P6 Progress Calculator

Updating a Primavera P6 schedule means entering accurate progress for each activity at the data date. P6 tracks several kinds of percent complete, and choosing and calculating the right one is essential for a meaningful update. This calculator helps you work out the percent complete and remaining duration from field data.

How to use it

1. Choose the progress method: physical, duration or units.
2. Enter the field data: quantity installed and total quantity, or days elapsed and expected remaining days.
3. Read the percent complete and remaining duration to enter in P6.

P6 percent complete types

• Physical % complete: entered from measured progress, such as 180 of 300 m³ placed = 60%. Best reflects real work done.
• Duration % complete: (Original duration - Remaining duration) / Original duration. Shows time used, not work done.
• Units % complete: Actual units / At-completion units for labour or material resources.

Worked example

A slab-pouring activity has an original duration of 10 days and a total quantity of 300 m³. At the data date 180 m³ is poured after 7 working days. Physical progress = 60%. At the achieved rate of 25.7 m³ per day, the remaining 120 m³ needs about 5 days, so the activity will run 2 days longer than planned. Enter 60% physical and a remaining duration of 5 days.

Update tips

• Always enter actual start and finish dates; P6 cannot calculate correctly without them.
• Estimate remaining duration from the remaining work, not just original duration minus elapsed days.
• Do not let percent complete reach 100% until the work is truly finished.
• Keep the data date consistent for all activities in an update.