Frequently Asked Questions

XER Schedule Toolkit is a cloud-based project scheduling and planning software designed to simplify and enhance how teams manage Primavera P6, Microsoft Project schedules and project data. It gives you secure, web-based access to your project schedules anytime, anywhere — no complex installations required.

The Toolkit is designed for any industry that relies on project planning and scheduling — from construction and engineering to local councils and consultancies. Whether you’re a planner, scheduler, engineer, or project manager, XER Schedule Toolkit helps you manage and share project data more efficiently.

The platform enables teams to view, analyse, and share schedule data in real time. Users can quickly access detailed information such as layouts, costs, progress, and earned value metrics. This fosters better collaboration between planners, managers, and stakeholders, ensuring everyone is working from the same, up-to-date information.

XER Schedule Toolkit offers intuitive dashboards and quick-view options for key project insights — including two-week lookahead reports, critical path analysis, and baseline vs live schedule comparisons. With just a few clicks, users can visualise performance and track schedule changes without needing deep Primavera expertise.

By centralising project data in one cloud-based location, XER Schedule Toolkit reduces time spent searching, exporting, or emailing files. Planners can focus on analysis instead of admin tasks, and project managers can instantly see what matters most — keeping the entire project team aligned and productive.

Yes. It seamlessly integrates with Oracle Primavera P6, allowing you to open, view, and analyse XER files without needing the full Primavera software installed.

To create your XER Schedule Toolkit account:

1. Sign up for an account here
2. Or click the Login button in the navigation menu
3. Click Don’t have an account? Sign up
4. Enter your details and click Submit.
5. If your organisation has already assigned you an XER Toolkit licence, be sure to register using the same email address linked to that licence.
6. You’ll receive an activation email — click the link to verify your account and log in automatically.

Once verified:

If your organisation assigned a license, you can start using XER immediately.

If not, you can begin a free 30-day trial or subscribe for full access to all XER Toolkit features.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

To log into your XER Online account:

Visit www.xertoolkit.com.

1. Click the blue “Sign In” button at the top right of the page.
2. Enter your email address and password, then click Sign In.
3. You’ll be taken to the XER Online dashboard, where you can begin using the XER Schedule Toolkit immediately.

You’ll also find a collection of helpful video tutorials under the Help menu in the top-right corner.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

XER Schedule Toolkit allows you to import and analyse both Primavera P6 (XER) and Microsoft Project (MPP) files easily.

When you first register, unless projects have been shared with you, you’ll see the Get Started screen.

To import a project:

1. Choose Import Project from P6 (or MPP).
2. Select your project file and click OK.
3. You’ll receive a confirmation message once the import is successful.
4. Your imported projects will then appear in your database.
5. You can import additional project files at any time using the green import button.
6. If a file contains multiple projects, simply select which ones you want to import.
7. The project list will update automatically.

XER Schedule Toolkit supports viewing and analysing multiple projects simultaneously — toggle which ones to include or exclude from analysis as needed.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

To log in, visit www.xertoolkit.com and click the “Sign In” button in the top-right corner.

Enter your email address and password, then click Sign In to access your XER Online dashboard.

Once logged in, you can begin using all Toolkit features.

Helpful video tutorials are also available under the Help Menu at the top-right of the screen.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

XER Schedule Toolkit supports Primavera P6 (XER), Microsoft Project (MPP), and XML file formats.

From the home page, click Import MPP or XER Files.

Select your file from your computer and click Open.

The Toolkit will automatically import and display your project.

If the file includes multiple projects, you can choose which ones to import.

Use the toggle button next to each project to include or exclude it from your analysis (grey = excluded).

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

When you first log in, you’ll see a Get Started screen unless projects have already been shared with you.

Choose Import Project from P6 or MPP.

Select the file containing your project(s) and click OK.

Your imported projects will now appear in your database.

The Toolkit can analyse multiple projects simultaneously — toggle which ones to include in your current view.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

In XER Schedule Toolkit, you can assign baselines just like in Primavera P6.

1. Click the paperclip icon next to your live project.
2. Choose to import a new project or select one from the existing database.
3. Select your baseline file and click Save.

The screen refreshes to show an orange bar below activity bars, indicating a baseline is attached.

You can remove or reassign baselines anytime using the pencil icon and selecting “No Primary Baseline.”

