The Explore page (multi-dot graph) has provided many solutions and with some high level metrics for each solution. In order to dig into each individual result, each dot can open up to its own unique Analyze page. Each dot represents its own unique Gantt schedule with its own unique set of analytics. In this article, you will learn the basic functionalities of the Analyze page in ALICE Core.
The key topics covered here are:
- Analyze Page Interface
- Schedule Comparison with Gantt Overlay and Variance Calculations
- How to Export Results
The following functionalities are available on both the Plan page and the Analyze page. The functionalities behave in the same way. The link here will bring you to the Plan Page article:
- Types of Information Available
- How to Customize your View
- How to Create Filters and View Select Information
- How to Custom Group and Sort
- How to Isolate Path for an Activity
- How to View Logic Information, Critical Tasks, Longest Path
- How to Collapse and Expand WBS
- How to Zoom In/Out, Toggle Relationship Arrows in Gantt View
Analyze Page Interface
There are three View options available to toggle:
- Gantt: this is the timeline and chart view; the interface behaves in a very similar way to the Plan page
- Analytics: unique information pertaining to the Gantt schedule is provided
- Comparison* (Please note that this is grayed out if accessing the Analyze page by selecting a dot on the Explore page. To activate this view, select "detailed comparison" from the Explore page after one or more dots are selected for comparison.)
The type of information available in the Gantt schedule are the same as those in the Plan page.
The types of information available in the Analytics section of each schedule:
- Working Days (#)
- CPM Working Days (#)
- Calendar Days (#)
- Overall Crew Utilization (%)
- Available Days Worked (%)
- Total Tasks (#)
- Tasks/Day (#)
- Crew Utilization
- Workforce Utilization
- Daily Material Consumption
- Cumulative Material Consumption
- Equipment Utilization
- Cost Over Time
- Project Cost Distribution, $ amount distributed by four categories: Labor, Equipment, Material, Indirect Cost
- Total Costs, with four categories: Total cost, Total direct cost, Total indirect cost, Total idle cost
- Direct Costs, with three categories: Direct labor, Direct equipment, Direct material
- Indirect Costs
- Idle Costs
Schedule Comparison with Gantt Overlay and Variance Calculations
After you have generated multiple schedules in the Explore page, ALICE can help you compare the schedules to understand how they differ and select the schedule that is best for your project.
When comparing schedules, ALICE will automatically calculate the variance between start dates, finish dates, and working days for each task. Users can quickly sort based on variance to identify key differences between schedules.
Accessing the Comparison View in the Analyze Page
There are two main types of schedule comparisons that users may wish to do in ALICE:
- Compare an ALICE-generated schedule against the imported baseline
- Compare any two ALICE-generated schedules
To compare an ALICE-generated schedule against the imported baseline, open the Analyze page and select “Comparison” as the view. Note, this feature is only available if an imported baseline exists.
To compare any two ALICE-generated schedules, go to the Explore page and select any two schedules. Click “Detailed Comparison”, and the comparison view of the Analyze page will open.
Comparing the Primary Schedule and Secondary Schedule
When comparing two schedules, ALICE will assign one schedule as the primary schedule and another as the secondary schedule. You can think of the primary schedule as the schedule you want to analyze, and the secondary schedule as the point of reference against which you wish to compare. All existing filters, search, and settings are based on the primary schedule.
From the comparison view of the Analyze page, at the bottom of the page users can see which schedule is the primary and which is the secondary, and swap which one is primary vs secondary using the opposing arrows icon.
Note: If a task does not exist in the primary schedule but it does exist the secondary schedule, it will not be shown.
Analyzing the Variance between Tasks
The Comparison view includes three variance columns: Workdays, Start, and Finish. All variance columns calculate values for the primary minus the secondary schedule.
Users can sort the Gantt chart based on any of the variance options to quickly pinpoint the areas of greatest difference between the primary and secondary schedule.
How to Export Results
See this article for more information on how to export your results to your desired format.