As a multi-faceted scheduling solution, Oracle Primavera Cloud offers a wide variety of functionality for different types of work. For CPM schedulers, OPC can be used to create and manage a variety of projects and programs, while portfolio managers can utilize it to manage and track portfolio performance. Because the application features tools for a variety of different workflows and teams, OPC offers five different object types for use: projects, portfolios, programs, workspaces, and ideas. The object types available will depend on the type of Oracle Primavera Cloud license that you purchase. It’s important to understand how the object types work and what they do, as it could determine which license type should be purchased.

In this article, we will look at the five object types available within Oracle Primavera Cloud, how they can be used within the program, and which OPC license types support them.

If you already have a license of Oracle Primavera Cloud, you can view the accessible object types from the Object Selector.

OPC features five different object types: projects, portfolios, programs, workspaces, and ideas.

PROJECTS

A project is a formalized plan that is undertaken by a project team to create a service or product, such as building a structure or creating a software application. Projects are built and defined by their added details, such as the project’s start and end date, the activities that make up the project, the project’s budget, and the team that will be working on it. Projects generally need to be used by project managers and CPM schedulers, among many others. For users migrating to OPC from Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project, Primavera Cloud’s projects will feature the same functionality as projects created in other programs, such as the ability to view the project schedule, assign resources, and track status updates.

Oracle Primavera Cloud allows for the creation of an unlimited number of projects. Projects can be created directly within OPC, or they can be imported in from Primavera P6 XML files or Microsoft Project.

Projects can be created using Oracle Primavera Cloud with a Schedule, Portfolio Planning, or Task Management license type. The Schedule license types will allow you to create typical CPM schedules, whereas the Task Management license only allows for the creation of lean scheduling projects. The Portfolio Planning license will also allow for project creation, but will not provide a typical CPM schedule view – instead, this license will allow you to track and manage the resource and budget usage of the project.

The Progress license does not allow you to create projects, but it will allow you to access activities within a project that have been assigned to you as a resource or activity manager.

PORTFOLIOS

A portfolio is a collection of projects, programs, and sub-portfolios that allows for higher level planning and monitoring of the organization’s overall budget planning, resource allocation, negotiation strategies. Portfolios will look at the data of all of the objects within it, creating an environment for project managers, financial planners, and key stakeholders to collaborate and monitor their organizational goals together. 

Portfolios differ from other conglomerate object types, such as workspaces and programs, due to the applications that they offer. On the financial side, portfolios feature Budget Planning and Resource Planning apps, allowing users to allocate and monitor resources, budgets and funds across objects to maximize portfolio performance.

For performance management, portfolios feature Scorecard, Prioritization Matrix, and Monitoring apps, allowing managers to define quantitative targets, prioritize projects based on performance, and monitor performance across all objects.

The only Oracle Primavera Cloud license that supports the creation and use of portfolios is the Portfolio Planning license.

PROGRAMS

A program is a collection of associated projects that can be opened simultaneously. In Oracle Primavera Cloud, only one object can be opened at a time; if you want to access multiple projects simultaneously, you would instead create a program. 

Programs allow you to view multiple related projects as if they were one large schedule. In the Schedule app, programs will display all of the activities for each associated project on a timeline, allowing managers to view and monitor how each project interacts and overlaps with one another. On the Resources app, programs allow you to view resource allocation for multiple projects, which can be especially useful for projects that use the same resource crews.

Programs feature most of the same apps available for projects, such as Cost and Funds, Risk, and Tasks. The only difference between these two object types is that projects will display only its own data, whereas programs will display data for all projects within it.

Programs can be created within Oracle Primavera Cloud using the Schedule, Portfolio Planning, and Task Management licenses. Similar to projects, the Schedule license will provide a classic CPM schedule view of the projects within a program. The Portfolio Planning license, while allowing for the creation of programs, will focus on the resources, budget, and performance of the project – this license type will not provide a classic schedule view of the project’s timeline. 

The Progress license type, just like with projects, will not allow users to create programs – but it will allow users to access activities assigned to them within the program.

WORKSPACES

A workspace is a hierarchical structure that can be composed of multiple projects, programs, portfolios, and sub-workspaces. Much like the Enterprise Project Structure in Primavera P6, workspaces provide a way to customize sets of data for the projects contained within that structure, such as Calendars and Resources. Creating separate workspaces for these groupings help to segregate this data from projects that will be using different calendars, resources, and other data sets.

You can create as many workspaces as needed for your organization. Generally, a workspace hierarchy will help categorize objects by the type of work being performed or their site locations.

Workspaces can be created in Oracle Primavera Cloud using the Schedule, Portfolio Planning, and Task Management licenses.

IDEAS

An idea is simply an idea, or a proposal, for an organizational goal, improvement, or potential project. Ideas allow users to submit their ideas for administrators to choose to approve or reject in order to progress the idea to create a project.

Once an idea is submitted, it will automatically be submitted to an administrator, who can then make a decision based on the Evaluation Score and Investor Map apps. These apps will allow decision makers to prioritize and score ideas to decide whether to approve them, and make them into a project, or reject them, as necessary.

Users do not need to be assigned an Oracle Primavera Cloud license to be able to submit ideas. Users created as an Idea Submitter Only user type will be able to submit as many ideas as needed, without using up an Oracle Primavera Cloud license.

In order to view submitted ideas and approve or reject them, you will need to have the Portfolio Planning license type.

SUMMARY

Oracle Primavera Cloud features different objects for different workflows and users. The availability of these objects will depend on the license type purchased, and multiple licenses can be purchased for a single OPC environment. At this point, you may be wondering what license type is best for you and your organization. This will depend on the work that you will need to perform, but here are our recommendations:

• For CPM schedulers, project managers, and users currently using project management software applications such as Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project, the Schedule license type is what you need. This license will allow you to create a workspace hierarchy and categorize created projects and programs within it.

   

• If you are a portfolio manager, resource manager, or budget planner, you may want to purchase the Portfolio Planning license. This license will allow you to plan for your organization’s work at a higher level; rather than focusing on individual projects, you’ll be able to monitor resource and budget allocation for all work simultaneously.

   

• If you are a project manager that wants your project team members to only have access to activities assigned to them, you may want to purchase Progress licenses for your team. The Progress license will allow users to only view activities assigned to them, allowing them to update activity progress without giving them control over activity details and the project schedule.

   

• If you are a scheduler that wants to utilize lean scheduling management tools for your project, you will want to purchase the Task Management license. The Task Management license will allow you to create a project and schedule it using lean scheduling by creating tasks, delegating them, and rearranging them within the project’s timeline.
  

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Lauren Hecker is an Oracle Primavera Cloud Instructor and teaches onsite and virtual Oracle Primavera Cloudcourses. To see her next open enrollment course, please visit our calendar. To schedule an onsite or custom course, please contact us!