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PRIMAVERA P6 RELEASE 8 – WEB INNOVATION & SO MUCH MORE
Adrian Laffitte
Accelerated PM LLC
Introduction
Primavera P6 Release 8 marks a radical progression for Enterprise Project Management into a reporting platform
that works in real time. After many years of depending on other reporting tools to manage project data, Primavera
has progressed into a reliable platform that seamlessly integrates data and reporting. This presentation will explain
the different components that are now available in P6 Release 8 and how they can be integrated in your
organization.
Accelerated PM LLC is a Project Management consulting, training, enterprise implementation and systems
integration company. We are an Oracle Platinum partner that specializes in project management implementation
and sales using Oracle Primavera and other EPPM tools.
Objectives
Objective 1: Learn about Real Time Reporting Tools made available with Business Intelligence Publisher.
Objective 2: An introduction into the technology behind P6Web ad how it integrates with Business Intelligence.
Objective 3: Additional tools and improvements to P6 Suite of products and how to integrate them in your
business.
Primavera Project Management software has had a long evolution. From the simple DOS P3 version all the way to
the current offering which incorporates into web environments and multiple databases. There will always be good
and bad points to any piece of software and Primavera is no different. With various changes and updates being
done from one previous version to the next users have a true input into the progression of what the software
does and how the users utilize its functions. Proficiency with any software must be continually obtained in order to
utilize all the latest features, and be able to provide Oracle with relative feedback for improving or removing
certain functions of the application.
One of the most cumbersome uses for the Primavera software has always been reporting, even though the tool is
unrivaled in efficiencies when it comes to scheduling and planning functions there has always been a need for a
better reporting solution. With the collaboration of Oracle and Primavera that functionality is now available
through Business Intelligence Publisher.
Static vs. Real Time Reporting
The workaround for any organization wanting to extract information from Primavera has been a twofold process.
First the information must be extracted from Primavera and secondly that information must be formatted in a
specific format to fit the requirements of the alternate reporting solution. This process can be time consuming and
costly to implement and ensure that no errors are occurring in the data transfer. The processes and systems that

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carry on this exchange of information can also be extremely complex and carry with it expensive maintenance and
labor costs. These are the draw backs to any static system that requires snap shot information to be generated and
then brought across for processing.
On the other hand there are real time systems that minimize those drawbacks by providing the information from
the same database where the original planning operations are being conducted. These systems provide greater
flexibility and ease of use. They are able to keep live report layouts ready for any report variation that will occur
and they are easier to maintain. The data extraction process is optimized and report generation is expedited to
allow a single request operation to produce a number of pre‐defined report templates.
Business Intelligence reporting allows for users to be able to create layout that can access multiple sources of
information using a predefined data model. By crating these report layouts in a familiar environment users are
more at ease at creating their customizable report to fit their specific needs.
Integration P6 Web
The innovation of using P6 Web to make available the EPPM database through a browser has been around for
several versions of the Primavera software. These and many other tools formerly accessible through the client are
now exclusively on the web interface and more are soon to follow. The Web integration allows for the use of these
tools regardless of operating system or hardware.
The P6 Web component is able to access both the EPPM Database and the Extended Schema created by BI
publisher. These two components allow for independent access to the data that is required to perform the specific
tasks. In the case of the Bi Publisher functions there are automated processes that are made available through
P6web to ensure that the services needed to maintain the data up to speed are always happening in the
background.
The most important component in the integration between P6 web and BI publisher is the Project Arbiter which
automatically sees the changes made to the project and initializes the update process. The arbiter triggers and
brings with it the latest project data that has changed since the last update was run.
BI integrates well into the P6web environment since it uses XML to request and get back required information. The
impact is minimal to the EPPM database since the information is being kept in a separated set of tables. By doing
this step several additional components are no longer necessary in the installation of Primavera. Those
components being the Operational Data Store (ODS) and its associated process Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL).
Bi has truly become a separate add on component that is well suited to operate with the existing P6 web
architecture.
Additional Tools
There are a number of features and enhancements in the latest version of Primavera 8.1. These include of course
the reporting and publication services provided by BI Publisher. These services expand the ability of Primavera to
provide real time reports and direct access to the data needed to give the most up to date analysis.
In addition there are some new updates in the use of resource management and over allocation of said resources.
These tools will allow for better analysis of the resources assigned to a project and ensuring that those
assignments are made with the best possible information.

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With the ever expanding role of the P6 web environment it is not wander that Web administration and
configuration has shifted from the client to the web component. Considering that the client is now considered an
optional component and not the standard installation it is necessary to enable the administrator to be able to
control all aspects of the database.
There are also some enhancements to the user interface that enable for ease of operation and streamlined design.
Conclusion
In conclusion BI Publisher and Primavera have been able to provide a viable solution to a long standing issue of
static reporting. BI Publisher provides the best solution for generating reports that are accurate, up to date, and
easy to use by users who are more familiar with standard reporting formats but can easily integrate into the main
stream reporting toolset. By integrating the solution into the existing P6web infrastructure it has enabled ease of
use and minimum impact on database resources.