Construction Scheduling using Primavera P6 (Webinar | Jun 12-13, 2026)

Construction Scheduling Using Primavera P6

This 2-day training is designed to equip construction professionals with the practical knowledge and hands-on skills required to develop, analyze, and present construction schedules using Primavera P6.

The course goes beyond software navigation and focuses on the correct planning mindset, realistic construction sequencing, and best practices used by professional planners and schedulers. Participants will learn how to translate construction scope into a structured Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), develop activities with realistic durations, apply proper logic relationships, analyze the Critical Path, and produce schedules that can be confidently used for project control and decision-making.

Through guided demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and a complete mini-project, participants will build a full construction schedule from scratch and gain a clear understanding of how Primavera P6 is used in real construction projects—not just in theory, but in actual practice.

This training is ideal for those who want to strengthen their planning and scheduling fundamentals, improve productivity in Primavera P6, and communicate schedules more effectively with project teams and management.

At the end of this 2-day training, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the fundamentals of project planning and scheduling in construction projects.
2. Distinguish clearly between planning and scheduling and apply both correctly in project execution.
3. Explain the role and responsibilities of a Planner / Scheduler in construction projects.
4. Navigate the Primavera P6 interface and understand key components such as EPS, OBS, calendars, and project settings.
5. Create a Primavera P6 project from scratch using proper structure, naming conventions, and settings.
6. Develop a clear and structured Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) aligned with construction scope.
7. Create and manage activities using appropriate activity types and realistic durations.
8. Apply correct logic relationships (FS, SS, FF, SF) with proper use of leads and lags.
9. Perform Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling and interpret critical path and float results.
10. Create and assign working calendars that reflect actual construction conditions.
11. Use constraints appropriately and understand their impact on schedule behavior.
12. Optimize and review schedules to identify sequencing issues and improvement opportunities.
13. Customize layouts, filters, and views to analyze and present schedules effectively.
14. Generate and export professional schedule reports suitable for construction project requirements.
15. Build a complete construction schedule through a guided mini-project using Primavera P6.
16. Apply real-world planning and scheduling best practices used by professional planners and schedulers.

Course Duration: 2 days @ 8 hours per day

Course Outline

MODULE 0 – Primavera P6 Software Download, Installation & Setup

(Email guide will be sent to the participants 1 day before the training)

Topics:

• System Requirements
• Accessing Oracle Primavera P6
• Downloading Primavera P6
• Installing Primavera P6
• Initial Software Setup

DAY 1 – Foundations & Schedule Development (8 Hours)

MODULE 1 – Planning & Scheduling Fundamentals (1.5 hrs)

Purpose:

• Correct the common misunderstanding of planning vs scheduling
• Build the “planner’s mindset” before touching the software

Topics:

• What project planning and scheduling really mean
• Planning vs scheduling (construction examples)
• Why construction projects fail due to poor schedules
• Role of the Planner / Scheduler in real projects
• Project life cycle and where P6 fits
• Introduction to CPM (Critical Path Method)

🛠 Workshop:

• Identify planning mistakes from a sample delayed project

MODULE 2 – Primavera P6 Environment & Project Setup (2.5 hrs)

Purpose: Set up Primavera P6 correctly (most common real-world failure)

Topics + Demo:

• Primavera P6 interface overview
• EPS & OBS (why they matter in companies)
• Creating a new project (ID, naming, structure)
• Project settings and defaults
• Creating and assigning calendars
• Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

🛠 Hands-on Exercise:

Participants create:

• EPS
• Project
• Calendar
• Multi-level WBS

MODULE 3 – WBS & Activity Development (2 hrs)

Purpose: Translate construction scope into a buildable schedule

Topics:

• Good vs bad WBS (construction examples)
• Activity types (task dependent, milestones)
• Proper activity naming conventions
• Duration estimating using productivity logic
• Organizing activities logically

🛠 Hands-on Exercise:

Create activities for:

• Structural works
• Architectural works
• MEP works

MODULE 4 – Logic, Relationships & CPM (2 hrs)

Purpose: Build realistic construction sequencing

• Activity relationships (FS, SS, FF, SF)
• Using leads and lags correctly
• Common logic mistakes in construction schedules
• Running the schedule calculation
• Identifying and understanding the critical path
• Float interpretation (total float & free float)

Topics:

• FS, SS, FF, SF relationships
• Leads and lags (when to use / avoid)
• Common logic errors in construction schedules
• Running schedule calculation
• Understanding critical path & float

🛠 Hands-on Exercise:

• Link activities
• Run CPM
• Identify critical path
• Analyze float

DAY 2 – Optimization, Reporting & Mini Project (8 Hours)

MODULE 5 – Calendars, Constraints & Schedule Control (2 hrs)

Purpose: Make the schedule realistic and controllable

Topics:

• 5-day, 6-day, 7-day calendars
• Assigning calendars properly
• Holidays, weather allowances
• Constraints:
• When they are valid
• When they destroy the schedule
• Introduction to schedule compression

🛠 Hands-on Exercise:

• Apply calendar changes and observe critical path impact

MODULE 6 – Layouts, Filters & Professional Reporting (2 hrs)

Purpose: Make schedules readable and management-ready

Topics:

• Creating layouts for:
• Management
• Site teams
• Filters (critical, ongoing, delayed)
• Grouping and sorting
• Printing Gantt charts
• Exporting to Excel and PDF

🛠 Hands-on Exercise:

Create:

• One management layout
• One site progress layout

MODULE 7 – Mini Project Workshop (3 hrs)

Purpose: Apply everything learned in one guided exercise

Workshop Flow:

• Create project from scratch
• Build WBS
• Create activities
• Assign logic & calendars
• Run CPM
• Review critical path
• Clean up schedule
• Prepare submission-ready output

🛠 Output:

✔ Complete construction schedule
✔ Ready for review or submission

🎁 BONUS MODULE – Planner’s Best Practices & Career Guidance (1 hr)

Purpose: Add real-world value beyond software skills

Topics:

• Common mistakes of beginner planners
• How planners support Project Managers
• How to explain schedules to site engineers
• Red flags in contractor schedules
• Career path: Planner → Senior Planner → Planning Manager
• Interview and planning test tips

References:

1. Oracle Primavera P6 User Guide
2. PMI Practice Standard for Scheduling
3. AACE International Recommended Practices on Planning & Scheduling