Field Operations

Schedule & Primavera

Version 1.0Updated February 2026For: Schedulers, Planners, Project Managers8 min read

Overview

The Schedule & Primavera module in Arkan provides a comprehensive project scheduling solution built around Oracle Primavera P6 integration. You can upload Primavera schedule files (.xml or .xer), visualize activities in both Grid and Gantt views, track activity completion, monitor critical path analysis, and compare different schedule versions over time. The Schedule Dashboard brings together KPI cards, charts, and activity tables so you can assess schedule health at a glance.


Prerequisites

Before using the Schedule & Primavera module, ensure the following:

  1. You have an active Arkan account with the Schedule Upload permission assigned to your role.
  2. A project has been selected in the project selector (top navigation bar).
  3. You have a Primavera P6 export file in .xml or .xer format, with a maximum file size of 50 MB.
  4. If you plan to link schedule activities to inspections or other modules, those modules should already be configured for the selected project.

Tip: If you see an "Access Denied" message when navigating to the Schedule page, contact your system administrator to verify that Retrieve permission is enabled for your role on the Schedule Upload page.


Sidebar > Schedule

The Schedule Dashboard is the primary landing page. The module also has a dedicated Primavera file management route accessible via Sidebar > Primavera.


Section 1: Schedule Dashboard

The Schedule Dashboard is the main landing page (route: /schedule-dashboard). It provides a consolidated view of your project schedule with KPIs, activity charts, and detailed activity tables.

Schedule Dashboard Overview

1.1 Page Header and KPI Cards

The page header displays the Schedule title, a Project badge, a Filter toggle button, an Actions dropdown, and an Upload Schedule button (visible only with Insert permission).

When at least one schedule file has been uploaded, five KPI cards appear:

CardDescription
Total ActivitiesTotal number of activities across the selected schedule file
CompletedCount of activities at 100% completion
In ProgressCount of activities that have started but are not yet complete
Not StartedCount of activities that have not yet begun
Completion RateOverall percentage of project completion

These values update automatically when you select a different schedule file or refresh the data.

Schedule KPI Cards

1.2 Filter Panel and File Selector

  1. Click the Filter toggle button (funnel icon) to expand the collapsible filter panel.
  2. Enter text in the Search Activities field to search by activity name or WBS.
  3. Click Clear to reset all filter fields, or the close button (X) to collapse the panel.

When multiple schedule files exist, a file selector card appears above the Grid/Gantt views:

  1. Click the file selector card showing the current file name and import date.
  2. A dropdown list appears showing all available schedule files.
  3. Click a file to select it. The dashboard refreshes with the new file's activities.

Schedule File Selector

1.3 Grid View

The Grid View is the default display mode. Ensure the Grid View tab is active.

ColumnDescription
EditOpens the Completion Ratio dialog for that activity
Activity NameName/title of the activity
WBSWork Breakdown Structure code
Planned Start / EndScheduled start and end dates
Actual Start / EndActual start and end dates (if available)
DurationOriginal duration in days
RemainingRemaining duration in days
ProgressVisual progress bar with percentage label
Complete DateDate the activity was marked complete
Total Float / Free FloatFloat days (Total Float hidden by default; zero shown in red)

Additional hidden columns include Activity ID and Predecessor. Use the column menu (right-click header) to show/hide columns. Columns are sortable, filterable, reorderable, and resizable. Page size options: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100.

Tip: Drag a column header into the grouping area above the grid to group activities -- useful for grouping by WBS.

1.4 Gantt View

  1. Click the Gantt View tab (icon with horizontal bars).
  2. The Kendo Gantt chart loads with a table section (left) and timeline section (right).
  3. Columns include: ID, Activity ID, Activity Name, WBS, Progress, Start/End Date, Predecessor, Duration, Remaining, and Complete Date.
  4. The timeline supports Day, Week, Month, and Year zoom levels.
  5. Each task bar displays: [45%]: Foundation Concrete Pour.
  6. Use the paginator above the chart to navigate through large activity sets.

