Report Modes
Programme Sentinel supports three modes. A single .xer produces a DCMA-14 health check; two files produce the standard nine-sheet assurance workbook; adding a Baseline 2 (and optional Baseline 3) switches the output to a focused multi-baseline drift workbook.
| Mode | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Health check (single-file) | One XER export | Eight-sheet workbook: verdict, scorecard, per-activity DCMA, top high-float, negative float, hard constraints, calendars, and forensic. |
| Standard comparison | Baseline 1 and Current programme | Nine-sheet Excel workbook, with optional one-page PDF summary. |
| Multi-baseline drift | Current programme plus Baseline 1 and optional Baseline 2/3 | Two-sheet workbook: Summary and Drift Map. |
Eight-Sheet Health Check Workbook
Produced when one .xer file is uploaded. Single-file mode applies the eight automated DCMA-14 tests; T9-T14 are returned as informational rows because they require a baseline or interactive verification inside P6.
| Sheet | Contents |
|---|---|
| 1. Cover & Verdict | Headline verdict (PASS/FAIL count across eight automated tests), file metadata, and the methodology disclaimer. |
| 2. DCMA-14 Scorecard | All fourteen tests with thresholds, results, verdicts and plain-English interpretation. |
| 3. Per-Activity DCMA | Every activity with Yes/No flags per automated test, sortable Issues count, and the standard auto-filter. |
| 4. High Float (T6) | Top 200 activities with total float greater than 44 working days, amber-coded. |
| 5. Negative Float (T7) | Top 300 activities running late against their own logic, red-coded. |
| 6. Hard Constraints (T5) | Every activity carrying a hard constraint that overrides CPM logic. |
| 7. Calendars | Working hours per calendar, activity usage counts, and dominant-calendar flag. |
| 8. Forensic | MD5, exporter metadata, project metadata, and structural statistics for the file. |
Nine-Sheet Workbook
| Sheet | Contents |
|---|---|
| 1. Summary | Executive overview, file metadata, variance headlines, logic-change totals, and top-level date movement. |
| 2. DCMA-14 Compare | Automated DCMA checks on both files with trend arrows and current-programme verdicts. |
| 3. Critical Path Summary | Longest-path approximation for DCMA Test 12, with limitations stated plainly. |
| 4. Critical Path Activities | Candidate activity chain from data date to project finish. |
| 5. Per-Activity DCMA Filter | Filterable activity-level matrix showing which current activities fail each automated DCMA test. |
| 6. Top Movers | Top 50 activities by Finish-date variance. |
| 7. Logic Changes | Added, removed, re-typed, and lag-changed relationships. |
| 8. Added & Removed | Activities introduced in the current programme or removed from the baseline. |
| 9. Methodology | Assumptions, thresholds, references, and limitations. |
DCMA Checks
The engine automates the DCMA tests that can be assessed from XER data alone. Tests 12 and 13 require interactive Primavera P6 verification and are not claimed as fully automated.
| # | Test | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missing Logic | < 5% |
| 2 | Leads | 0 |
| 3 | Lags | < 5% |
| 4 | FS Relationships | > 90% |
| 5 | Hard Constraints | < 5% |
| 6 | High Float | < 5% |
| 7 | Negative Float | 0 |
| 8 | High Duration | < 5% |
| 9 | Invalid Dates | 0 |
| 10 | Resources | Informational |
| 11 | Missed Tasks | < 5% |
| 14 | BEI | > 0.95 |
Privacy & Data Handling
Programme Sentinel is designed for privacy-first processing. It does not use a database and does not retain uploaded programme files after the request has completed.
- Uploaded
.xerfiles are saved to temporary disk using unique job names. - Generated Excel, PDF, or zip outputs are also written to temporary disk only.
- Temporary upload and report files are deleted after the browser response is sent.
- No XER file contents are logged, stored, or shared with a third party.
- Maximum upload size is {{ max_mb }} MB total across all uploaded files.
- Optional lead capture is separate from report generation; users can skip it and still download the report.
- If a user submits the lead form, Programme Sentinel sends the name, email, consent flag, file names, file sizes, referrer/UTM fields, user-agent, and a hashed IP reference for follow-up and audit traceability.
- Raw IP addresses and uploaded file contents are not included in the lead payload.
References
- AACE International RP 29R-03 — Forensic Schedule Analysis
- PMI Practice Standard for Scheduling, 3rd Edition
- DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment
- NEC4 clauses 31 and 32 — programme requirements