What “BOQ to XER” means
A bill of quantities (BOQ) says what will be built and how much of it. A Primavera P6 schedule says when, in what order and with which crews. Turning one into the other is the first job of almost every planning engineer on a new project — and usually days of spreadsheet work before the first activity is linked.
Nexora does that conversion with you: the AI prepares the mapping, durations and logic; you review every line; the CPM engine calculates the dates; and the result is written as an XER file that opens in Primavera P6.
Step by step
- Upload the BOQ — Excel or PDF, any numbering.
- Map lines to activities — BOQ items grouped into a WBS by area, trade and stage.
- Durations from quantities — quantity ÷ crew output, from an editable regional productivity library.
- Logic and calendar — predecessors and lags proposed, on the project's working week and holidays.
- Resources — crews and equipment per activity, with the manpower histogram.
- Review, then export — download the XER (or P6 XML) and import it into P6.
What travels in the XER
| In the file | What it carries |
|---|---|
| Project & WBS | The breakdown built from the BOQ |
| Activities | Names, IDs, durations, activity types |
| Relationships | FS / SS / FF / SF with lags |
| Calendars | The project's working week and holidays |
| Resources & assignments | Crews and equipment on each activity |
Who it is for
Planning engineers, schedulers and project controls teams who receive a BOQ and must issue a baseline programme — on tenders, at contract award or when a consultant asks for a resource-loaded P6 programme. If you then update the programme, the same file continues into schedule updates, recovery and delay analysis.
What you still check
- The WBS matches how the work will really be packaged and sequenced.
- Productivity rates fit your crews, method and site conditions.
- Logic is complete: no open ends except the start and finish.
- The calendar matches the contract working week and holidays.
Every value shows where it came from, so the review is fast — but it is your programme, and you approve it.
Common questions
Can I convert a BOQ to an XER file?
Yes. Nexora reads the BOQ, prepares the WBS, activities, logic, calendar and resources, and exports an XER (or P6 XML) for Primavera P6.
Does the BOQ need a special format?
No. Excel or PDF, with any numbering. You confirm the mapping before anything is scheduled.
Is it free to try?
Yes. Create a free account; your first AI schedule is included. Export to XER needs a paid plan — see pricing.
Do I need Primavera P6 installed?
Not to build the programme. You need P6 only to open the exported XER there.
Try it on your own programme
Bring a representative work package — a BOQ extract or an XER — and review every assumption with your team.