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Free Primavera P6 tool

P6 Program Control Room

Turn a baseline and an updated Primavera P6 XER file into a project controls dashboard: planned against actual progress, earned value signals, WBS performance, forecast finish and a short action brief.

1

Baseline programme

The approved baseline or the reference programme.

2

Updated programme

The current progress update.

Choose the baseline and the updated XER files to begin.

Both files are read on your own computer. They are never sent to a server or stored.

Project control room

Planned % completeN/ABaseline dates at the data date
Performance complete0%P6 activity % complete
Progress variance0%Performance minus planned
SPI0Earned value / planned value
Forecast finish variance0dForecast against baseline finish
Float exposure0Incomplete activities, TF ≤ 0

Progress curve

Planned value curve from the baseline, with the earned value position at the data date

Activity status

Click a slice to filter the dashboard

WBS performance

WBS groups with progress, sorted by variance in percentage points
WBSBudgetPlanned %Performance %VarianceTF ≤ 0

Planned against performance by WBS

The ten WBS groups with the largest variance. Click a bar to filter.

Budget and earned value

Schedule derived values from activity budgets

Planner's action brief

Talking points drawn from the data

Activity variance

The 25 activities with the largest gap between planned and performance progress
Top 25
RankActivityWBSPlannedPerformanceGapFinishFloat

Management attention register

Incomplete activities ranked by the gap between performance and plan
Activity IDActivity nameWBSStatusFinishTotal floatPlanned %Performance %GapBudget

Project narrative

Your commentary on the numbers. Blocks are saved on this device and included in the PDF and image.
On track
Primavera P6 programme reporting

A monthly progress dashboard from two XER files

The control room matches the update to the baseline by activity ID, works out planned progress at the data date from the baseline dates and compares it with the progress reported in P6. It then shows SPI, forecast finish, WBS variance and float exposure, with a short action brief. Both files are read in your browser and are not uploaded.

How to use it

  1. Export two XER filesThe approved baseline or reference programme, and the current update.
  2. Open both hereDrop each file on its box. If a file holds several projects, pick the project.
  3. Build the control roomReview progress, variance, SPI, forecast finish and WBS performance.
  4. Filter and add notesClick a WBS bar or status slice to filter, and add your own narrative blocks.
  5. ExportDownload the Excel workbook, the PDF or a PNG image for the management report.

What the dashboard shows

The control room is designed for programme update reviews where teams need a fast summary of schedule performance, risk and management actions.

  • Planned % complete from the baseline and P6 performance complete
  • Planned value, earned value and variance signals
  • SPI and forecast finish variance
  • Float exposure and incomplete critical activities
  • WBS performance and management narrative blocks

Terms used in the dashboard

Planned % complete
Progress each activity should have reached at the data date, assuming even progress between its baseline start and finish, weighted by budgeted cost.
Baseline programme
The approved reference schedule used to compare planned dates, progress and completion targets.
SPI
Schedule performance index: earned value divided by planned value. Below 1.0 means less work done than planned.
Float exposure
The number or concentration of incomplete activities with low, zero or negative total float.
Questions

P6 Program Control Room FAQ

Short answers for planners, project managers and anyone using the tool for the first time.

Are my XER files uploaded?

No. The baseline and update XER files are read in your browser. Planix Engineering does not receive or store your schedules.

Do I need both a baseline and an update XER?

Yes. Planned progress is worked out from the baseline dates, and performance from the update. Activities are matched by activity ID.

What if the XER has no cost loading?

Progress is then weighted by activity count instead of budgeted cost, and the budget and earned value chart shows zero.

Can I add my own commentary?

Yes. Add summary, blocker, achievement, decision, note or table blocks, or draft them from the data. They are saved on this device and included in the PDF and the image.

Can this replace project controls reporting?

No. It gives a fast first view of the update. Check the programme logic, assumptions and contract requirements before reporting.

Next

More free tools

Every Planix tool runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

XER Viewer

Open any Primavera P6 XER file without P6: WBS, Gantt, logic and float.

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P6 Critical Path Finder

The ten lowest float paths, traced to their origin activities.

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P6 Program Compare

Every change between two XER updates: progress, dates, logic.

Open

S-Curve Generator

Planned, actual and earned progress curves with tables.

Open
SS
Built by Sajeeshkumar Sivan

Planning and project controls professional with 15 years on GCC building and infrastructure projects, working daily with Primavera P6 baselines, monthly updates and extension of time claims. Each Planix tool comes from that work.

About Planix Engineering

Want this for every update, across every project?

Root Cause Intelligence tracks each P6 update against the baseline and traces every delay to the activity where it started.

See Root Cause Intelligence Request a demoadmin@planixengineering.com