Schedule Gantt View

Warning: For projects with thousands of activities, use the paginator to limit the visible set. Rendering too many tasks at once may impact browser performance.

1.5 Advanced Filter Dialog

  1. Click the Filter button (funnel icon) next to the inline search bar.
  2. The Filter Activities dialog opens with the following fields:
FieldDescription
Year / MonthFilter activities by start year and month
Activity ID / NameFilter by activity ID or name (contains match)
Start Date From / ToDate range for planned start
End Date From / ToDate range for planned end
WBS NameFilter by WBS name (contains match)
Original DurationFilter by minimum original duration
  1. Click Apply Filter to apply, Clear to reset, or Cancel to close.

1.6 Expected Project End Date (CPM Analysis)

Below the Grid/Gantt section, a Critical Path Method analysis card displays:

MetricDescription
Expected EndProjected completion date based on current progress
Baseline EndOriginal baseline completion date
Schedule StatusOn Schedule, Ahead of Schedule, or Behind Schedule
Variance (Days)Days ahead (+) or behind (-) the baseline
Overall CompletionCompletion percentage with a progress bar

An additional stats row shows Total Activities, Completed, In Progress, and Critical Path Activities counts.

Expected Project End Date

1.7 Charts and Activity Tables

Two charts appear side by side below the CPM analysis:

  • Current Month Activities Overview (bar chart) -- activity distribution for the current month.
  • Activities Overview (pie chart) -- status breakdown with info cards for Last Inspected Phase and Critical Path Activities.

Four sortable activity tables appear in a 2x2 grid at the bottom of the dashboard:

TableDescription
Upcoming to StartActivities scheduled to start soon
Upcoming to CompleteActivities nearing their planned completion
Delayed ActivitiesActivities that are behind schedule
Completed This MonthActivities completed during the current month

Section 2: Uploading a Primavera File

You can upload schedule files from the Upload Schedule button on the Schedule Dashboard or via the Primavera page (Sidebar > Primavera).

2.1 Upload from Schedule Dashboard

  1. Navigate to Sidebar > Schedule.
  2. Click the Upload Schedule button in the section header.
  3. The Upload Schedule File dialog opens, showing a grid of previously uploaded files.

Upload Schedule Dialog

  1. In the Select File section, click the file browser or drag and drop a .xml file.
  2. The file appears in the details table with fields for Reference No, Issue Date, Expiry Date, Document, and Status.
  3. Enter a Reference No (required). Optionally set Issue Date and Expiry Date.
  4. Review the validation summary: green = ready, orange = fix errors.
  5. Click Upload. A progress indicator appears.
  6. If the file contains multiple Primavera projects, select the target project from the dropdown that appears.
  7. The file uploads and appears in the files grid with a success notification.

Warning: Only .xml files are accepted from the Schedule Dashboard. Maximum file size is 50 MB.

2.2 Upload from Primavera Page

  1. Navigate to Sidebar > Primavera and click Upload File.
  2. A dialog opens with a drag-and-drop zone. Supported formats: .xml, .xer. Max: 50 MB.
  3. Select or drop a file. The file name and size appear below the upload zone.
  4. Click Upload. A progress bar shows upload status.
  5. If multiple projects are detected, select the correct one and click Continue.
  6. The dialog closes and the files table refreshes.

Section 3: Primavera Files Management

The Primavera Files page (route: /primavera/upload) manages all uploaded schedule files.

3.1 Files Table

ColumnDescription
IDSystem-generated file identifier
File NameUploaded file name with type icon
Primavera ProjectProject name from the Primavera file
Uploaded ByUser who uploaded the file
Upload DateUpload date and time
ActionsView Gantt and Delete buttons

Server-side pagination with page sizes: 10, 25, 50, 100.

3.2 Filtering and Exporting

  1. Click Filter to open the Filter Schedule Files dialog with fields: File ID, File Name, Upload Date range, Uploaded By, and Document Type.
  2. Click Apply Filter to filter, or Clear to reset.
  3. Use the Excel (green icon) or PDF (red icon) buttons to export the files list.

