Work Packages

A work package consists of a predefined set of tasks and rules, that are used by the generation process to create secondary or derived tasks.

Note: This functionality supersedes and replaces legacy "short-term items" tasks of the predecessor EPS application.

Work package configurations include:

• Task sequence � links and dependency details determine the sequence of tasks, which can include parallel and nested tasks, as well as stand-alone tasks
• Task properties � define properties and attributes for each task. Values can be pre-set, copied from the primary task at the time of generating tasks, or be evaluated by applying a formula during the generation process
• Primary task/group selection - define the primary tasks/groups that a work package is applied to
• Generated task integration - define how the generated tasks link into and interact with the selected primary tasks/groups

The naming convention used in this topic is as follows:

• Primary task – An existing scheduled task.
• Primary group – Grouping of scheduled tasks, for example, By Description.
• Task table – A table showing primary tasks or groups.
• Generated tasks – Scheduled tasks created during the work package generation process; the generated tasks are also referred to as secondary or derived tasks.
• Generation process – The process of generating secondary or derived tasks from the work package specification.

Work packages are created and maintained using the Generate Work Packages/Tasks screen.

One key aspect of work packages is dependencies. How work packages interrelate defines the eventual flow of activities across the operational scheduling horizon. Work packages are ideal for daisy-chaining dependent tasks, regardless of the granularity of the schedule (medium- to short-term).