-Can EPPM do everything PPM do and more? In other words, is PPM a subset of EPPM?
2-If I buy EPPM, can I still do the good old windows based scheduling without involving the web, with exact same functionality of PPM desktop? In other words, EPPM is the same as PPM for windows but it also has web, or, the scheduling and eveyrthing is only on the web?
Hi Michael,
Nice article there. I would like to ask you a question.
We have Oracle PPM 8.2 installed and are migrating to EPPM (8.3.2). Is there a way to migrate (or even share) the data/configuration the users already have in PPM. We use a Centralized SQL Server for all the PPM clients.
Also can data be migrated from SQL Server to Oracle DB ?
Best Regards
Hi Soons_Br,
1) Tricky – there is no easy way to keep user’s layouts and user settings for a PPM to EPPM upgrade. The databases are quite different in their structure. I recommend each user export their layouts to files (can be done from the Open Layouts screen). Then they can be reimported to EPPM (for windows user, not web users). But some preferences, access, filters, etc will likely have to be rebuilt after the migration.
2) Supposedly you can. Look at the oracle documentation. But I’ve had no luck getting it to work. There were some db migration scripts provided, but they were laden with errors. Easier to export projects, setup a new db, and reimport. Use the SDk to migrate global data. It’s more manual work, but should yield more reliable results in the end.
Hope that helps,
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the quick answer.
1) So, there is no way to get what we have today in PPM DB and have it migrated/upgraded to be used by the Web Users ?
2) thanks for the advise. Could I export from PPM and import in EPPM DB (for the web users)
Regards,
Fabiano Breves
I have a Question how can we add Administrator tab to the primavera p6 R8.3 Menu same like administrator tab on web tool?
Leelo,
If you are using Professional to connect to an EPPM database, then no – all of the administration is done in EPPM. If you are using the Professional product with no EPPM, then yes you can perform the administration in Professional. It depends what version you are using. If you’re using EPPM, all of the admin is in PPM.
Michael
Hi Michael,
My company is using standalone P6 versions in our construction projects. We would like to migrate to one corporate planning solution for all projects but our planners/projects are in different locations. What is the best way for a corporate solution? stand alone installations or to set up one centralized server? Also what is the better solution for us, PPM or EPPM? If we install EPPM, can the planners continue to work as windows based on their computers?
Regards,
Sahin
Sahim,
Having a centralized P6 database is the way to go. Often companies use Citrix if planners are dispersed and need good access. If you go EPPM, you can still use the windows-based Primavera – they connect to the same database. There would be some migration work to make it all happen. We can help if you like – email me directly – michael@plannertuts.com.
Michael
Hi, it would be better to you using PPM as workgroup (with centerlized DB and windows base) and using Sharepoint for dashboard. You can use SQL Server Reporting Service (SSRS) as reporting tool that create report from data in DB and show that in Sharepoint page. I have this experience.
Thanks.
Thank you for good sharing. Could you give me an official Comparison of newest Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project Server 2013 ? I am using Microsoft Project Server 2010 and I am considering 2 options : Upgrade to Project Server 2013 or move to Primavera.
Hi Hoang. Sorry, we’re not well versed in Project Server here at PlannerTuts.
Hi,
I have installed Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (v7.0) Media Pack, but it does not include the API install as well as the web services.
Can you please indicate me where can i get the the installer? Btw, in the Oracle website, the older installer I can download is v8.2
Thanks in advance!
Hi,
I too have the same problem. The integration API setup file is not there in the media pack of primavera EPPM R7. I contacted Oracle also. They are saying that the API setup file is not free component and it needs to be purchased separately which I doubt.
Dear All,
In P6 8.4 PPM (not EPPM) is possible to do a update process via Project / Maintain Baselines … oops : where’s the Update button ???
Can anyone help me ?
Regards !!!
I will need if possible some clarifications.
1. Due to the fact that most of our project are located in places with very poor connectivity, can be installed a local database and accessed also a server database (not simultaneously of course). Does this can be done in the license boundaries?
2. Related to the above, I suppose is no problem of importing a schedule from PPM (local for projects) into an EPPM database…
3. EPPM allow connection via SDK?
The main purpose is to use EPPM for portfolios/programs, so the limitation of working with large number of activities is really a big problem.
Thanks!
Hi
I am new to OPPM. I have to integrate OPPM with other services.
Are there any web services for OPPM.
Please provide the links if there are any.
Thanks,
In Primavera P6 EPPM Web in Resource Management what is the symbol of a man with red hand mean?
Hi, I’m pretty sure that means the resource is overallocated.
No, it is not that.
There is a Red Hand besides resources which are not loaded at all.
From some of the comments aboce some operators require a database in the cloud but dont want to go to EPPM and prefer PPM. This can now be achieved with the SQLite data base and using google drive or drop box.
The SQLite is a single file database so this can be stored on your google drive. All you need to do is configure the PPM to point to this database. You can do this on your laptop as well as your desktop using the same database.