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

To revise your project with the latest update:

1. Click the hamburger menu under Options beside the project.
2. Choose Import Latest Version.
3. Decide whether to retain or delete the original project.

Select your updated file — the Toolkit will upload and replace it while keeping all shared settings, baselines, and progress data intact.

Alternatively, you can use the Refresh button next to the project to update it directly.
Choose whether to retain or delete the original, then select the new file.

The project will be refreshed instantly, keeping your baselines and share settings.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

To remove a project:

• Select the project(s) you wish to delete.
• Click Delete Project.
• Confirm your selection.

If the deleted project has a baseline attached, that baseline will also be removed.

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The Share Project feature lets you provide view-only access to your project for other Toolkit users.

You can share with individuals or entire departments by creating Share Teams.

To set up sharing:

1. Click the Share button beside your project.
2. Enter a team name (e.g., department).
3. Add the email addresses of team members.
4. Choose whether to share cost and unit data.
5. Click OK — the project will appear instantly in your team’s databases.

You can add or remove users anytime, and teams can include any number of members.
Shared users have read-only access with full analytic and visualisation capabilities.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

Integrity checks help identify structural or logical issues in your schedule — such as missing predecessors, excessive constraints, or open-ended activities — that could compromise forecasting accuracy or schedule reliability.

Steps to Run Integrity Checks:

1. Open the Project Selection Window – Choose one or multiple schedules you wish to test.
2. Access the Integrity Menu – Click Integrity from the top menu bar. You’ll see a list of pre-set tests, including the DCMA 14-Point Assessment and many other advanced logic checks.
3. Select and Run a Test – Select a test to start the integrity check.
   Results will appear within seconds as tiles displaying the outcome of each individual check.
4. Review the Results – The right-hand panel displays the overall schedule grade (Pass/Fail). Each tile includes: Info button – View the test description and purpose. Settings icon – Adjust parameters or filter values for that specific test. Result button – Click to open a filtered list of tasks that failed the check.
5. Customise Thresholds – Navigate to Manage Thresholds in the left-hand menu. Adjust Pass (Green), Warning (Amber), and Fail (Red) criteria using percentages or numerical values. These thresholds instantly update the displayed results.
6. Adjust Weightings – Go to the Score Weighting menu to prioritise certain checks. For example, give high-duration task checks a higher weighting if they’re critical to your project, while reducing less relevant checks.
7. Apply Filters – Use the Filters menu to focus the analysis on specific: Start/Finish date ranges, Activity codes, WBS elements, Task types. Filters can be saved, shared, and reused across toolkit functions for consistency. Manage your saved filters using the Filter Management icon.
8. Select Custom Metrics – Click Select Metrics from the left-hand panel to choose which tests to include. You can select/deselect tests individually or select all using the checkbox at the bottom.
9. Export Results – The XER Toolkit allows you to export integrity check results in two formats: Detailed Excel Report — Lists all identified logic issues for forensic review. Summary PDF Report — Provides a concise overview for QA evidence or client reporting.
10. Save and Share Test Settings – Save your customised test profiles using Open/Save Settings. Admin users can share these settings with team members for standardised integrity testing.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

The Schedule Quality Analysis tool provides an at-a-glance dashboard of how well your schedule adheres to planning best practices.

It uses RAG (Red-Amber-Green) visual scoring to indicate whether each quality check meets, approaches, or breaches acceptable thresholds.

Accessing Schedule Quality Analysis

1. From the top menu, go to Reports & Analysis → Schedule Quality Analysis.
2. The Quality Dashboard will display a series of tiles, each representing a specific check (e.g., missing logic, excessive lags, negative float).

• Green = Within tolerance (schedule quality acceptable)
• Amber = Borderline, review recommended
• Red = Issue detected, action required

Click the information icon on any tile to view the description and relevance of that particular quality check.

Click the tile itself to open a detailed view showing the affected activities or relationships.

Each check can be configured individually:

• Click the Options button to open the settings panel.
• You can choose to exclude certain activity types such as:
• WBS summaries – Level of Effort (LOE) bars (These typically don’t affect the logic network.)

• Click Close on any tile to hide irrelevant checks (e.g., resource-related tests for a non-resource-loaded schedule).
• Use the Reveal Hidden Checks button on the left menu to restore them.
• To revert all settings to default, click Reset Defaults.

