In other software, an activity may be called a task, and even in P6 the two terms are often used interchangeably. Also in other systems, the activity is the lowest unit in the schedule, whereas Primavera has a feature called steps. These are basically a checklist for the activity and represent the lowest level of scope in a schedule.

Activity behaviour is a key differentiating factor among scheduling and project management tools on the market today. The limitations of some software is the biggest reason one tool is predominant in a specific industry more than another tool. While Oracle Primavera certainly has roots and a reputation in the Engineering and Construction industry, it is easily adopted in every major industry because of its scalability and flexibility.

Oracle Primavera is also the tool of choice among the most mature Project Management organizations because it fully supports project management standards and guidelines such as the world-recognized Project Management Institute (PMI ®) and others. Oracle Primavera performs best when using these standards.

A good scheduling tool should tell the user more than the input, it should forecast and give vision into the schedule rather than simply repeating or reporting what a scheduler already knows. Primavera P6 should be a data-driven decision support tool, not merely a reporting engine.