120,000+ activity project in P3

I agree that "Steps" is useful (maybe in principle), but to make the weightings function as to get a reliable summary, it can become complicated as you got to do it manually (i.e. Physical % Progress).



For Concrete works, you can break it down into three (3) activities: Rebars; Formworks; Place Concrete, so that you can determine exactly the quantities.



In P6, you can show the Columns (user defined fields) of your quantities.

On the other hand,



if you find it dificult to understand, take a break



Watch the concert STEPS.



It may help you.



Steps is an irish band that disband long time ago. They got a good concert that was capture in dvd format. Also it was done long time ago.

Abraham,



Steps in included in new version of Primavera.



let say concreting columns, you have activities: fabricate formworks, fabricate re-bars, install formworks, install rebar, pour concrete. These 5 activities can be presented in logical way but these can be shortened into one activity: pour concrete



so instead of five activities, you will only have 1 activity, pour concrete. However, if you monitore pour concrete, you will have steps or process involved to pour concrete that you dont have to show and to clog your programm to balloon into 100,000++ activities.



1 activity pour concrete but with steps or process that you need to monitor in excel (fabricate forms, fabricate re-bars, install formworks, install re-bar and finally pour concrete)



Each steps will be allocated a weight in such a way that the total weight is 100 %. In this way, as the process to pour concrete column advance, meaning, completion of each stage of the process, then a corresponding percentage completion to pour concrete columne will be captured periodically, depend on your reporting period.



Sensei

Successful Project Management Consultant

HI Abraham,



100,00++ activities will definitely slow down the processing.



I would suggest you chop the WBS into more details.



Also maximized the usage of activity codes, broaden the codes, create a lot of filters, a lot of views, etc.



WHY 100,000+++ activities?????????



would it e better if your team will minimize the number of activities and use "STEPS".????????



meaning since you are using P3 minimize the number of activities and use excel to identify the "STEPS", in this way you schedule will be easy to look and understand.



cheers,

Hi Abraham



Be careful as P3 uses btrieve as a database, which is a 16-bit application - with a limited adress-space. I now from a former colleague of an active project with about 110000 activities.

I would check before: Just create a project with 130000 activities (some reserve). With copy/paste and "Insert --> Autolink" you can easily create such a project. Then add some codes, resources. Then "F9". You’ll see if it does work.

Using P3 I never exceeded 1G of memory, but I don’t believe, that it would be able to adress more. This, I suppose won’t be the bottleneck. A normal modern PC should work - if your test will be successful.



Good luck!

Dieter

I would feel comfortable with P5/P6.

Hi Abraham,



Just follow the link below:



http://www.planningplanet.com/forum/forum_post.asp?fid=&Cat=2&Top=35677



Check post#4 & post#8 of dieter



Cheers,



Ravi