Available in: All plans
Last updated: 05-Mar-2026
Overview
Primavera P6 schedules carry several configuration attributes at the project and activity level — Activity Type, Percent Complete Type, Duration Type, and Constraint Type. These attributes affect how the scheduling engine calculates dates, progress, and resource loading.
Kazinex quality checks validate these attributes to ensure they follow best practices. The Primavera Attributes panel lets you see how attributes are distributed across your schedule and configure which values the quality engine considers acceptable.
Why Attributes Matter
Incorrect attribute settings are one of the most common causes of schedule calculation errors:
| Attribute | Risk of Misconfiguration |
|---|
| Activity Type | Using "Resource Dependent" when no resources are assigned produces incorrect durations. |
| % Complete Type | Mixing physical and duration percent complete across activities makes progress reporting inconsistent. |
| Duration Type | "Fixed Units" on activities without resources causes the engine to ignore duration changes. |
| Constraint Type | Excessive hard constraints (Must Start On, Must Finish On) override CPM logic and hide schedule risk. |
Attribute Types
Activity Type
| Value | Code | Description |
|---|
| Task Dependent | TT_Task | Duration drives the schedule. Most common and recommended for tasks without resources. |
| Resource Dependent | TT_Rsrc | Resource units and calendars drive the schedule. Use only when resources are assigned. |
| Level of Effort | TT_LOE | Duration spans from earliest predecessor start to latest successor finish. No logic of its own. |
| Start Milestone | TT_Mile | Zero-duration marker at the start of a phase or deliverable. |
| Finish Milestone | TT_FinMile | Zero-duration marker at the end of a phase or deliverable. |
| WBS Summary | TT_WBS | Rolls up child activity dates. Not recommended in detailed schedules. |
Percent Complete Type
| Value | Description |
|---|
| Physical | Manually entered by the planner. Best for activities where progress is measured by physical completion (e.g., concrete poured). |
| Duration | Calculated from actual vs. remaining duration. Best for time-driven activities. |
| Units | Calculated from actual vs. remaining resource units. Best for resource-driven activities. |
Duration Type
| Value | Description |
|---|
| Fixed Duration & Units | Duration and units remain constant; units/time is recalculated. Default and most common. |
| Fixed Duration & Units/Time | Duration and rate remain constant; total units are recalculated. |
| Fixed Units & Units/Time | Total units and rate remain constant; duration is recalculated. |
| Fixed Units | Total units remain constant; duration adjusts based on resource availability. |
Constraint Type
| Value | Severity | Description |
|---|
| As Soon As Possible | None | Default. No constraint applied. |
| Start No Earlier Than | Soft | Activity cannot start before the specified date. |
| Finish No Earlier Than | Soft | Activity cannot finish before the specified date. |
| Start No Later Than | Soft | Activity cannot start after the specified date. |
| Finish No Later Than | Soft | Activity cannot finish after the specified date. |
| Must Start On | Hard | Activity must start on the exact date. Overrides CPM logic. |
| Must Finish On | Hard | Activity must finish on the exact date. Overrides CPM logic. |
| Mandatory Start | Hard | Same as Must Start On — terminology varies by P6 version. |
| Mandatory Finish | Hard | Same as Must Finish On. |
Kazinex runs five configuration checks that validate attribute usage:
| Check | What It Measures | Pass Criteria |
|---|
| Activity Type Consistency | Percentage of activities using non-standard types (LOE, WBS Summary) | ≤ 5% of total activities |
| Percent Complete Type Consistency | Whether all activities use the same % complete type | Single type across 95%+ of activities |
| Duration Type Validation | Activities with incompatible duration type and resource assignments | 0 incompatible activities |
| Hard Constraint Percentage | Percentage of activities with hard constraints (Must Start/Finish) | ≤ 5% of total activities |
| Constraint Date Reasonableness | Constraint dates that fall outside the project date range | 0 unreasonable constraints |
Viewing Attribute Distribution
- Open the Quality tab.
- Expand the Configuration Checks category.
- Click on any attribute-related check to open the Check Detail Drawer.
- The drawer shows a breakdown of attribute values and counts.
Alternatively, in the Activities tab, add the Activity Type, % Complete Type, Duration Type, or Constraint Type columns using the Column Chooser. Group by any of these columns to see the distribution visually.
Tips
- Use Task Dependent as the default activity type unless activities have resource assignments.
- Choose one percent complete type for the entire project and apply it consistently.
- Avoid hard constraints. Replace "Must Start On" with "Start No Earlier Than" wherever possible.
- Level of Effort activities should not appear on the critical path — if they do, check their predecessor/successor logic.
- Run the attribute quality checks after importing a P6 file to catch misconfigured activities early.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|
| Many activities flagged with incompatible duration type | Filter the grid to those activities and change the duration type in bulk using inline editing. |
| Hard constraint percentage is too high | Review each constrained activity. Replace hard constraints with soft constraints or relationships. |
| LOE activities appearing on the critical path | LOE activities should not have independent logic. Verify their predecessors and successors are correctly set. |