3.3 Deleting a File

  1. Click the Delete button (trash icon) in the Actions column.
  2. A confirmation dialog appears.
  3. Click Accept to confirm, or Cancel to abort.

Warning: Deleting a schedule file is permanent and removes all associated activity data.


Section 4: Viewing the Gantt Chart

Open the Gantt viewer from the Primavera files table or navigate to /primavera/gantt/:id.

4.1 Gantt Chart Layout

The header displays the file name, uploaded by/date, a Table/Timeline toggle, and a Filter button.

Table View columns: Activity ID (monospaced), Title, WBS, Start/End Date, Duration, Remaining, Completion (progress bar), and Approvals count. Pagination: 10, 20, 50, 100.

Timeline View displays activities as interactive cards with title, ID, WBS, date range, duration, approval count, and progress bar. Completed activities show a green check; in-progress show a blue clock.

4.2 Filtering in the Gantt Viewer

  1. Click Filter in the Gantt header.
  2. Filter by Activity ID, Title (contains match), WBS (dropdown), Year (auto-populated), or Month.
  3. Click Apply Filter or Clear to reset.

Section 5: Updating Activity Completion

5.1 Editing Completion Ratio

  1. On the Schedule Dashboard (Grid or Gantt View), click the Edit link for the target activity.
  2. The Edit Completion Ratio dialog opens.
  3. Enter the Completion Ratio (0--100, up to 2 decimal places).
  4. If the ratio is set to 100%, a Completion Date field appears (required). Select the date.
  5. Click Save.
  6. The system saves the update, shows a success notification, and refreshes the grid.

Edit Completion Ratio

Tip: Each completion update is recorded in the activity completion history, providing an audit trail of who updated the ratio, when, and to what value.


Section 6: Version Comparison

6.1 Comparing Two Schedule Versions

  1. On the Schedule Dashboard, click Actions > Compare Versions.
  2. The Compare Schedule Versions dialog opens.
  3. Select the Base Version (older file) and Compare Version (newer file) from the dropdowns.
  4. Click Compare Versions. A loading spinner appears during processing.

6.2 Reading Comparison Results

Four summary cards display the counts:

CardColorDescription
AddedGreenActivities in Compare Version but not in Base Version
RemovedRedActivities in Base Version but not in Compare Version
ModifiedYellowActivities in both versions with changed values
UnchangedGrayIdentical activities across both versions

Tab buttons below the summary cards show detailed grids:

  • Added / Removed tabs -- Activity ID, Name, WBS, Start, End, Duration.
  • Modified tab -- Activity ID, Name, and a Changes column showing field-level diffs (e.g., duration: 14 -> 21).

The dialog automatically selects the tab with the most changes.

Version Comparison


Section 7: Exporting Schedule Data

  1. On the Schedule Dashboard Grid View, click Actions > Export Excel or Export PDF.
  2. Downloads primavera-activities.xlsx or primavera-activities.pdf (A4 landscape). Exports include all pages.
  3. On the Primavera Files page, use the Excel or PDF buttons to export the files list.

Troubleshooting

IssuePossible CauseResolution
"Access Denied" messageMissing Schedule Upload permissionContact your administrator to grant permissions
Upload failsFile exceeds 50 MB or unsupported formatUse .xml or .xer files under 50 MB
No activities after uploadMultiple projects in file, none selectedRe-upload and select the correct Primavera project
Gantt chart is slowToo many activities renderedUse the paginator; apply filters to narrow data
Completion ratio won't saveValidation issueEnsure ratio is 0--100; provide completion date if 100%
Version comparison emptyIdentical files selectedSelect two different schedule file versions
KPI cards show zerosData still loading or no activitiesWait for loading to complete; try a different file
Filters return no resultsCriteria too restrictiveClick Clear and apply fewer criteria

Tip: If the dashboard loads slowly, use filters or the Grid View (which paginates more efficiently than the Gantt View) to limit the visible data set.


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Tags
#schedule#Primavera#Gantt#activities#critical path#P6#version comparison

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