I have achieved this very successfully. I casn be on the job with my laptop and do the updates etc. Come back to the office and the google drive updates the database automatically. Then the same information is available thru the database to your desktop. The database will not allow you top open twice. So it is one application at a time. I would suggest ORACLE should develop the single file database further so more than one application can open it.
My company is in the process of migrating all our scheduling tools into P6 EPPM; we are currently using P6 Pro. I am also new to EPPM; I have always used P6 Pro and P6 Pro has been nothing but perfect at doing whatever I needed it to do. We just purchased some EPPM 15.1 licenses and I have been learning the new program. So far, P6 Pro and P6 EPPM are very similar in functionality but there are some major problems in EPPM that I still can’t get my head around:
1) EPPM runs differently on different web browsers. In fact it doesn’t run on Google Chrome. It appears that EPPM was developed with an older version of java while all my web browsers have the latest java version. IE and Firefox would let me override the error but Google Chrome wont. Does anyone have recommendation(s)?
2) EPPM is very slow especially when navigating pages. This is due to the time it takes to load java. Does this have anything to do with old java version vs new java version saga?
3) Printing in the EPPM is a huge disappointment. EPPM doesn’t print Legends when I print my schedules. All I get is the Gantt chart plus activity table. Has anyone figured a printing method equivalent to that of P6 Pro?
4) Currently my company uses a layout in P6 Pro where we combine Gantt chart on top and resource spreadsheet at the bottom and print the combined layout. I have yet to found a way to do this in EPPM.
5) I miss the “Schedule automatically when a change affects dates” function in P6 Pro.
6) EPPM doesn’t give you detail when an error message pop up.
7) Why in the world do we have to buy a new application (BI Publisher) in order to generate reports in EPPM while it was free in P6 Pro?
It appears that I would still need to use P6 Pro to accomplish some of the tasks I couldn’t complete in EPPM. The completely defeat the purpose of the EPPM migration. I don’t see myself switching back and forth between P6 Pro and P6 EPPM just because Oracle rolled out half-assed software.
John,
I’m sort of on the fence wrt EPPM. I agree with the frustrating aspects you mention – and that’s the short list. But I do admit as well that there are some nice features in EPPM that don’t exist in P6 Pro.
The point here though is that EPPM is not a replacement for P6 Professional. P6 Pro users won’t adopt it. P6 Pro legacy users should keep using P6 Pro and adopt EPPM for the nice features it has to offer.
But EPPM also allows additional roles in the company to use a scheduling tool, for non-scheduling tasks – viewing resource allocations, dashboard updates, updating documentation, the whole portfolio management engine.
If companies believe that EPPM is the new P6 Pro, then they will be in for a shock. EPPM is complimentary, not a replacement.
Michael
Hi Michael Lepage
Great article.
I got to know a bit about EPPM for the first time. I have some confusions, will be grateful for you explaining these for me please:
1. When EPPM is used in an organization, the client users (planners etc) use PPM to work on project, or do they also get some sort of web interface in their browser from EPPM software?
2. Or is it that client users (planners etc) have option to use either PPM or EPPM interface?
3. In any of the case, how licensing works? If say EPPM is installed, the each client user will need to have his own license of PPM/EPPM client interface?
Please help understand above things.
Thanks a lot
Hi
1) EPPM has both the windows (PPM client ) and the web-client that uses a browser (EPPM), as long as it has been set up that way at the organization. Some will just use PPM, some will use one tool, others will use both.
2) In this recent article, I’m suggesting planners stick to PPM.
3) Not 100% sure, but I believe it’s a license per user, regardless of what tool they use.
Hope that helps.
Dear Michael,
Pleas reply, it’s very urgent.(asifciv182@gmail.com)
ISSUE:
If we have one Licence of PPM which is installed on server and if we are a group of 6 people. Can we work on single Licence or everyone is required to have his/her own Licence.
Hi, I don’t work for Oracle, but my understanding is that each user should have a license.
When I am change the updated schedule as a baseline – after assigning the baseline which are activity not started that activities only keeping new revised baseline dates, started activities are not keeping revised schedule dates it’s keeping the original baseline dates only. How I can do.
I need all baseline dates as per revised schedule. How to get revised planned percentage.
Michael ,
really well written article. I have a question for you. Presently I am having P6 8.3 profesional verion standalone version, I have almost 2000 odd flies and and each file has its own eps. My company is planning to go to p6 cloud version to integrate p6 and unifier. Based on what I have read the version which allows integration of unifier is EPPM version, is it possible to transfer my entire databse from standalone professional to EPPM database. If yes can you send me some readng materials.
Regards
Som
Unfortunately, there is no migration tool and no easy way to migrate from P6 Professional to P6 EPPM. Sorry.
You will have to recreate the EPS / OBS and import your projects and layouts. Yes, you’ll have to unlink baselines and relink them.
But, I do have an idea. You could upgrade your P6 Professional to version 15.2 (latest) to take advantage of the new XML features. Now when you export to XML, baselines are included as well. AND you can export multiple projects to the same XML file. So this will save you lots of time.
