10/20/22, 4:00 PM Create Project and Activity Constraints in Primavera - Primavera Reader
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Create Project and Activity Constraints in
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If you want to speed up the completion of the project schedule, you can add constraint to the Project.
For example, in the previous example (see also how to schedule a project in Primavera), the Project will
be completed on 7 Nov 2023 05:00 PM. Company management wants to speed up the Schedule to 20
Oct 2023 05:00 PM.
Contents [hide]
Constraint on Project
Constraints on Activity
Start On or After
Best Practice Activity Constraint
Constraint on Project
To create an accelerated schedule, you need to first create a constraint on the Project (Assign
Constraint), as follows:
Open the Project, go to the Dates tab.
Enter the desired project completion date in the Must Finish By column.
Enter the date 20 Oct 2023 05:00 PM.
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Next, do the project schedule by going to the Activities page. Go to Tools menu -> Schedule….
Do Schedule project as before (How to schedule Project).
Seen in the Total Float column, the value becomes -12 for Project. This means that you need to
speed up the overall project schedule to 12 days earlier to reach project completion on 20 Oct
2023 at 05:00 PM.
To speed up your Project, you can do the following:
Reducing the duration of critical activities.
Accelerate the start of critical activities.
Change the sequence of jobs.
etc.
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In the example above, we will focus on activities with a total float of -12 to speed up project
completion.
Do the following to speed up the schedule:
Reduce work duration with Activity ID HP1000 Design Building Addition from 48 to 45 days.
Add -7 days lag on Successor HP1000, namely HP1030 Review and Approve Designs.
Reduced HP1160 Review Technical Data on Heat Pumps duration from 21 days to 19 days.
Now do Schedule again, go to Tools-> Schedule… (F9) menu.
Now, the Total Float for critical activities has returned to 0. This means that your Schedule is
appropriate to achieve the project completion target on 20 Oct 2023 05:00 PM.
Constraints on Activity
In addition to adding constraint to the project, you can also add constraint(s) at the activity level.
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The function of a constraint on activity is to create a limitation on the schedule of one activity that can
affect the limitation of the schedule of other activities.
Start On or After
This constraint will cause an activity to start on or after a certain date which is entered in the constraint
date column.
The following is an example of changing the schedule of activity and project before and after being
given the Start On or After constraint:
Activity date before being constrained ( HP1790 ):
Relation before being constrained:
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Activity HP1790 is constrained (before scheduling [F9]):
HP1790 activity given the constraint date Start On or After 15 Sep 2023 (after scheduling [F9]).
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Date and Total Float changed on activity:
Start (from 11 Sep 23 to 15 Sep 23)
Early Start (from 11 Sep 23 to 15 Sep 23)
Finish (from 25 Sep 23 to 29 Sep 23)
Early Finish (from 25 Sep 23 to 29 Sep 23)
Total Float (from 0 to -4)
Date and Float on Successor activities
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If the constraint date is greater than the Start date, setting the Start On or After constraint will affect
the Start date of the activity as well as the successor activity and subsequent relations (no effect on
predecessor or previous activities).
You can see other constraints and explanations in the following table:
Start On or Finish On
Constraint Start On or Before Finish On of Before
After of After
Affects early Affects late dates (start Affects early Affects late dates (start
Description dates (start and finish). and may dates (start and finish). and may
and finish). decrease total float. and finish). decrease total float.
Early Start Affect Not Affect Affect Not Affect
Late Start Not Affect Affect Not Affect Affect
Early Finish Affect Not Affect Affect Not Affect
Late Finish Not Affect Affect Not Affect Affect
Total Float May Change May Change May Change May Change
Successor May Affect May Affect May Affect May Affect
Predecessor May Affect May Affect May Affect May Affect
Start Finish Mandatory Mandatory As Late As
Constraint
On On Start Finish Possible
Description Can Can Imposes the Imposes the Imposes a
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delay an delay an early and late early and late restriction on an
activity’s activity’s start dates you finish dates you activity with
early early choose. A choose. This positive float to
start or finish or mandatory early constraint allow it to start as
move move start date could affects the late late as possible
forward forward affect the late dates for all without delaying
an an dates for all activities that its successors.
activity’s activity’s activities that lead to the When calculating a
late late lead to the constrained schedule,
start. finish. constrained activity and all Primavera sets the
activity and all early dates for activity’s early
early dates for the activities dates as late as
the activities that that lead from possible without
lead from the the constrained affecting successor
constrained activity. activities.
activity.
May May
Early Start May Affect May Affect Affect
Affect Affect
May May
Late Start May Affect May Affect Not Affect
Affect Affect
May May
Early Finish May Affect May Affect Affect
Affect Affect
May May
Late Finish May Affect May Affect Not Affect
Affect Affect
May May
Total Float May Change May Change May Change
Change Change
May May
Successor May Affect May Affect Not Affect
Affect Affect
May May
Predecessor May Affect May Affect Not Affect
Affect Affect
Best Practice Activity Constraint
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DoD recommends that the constraints used do not exceed 5% of the total activity in the project
schedule. If you are must use the constraints, it is recommended to use constraints on milestones. So,
add a milestone to create a constraint on the activity.
Edwin
Blogger at Primaverareader
I am a father of 2 children interested in many things related to nature and go green. Currently participating in
construction project related to schedule management.
Some of what I write on this blog is part of my experience that I think can be helpful to read.
Hobbies: Spending time with family, learning valuable knowledge, and sharing valuable experiences.
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