Understanding Enterprise Project Structure (EPS)
The Enterprise Project Structure (EPS) is a logical, meaningful, hierarchical arrangement of all the projects in your organization. It provides a comprehensive view of the company, showing its areas of operation.
- The EPS is a hierarchical arrangement of projects within an organization.
- It has a main/root node (the enterprise/organization) and several nodes and sub-nodes defining the various fields this enterprise is involved in.
- Once defined, the EPS does not change dramatically or frequently. It only needs occasional modifications.
- The EPS is available to all existing and future projects in the enterprise.
EPS and Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)
Before working on the EPS, it’s beneficial to understand and/or create the Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS).
The OBS determines how people within a company are organized and what rights/access they have to various projects. The OBS can mimic the EPS to some extent, but it differs in that it also includes specific individuals.
Creating/Modifying the OBS
To create or modify the OBS, go to Enterprise >> OBS. In the pop-up window, click on Display >> Filter by >> choose ‘All OBS Elements’.
If you chose to include sample data during your Primavera P6 installation, you will see a predefined list.
Click Add and create a new OBS entry. Navigate this entry to the desired place in the OBS using the arrow keys and give it a name. You can also assign user rights to this new entry by going to the Users tab and clicking on Assign. Depending on your P6 setup, you may have one or several users with varying privileges. Select the one you want to assign here. You can either double-click on your option or select it and click on the Add (Plus) button. You can choose the security profile from the drop-down list and designate the user as a Superuser, Project Manager, etc.
Details under the Responsibility tab will be populated once this OBS entity is assigned to a Project or WBS.
Creating the EPS
Now we are ready to start working on the EPS.
Go to Enterprise >> Enterprise Project Structure. Click on Add. Use the arrow keys to place the new element at the desired position. If you want to create a new enterprise, it should be at the highest level, without any parent link above it. Next, create one or more nodes, as required, under this element. Give appropriate IDs and names to each added element.
You can also select the respective Responsible Manager(s) that you created in the OBS earlier.
Maintaining the EPS
The EPS is now ready. For any changes, now or in the future, you can return to the EPS menu and make the desired modifications.
You can base your EPS on the different divisions of your company, by geographical locations, by various projects you are doing for some clients, or based on some other criteria. Your company’s existing practices may provide a starting point.
Creating a Project in the EPS
The next step is to create a project in the EPS.
Go to File >> New, or click on the Add button on the top right-hand corner of the screen. The ‘create new project’ wizard pops up, asking you to select the EPS node where this new project is to be added. Click on the small square button in the field and choose the desired EPS node. Give the project an ID and name, and keep clicking on Next to go through all the steps.
You will be asked to select the Rate Type during these steps. The Rate Type determines the price per unit to calculate the cost of the resource assignment. There are five available Rate Types. These are used to calculate costs for the same resource at different unit rates. You can leave it at default for now.
Once you complete all the steps and click on Finish, the new project will be added to the EPS. Select the project, right-click, and choose ‘open’. You will be taken to the project space where you can start building your schedule by adding activities and entering relevant information.