P6 and Microsoft Project
% Complete: P6 vs Project — Do Not Use One Formula
P6 Duration % ≠ Project % Complete; do not use Actual/Duration on a P6 file
The formulas (Oracle vs Microsoft)
| P6 Duration % Complete | Project % Complete | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | (Planned Duration − Remaining Duration) / Planned Duration | Actual Duration / Duration |
| What you type | Typing the % updates remaining; P6 then re-derives the % | Typing the % sets Actual and Remaining |
| Remaining | Remaining is the duration-side quantity | Remaining Duration = Duration − Actual Duration |
Same remaining duration can yield different percents. P6 does not use Actual / At Completion for Duration %. Plan Academy notes that mismatch; implement Oracle’s formula.
P6 Units % Complete ≈ Project % Work Complete (work/units, not duration). P6 Physical % Complete ≈ Project Physical % Complete (entered, or P6-from-steps). Neither drives remaining duration.
P6 Activity % Complete is whichever complete_pct_type is selected (Duration / Physical / Units / Scope). Project has three separate fields at once.
What Do not treat as the same
- Do not implement Duration % as Actual / Duration on a P6 file. Use (Planned − Remaining) / Planned.
- Do not write P6 Duration % into MSPDI Percent Complete and expect remaining duration to match without converting through the other product’s identity.
- Do not let Physical % move remaining duration in either product.
- Do not compute P6 Physical % from steps unless
step_complete_flag/ the project option is on and the activity type is Physical. See Activity Steps (TASKPROC) — Not Activities, Not MSP Subtasks. - Scope % Complete is Primavera Cloud; ignore on a standalone XER unless OPC is in scope.
Detail: P6 Remaining Duration vs Percent Complete, percent-complete.md.