Desktop P6 Professional workflow. Menu labels are aligned with Oracle’s current Version 26 help; older 24.x deployments may show minor wording or privilege differences.
Key takeaways
- Each activity needs a measurable completion rule and a stable identifier.
- Activity, duration, and percent-complete types have different calculation consequences.
- Durations should be derived from work, production, resources, access, and calendar assumptions.
Design the activity before entering it
Define the work package, completion criterion, responsible party, location, planned quantity or production basis, calendar, and handoffs. Then create the activity. This prevents a schedule from becoming a list of software rows without an execution plan.
Choose types deliberately
Task Dependent is appropriate for most work governed by an activity calendar. Resource Dependent, Level of Effort, WBS Summary, and milestones have specific calculation behavior. Duration type controls how resources and duration recalculate; percent-complete type controls how progress is expressed.
Create a professionally defined activity
Use a layout that exposes the fields being governed instead of relying only on the New Activity wizard.
Menu path: Project > Activities > Edit > Add
Before you start
- Approved WBS
- Activity ID convention
- Calendar set
- Duration and progress-measurement rules
Select the WBS group
In the Activities table, select the intended WBS band or an activity in that group before adding.
Verify: The new row is assigned to the intended WBS.
Assign identity and scope
Enter the stable Activity ID and a verb-object name describing measurable work.
Verify: ID and name are unique, traceable, and understandable without opening notes.
Set activity behavior
In Activity Details > General, select activity type, duration type, percent-complete type, and calendar.
Verify: The selections follow the schedule basis and work method.
Enter duration and controls
Enter the supported original duration, responsible party, codes, and required notes or steps.
Verify: Duration reconciles to quantity, production, crew, access, and calendar assumptions.
Add logic before scheduling
Connect real predecessors and successors, then run the schedule.
Verify: The activity is driven, drives downstream work, and has explainable dates and float.
Field-ready control
Activity-definition check
- Stable unique Activity ID
- Verb-object activity name
- Correct WBS and codes
- Appropriate activity and duration types
- Intentional percent-complete type
- Supported duration and calendar
- Predecessor and successor logic
- Measurable completion rule
Common questions
Should a scheduler type planned start and finish dates for normal activities?
The network should normally calculate dates from logic, durations, calendars, status, and justified constraints. Manually imposed dates can conceal whether the plan is truly connected.
Sources and scope
Follow the reference trail.
This guide is original educational commentary. Kairos reference records identify the source organizations, editions and scope behind this guidance. The original publishers retain their publications and rights.
Adding Activities to a ProjectOracle · checked 2026-08-01Primavera P6 Professional User Guide, Version 26Oracle · checked 2026-08-01Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project SchedulesU.S. Government Accountability Office · checked 2026-08-01