Now this is new functionality and I make no guarantees that it will work 100% if you are exporting lots of projects to a single XML file. But you could certainly try this approach and if there are no bugs, it might be a fairly painless process.
Great clarity!!! My shared thought is v.8.3.2 is better than v.7. And for those still using v.7 suggest to shift to v.8.3.2.
Migration to other PC is still a problem as you cannot have the layouts, reports and excel export customized outputs exported in one time along with the files. I wish this feature will introduce later on.
Justin, P6 v8 has some improvements over v7 – read this post for the details: P6 Professional R8’s New User Interface : A Game Changer
am so greatful advice, teaching and guild on p6 professional, pls sir i have install p6 PPM on my system and i know how make use of it but how can i install the P6 EPPM again on the system if possible pls.thanks
Hi. The EPPM is so complex that I don’t share the steps. There are simply too many pieces and too many things can go wrong. I’m happy to help in a consulting capacity if need be.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your usual support, Currently I’m using EPPM R8.2 – I never use web service for daily scheduling work as it’s not suitable for huge scope like I’m working with
My concern that I’m not able to find a way to reorganize EPS via web service to be reflected in the windows client application, I appreciate your help
Hello Mike,
I am migrating data from old system to P6 primavera using API java code. There is one issue currently I am facing. When I try to create more than 345 activities at a time using Activity.create(activityArray), I always see a network exception thrown as below,
com.primavera.integration.network.NetworkException: Communication Exception
at com.primavera.integration.client.DistributedSession.a(DistributedSession.java:441)
at com.primavera.integration.client.b.a(BOBase.java:356)
at com.primavera.integration.client.b.a(BOBase.java:345)
at com.primavera.integration.client.bo.object.Activity.create(Activity.java:5408)
For now I am processing them in smaller sets, any idea why above issue is happening, is there any limit on max activities we can create through API? If yes how to increase it.
I wonder what happen to original duration field in P6 15.2? We upgraded from 8.2 to 15.2 and then I cannot find “original duration” under the duration options. I checked the What’s new in 15.2 but did not find anything about it. A possible error during installation maybe? I checked the other users machine, same situation.
Another thing, the Est. Weight is not available on EPPM (Web) but have it on P6 Professional (Client), is there any reason for this?
This is likely not due to the version, but due to the Industry that is selected under Admin->Admin Preferences->Industry Tab. Pick Engineering & Construction to see the switch from Planned Duration to Original Duration.
The Est Weight field is related to the Top-down Estimation tool in P6 Pro that was never migrated to P6 web.
Our company recently purchased EPPM 4 licenses. Before that we developed the construction schedule using PPM. When tried to import the construction schedule file to EPPM, (the file name. plan is not a valid XML file. Please select a valid file name.) message pop up.
It seems that the file ext. for PPM is XER while that EPPM is XML.
Is there any help on how to fix such issue?
Regrads
Mohamed,
EPPM can only import in xml format. The only work around is to use your PPM to export those schedule files to xml format instead of xer.
Thanks
Great discussions. How about a comparison between P6 and Unifier?
I simply wanted to write down a quick word to say thanks to you for those wonderful tips and hints you are showing on this site.
Thanks Michael for the good comparison.
I am currently a consultant in a construction company. Is there any reference where we can setup P6 Professional PPM on a multi-user environment. What are the hardware specifications needed? Can I use one of the stand alone PCs as the database server. Please advise.
Head over to the Oracle documentation libraries for all of that technical spec stuff: https://docs.oracle.com/en/industries/construction-engineering/primavera-p6-professional/index.html
Good Afternoon.
I will like to know if possible or process how to get Oracle P6 Primavera PPM with network for three people instead of using Standalone?
best regard
Hello,
I recently started a job where PPM and EPPM are available. This company also uses SAP. In the past they used a 3 point system using Excel to integrate into PPM. I see that Oracle has Primavera Inspire for SAP available. This appears to greatly enhance the SAP to P6 integration. Have you any experience in this? Is the Inspire software only available on EPPM?
Best Regards,
Hi Ronald,
Inspire does require P6 EPPM as EPPM has the API and webhooks required. I do have experience with SAP to P6 integrations and I’m not a huge fan of them. They are very expensive to implement and very difficult to update and maintain as products on both ends change. They also create a very rigid environment for users. Here’s a talk I gave on the topic: https://www.planacademy.com/10-must-tactics-help-companies-rollout-primavera-p6-integrations/
Tool generating .htm files, Can we generate .ASPX instead. Any setting ?
A 7 year old article that i keep pointing people towards.
Web certainly continues to improve, as does the infrastructure required to keep it running – as organisations look to lower costs of ownership, having a tool that doesn’t require a localised install (or large citrix estate) is an easier sell.
Two bits of functionality that are great in web:
1 – Filtering. Just type it in, web filters it down as you type and searches across all fields.
2 – DCMA schedule checker
Plus, with no java in latest versions, it’s one less concern
Keep up the great work Michael and team
David