1Typically 3 days
Fundamentals
New users and those self-taught
- Interface, project set-up and calendars
- WBS, activities and milestones
- Relationships, lags and the critical path
- Baselines and standard reports
Professional training
Plan, schedule and control projects with Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project
Practical training for planners, engineers and project managers. Your team learns to build, update and report professional schedules on realistic project data, in the tools your clients and contractors already use.
Professional training
Project Scheduling Training with Primavera P6 & Microsoft Project
- Software
- Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project
- Levels
- Fundamentals, Advanced, Schedule review
- Formats
- Classroom, in-house or live online
- Ideal for
- Planners, engineers, project managers, PMO teams
Who it’s for
- New planners and schedulers who want a solid, practical foundation
- Engineers and project managers who own or review schedules
- Project controls and PMO teams standardising how they plan
- Contractors preparing schedules for client submission and approval
Outcomes
What your team will be able to do
- 01Turn scope into a work breakdown structure and a logic-driven schedule
- 02Find, manage and communicate the critical path
- 03Load resources and costs, then level them sensibly
- 04Set baselines, record progress and forecast completion
- 05Produce clear reports, S-curves and earned value metrics
- 06Check a schedule for quality problems before it is submitted
Levels and tracks
Three levels, one standard of practice
Take a single level or the full pathway. Each level is offered for P6, MS Project, or both side by side.
2Typically 3 days
Advanced
Planners using the software on live projects
- Resources, costs and levelling
- Progress updating and re-forecasting
- Earned value and S-curves
- Codes, filters, layouts and global changes
3Typically 2 days
Schedule review and control
Senior planners, project managers and reviewers
- Schedule quality checks (DCMA-style metrics)
- Critical and near-critical path analysis
- Variance analysis between updates
- Delay and change impact fundamentals
Curriculum
Curriculum
Every topic is taught on screen and practised immediately on a realistic construction or engineering project.
Module 1
Planning foundations
- Project lifecycle and planning roles
- From scope to work breakdown structure
- Estimating durations
- Deliverables versus activities
Module 2
Building the schedule
- EPS, OBS and project set-up in P6
- Activities, milestones and calendars
- Activity codes and user fields
- Templates for repeatable work
Module 3
Logic and the critical path
- Relationship types and lags
- Constraints and when to avoid them
- Total and free float
- Critical path method in practice
Module 4
Resources and costs
- Resource and role definitions
- Assignments, units and curves
- Budgets and cost accounts
- Resource levelling
Module 5
Baselines and updating
- Setting and maintaining baselines
- Data date and progress recording
- Percent complete types
- Re-forecasting and recovery
Module 6
Earned value and reporting
- PV, EV, AC, SPI and CPI
- S-curves and histograms
- Layouts, filters and print-ready reports
- Dashboards in Excel or Power BI
Module 7
Schedule quality
- Open ends and missing logic
- Hard constraints and negative float
- High float and long durations
- A checklist to run before every submission
Module 8
Working across tools
- XER, XML and MPP import and export
- Moving schedules between P6 and MS Project
- Sharing with clients and subcontractors
- Version control for schedule updates
Our approach
Why our scheduling training works
Real project data
Exercises follow a realistic project from scope to close-out. For in-house courses we can build them around your own projects.
Practice, not slides
Every concept is demonstrated and then practised in the software on the same day.
Both tools, one method
Good planning practice comes first. The software follows, so skills transfer between P6 and MS Project.
Quality built in
Participants learn to check their own schedules against recognised quality metrics before anyone else does.
Formats
Formats
Public classroom cohorts
Scheduled courses for individuals and small teams, with plenty of instructor time.
In-house corporate training
Delivered at your premises or ours, tailored to your projects, templates and standards.
Live online
Instructor-led virtual classes with screen sharing, breakout exercises and recordings of demonstrations.
One-to-one coaching
Focused sessions for a planner on a live project or preparing for a new role.
Software covered
- Oracle Primavera P6 Professional
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Excel
- Power BI (optional reporting module)
Participants need access to licensed copies of the software. We can advise on trial and training licences. Our certificate is a Flexschool certificate of completion, not an Oracle or Microsoft certification.
What you receive
- Course workbook and exercise files
- A completed practice schedule you built yourself
- Schedule quality checklist
- Certificate of completion from Flexschool Technologies
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can’t find what you need? Ask us directly.
Do I need scheduling experience?
Not for Fundamentals. Basic familiarity with projects helps, but we start from first principles. Advanced and Schedule review assume you already use the software.
Should we learn P6 or Microsoft Project?
P6 is common on large, multi-project programmes in construction, oil and gas and infrastructure. Microsoft Project suits many corporate and smaller projects. Many teams need both, so we teach the differences and how to move schedules between them.
Can the course use our own projects?
Yes, for in-house training. We can build exercises around your projects and templates, under a confidentiality agreement if needed.
Do you provide software licences?
No. Participants use licensed software. We can advise on trial or training licences before the course.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes, a certificate of completion from Flexschool Technologies. It is not an Oracle or Microsoft certification.
Can you support us after the course?
Yes. We offer follow-up clinics, schedule reviews and consulting on live projects, and our agentic scheduling service can take over routine checks.
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Build your team’s scheduling capability
Tell us who needs training, which software you use and when. We will recommend the right level and format.