1. Click Manage Thresholds.
2. Thresholds can be applied to: Single checks, or Multiple checks (using multi-select checkboxes).
3. Thresholds can be set by: Percentage (e.g., >10% failures = Red) or Count (e.g., more than 1 missing logic link = Red)
4. Adjust values as needed, then click Apply and Save.

You can group custom threshold and check settings into a Scheme:

• Click Manage Schemes.
• Enter a scheme name (e.g., “Client A QA Scheme” or “Infrastructure Baseline Settings”).
• Click Save to store your scheme for reuse.
• Admins can share schemes across the organisation for consistency.

Export the analysis output as an Excel workbook, which includes:

• A summary sheet
• Detailed activity and relationship listings
• A deficiency sheet highlighting items that failed checks

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

XER Schedule Toolkit offers a powerful set of over 40 customisable integrity checks, going far beyond the standard DCMA 14-point assessment. These tests help ensure your project schedule’s logic is accurate, compliant, and structurally sound.

Running Integrity Checks:

1. Open the project(s) you want to assess from the Project Selection window.
2. Navigate to the Integrity menu at the top of the toolkit.
3. Choose a preset test, such as the DCMA test or your custom configuration.
4. The results will appear instantly in interactive tiles, each representing a specific logic check.
   1. The “i” icon explains each test’s purpose.
   2. The cog icon lets you modify thresholds or parameters.

• Clicking the circle opens a detailed, filtered view of flagged tasks.

Adjusting Thresholds & Scores:

• Use the Manage Thresholds menu to set custom pass/fail ranges.
  – Green: Pass (within limits)
  – Amber: Warning (borderline)
  – Red: Fail (outside limits)
• Fine-tune score weighting to prioritize specific test types — for example, increasing the influence of high-duration task checks or reducing the weight of less relevant tests.

Filtering & Customisation:

• Use the Filters menu to focus checks on specific dates, activities, or WBS elements.
• Save and share filters for consistent QA reporting across your organization.
• Access the full list of available tests via the Select Metrics option in the left-hand menu. You can enable or disable specific checks or select all at once.

Exporting Integrity Results:

• Excel Report: Detailed forensic results for in-depth review.
• PDF Summary: Concise QA evidence for submission or client reporting.

You can also save custom test configurations (bespoke settings) for future use. Admin users can share these profiles across teams for standardisation.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

The Schedule Quality Analysis feature, found under Reports & Analysis, evaluates how well your schedule is structured using industry-standard metrics.

Results are displayed on a RAG (Red-Amber-Green) dashboard, offering a quick visual overview of overall schedule quality.

Understanding the Quality Dashboard:

• Each tile represents a specific quality check.
• Click the information icon (i) to learn what the check measures.
• Click the tile itself to view detailed results, including affected activities or relationships.
• Use the options button to modify test parameters — for example, excluding WBS summaries or level-of-effort tasks from logic checks.

Customising and Managing Checks:

• Remove irrelevant checks (e.g., resource-based tests in non-resource-loaded schedules) using the close button.
• Restore all hidden tiles via the Reveal button.
• Reset all settings and thresholds to default with the Reset Defaults option.

Setting RAG Thresholds:

• Click Manage Thresholds to define pass/fail parameters.
• Update a single check or multiple at once.
• Choose whether thresholds are triggered by percentages or absolute counts.
• Example:
  – Green if <5% of activities fail
  – Amber if between 5–10%
  – Red if >10% fail
• Apply and Save your settings when done.

Exporting Quality Reports:

• Save your configuration as a scheme for future use (e.g., by client or sector).
• Export a detailed Excel report containing:
  – A summary sheet
  – A complete task and relationship log
  – Individual worksheets for each failed quality check

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

XER Schedule Toolkit’s Progress Update feature provides a structured and auditable way to collect progress data directly from activity owners.

It standardises updates across teams, ensuring schedule accuracy and transparency while capturing comments about performance, delays, and notable impacts.

The process involves five key stages, from defining report periods to submitting progress updates and reviewing them.

Before requesting progress input, a project controller must first define a report period.

1. From the Quick View menu, choose Progress Requests and select your project.
2. Click Add Report Period.
3. Provide a reference description (for example, “October Progress Update” or “Q3 Financial Report”).
4. Enter the progress cutoff date — this represents the point in time up to which progress data will be recorded. The date may be in the past (actual progress) or future (forecasted progress).
5. Click Save.

Once a report period has been defined, you can begin creating individual progress requests for responsible personnel.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

Next, the project controller sends out progress requests to activity owners.

Click Add Request and enter the email address of the update provider.

• This must match the address linked to their XER Toolkit account.
• If the user hasn’t registered yet, they will receive a registration link automatically.

Choose or create a filter to define which activities the person will update.

• You can filter by dates, completion status, activity type, or activity codes.
• Example: “Four-week lookahead for procurement tasks.”

Set the due date for submitting updates.

Choose a schedule layout (optional) to ensure consistent reporting format.

Tick options to allow extra information input or link to activity steps if used.

Add specific update instructions for clarity.

Click OK, review the request, and click Send.

The recipient will receive an email with all details and a direct link to their update form.

Requests can be copied forward for future reporting cycles to save setup time.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

When users receive a progress request, they can enter updates directly in XER Online.

1. Open the email request and click the provided link. If you don’t have an account, use the registration link in the email.
2. Once logged in, go to Progress Updates from the top menu.
3. Filter requests to show incomplete updates by checking the relevant box.
4. Click Update Now next to the appropriate request.

A filtered list of activities requiring updates will appear. For each activity:

Click Update Now to open the input form. Enter:

• Start and finish dates
• Percent complete
• Comments (for impacts, delays, or notable events)

Guidance for accurate entry:

• Blue highlight in the start date means the date is before the progress cutoff (actual start).
• Percent complete must be between 0–100%.
• Activities marked as complete before the cutoff must show 100% complete.
• Future (not-started) activities must be 0% complete.

Once corrected, click Save — the update button will turn grey, confirming completion.

Milestones only require a date and optional comments.

When all updates are complete, click Submit, add an executive summary comment, and confirm.

The requester will be notified by email. After submission, updates are locked for editing.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

After updates are submitted:

• The project controller reviews each progress submission.
• If additional clarification is needed, another update request can be issued for the same activities.
• Once approved, updated progress information is automatically integrated into the master project schedule.

XER Schedule Toolkit provides a range of progress reports under the Reports & Analysis menu.

You can export these to Excel for sharing or use them to compare forecast vs. actual performance.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

XER Schedule Toolkit offers several ways to view a project’s critical path, but the quickest method is via the Quick View or Schedule Header menu.

To display the critical path:

1. From the top menu, select Critical Path.
2. The Toolkit will show a date-ordered list of all critical activities, including the complete Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
3. To reset or refine your view, open the Filter panel from the side menu.
4. Click the Reset icon in the top-right corner, then click Apply to restore the default WBS settings.
5. Re-open the Filter form, and under General Filter Conditions, tick the Critical Path Only box.
6. (Optional) To include near-critical activities, adjust the Total Float Threshold before applying the filter.

Click Apply to refresh the schedule with your chosen settings.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

XER Schedule Toolkit allows you to quickly export project schedules and Gantt charts to a standard Excel workbook, making it easy to share schedule information with anyone.

To export:

1. Open the project(s) you want to include in the export.
2. Choose your preferred layout from the Quick View or Schedule menu (e.g., All Activities).
3. Adjust the layout as needed — collapse rows, filter activities, or select columns.
4. From the left-hand menu, click Export to Excel.
5. If prompted, choose whether to include steps and whether to include the Gantt chart itself.
6. The Toolkit will generate and automatically download an Excel workbook.

The exported file is a standard Excel worksheet, fully compatible with Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet programs — perfect for reporting, sharing, and archiving.

🎥 Browse our tutorials to find out more

Use the Schedule Comparison tool in XER Schedule Toolkit to quickly identify activities that have been deleted, renamed, or changed between different versions of a project schedule.

To access the tool, go to Reports & Analysis → Compare Projects, select the project versions you want to analyse, and click Compare.

Once the comparison is complete, results are grouped by category—select Tasks → Missing Activities to view deleted activities.

To check if an activity ID has been reused or renamed, select Activity Description. You can also click the Download icon to export a full Excel report of all identified changes and deletions.

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