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is it necessary to use p3 ?

12 replies [Last post]
Wed, 2005-11-16 03:37
Xiaoguang Sun
User offline. Last seen 17 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 19 Oct 2005
Posts: 7
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
hello everyone
i just want to ask a question that make me confused a lot.
yesterday,my colleague who had nine years experiences in oil/gas pipeline construction industry told me that p3 was just a sheet of paper could be only to see.In long-distance oil/gas pipeline it is not necessary,unless the owner to claim.he means that we just dispatch our machine and human-resource to site ,and start task forward ,that~s ok.i couldn~t believe he could say that.
i dont know is it really necessary ,actually he speak right now.we just use it as a paper.
is anyone can answer me that is it necessary to use p3 in long-distance oil/gas pipeline construction!?
best regards.

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Replies

Thu, 2005-11-17 01:26
#1
Emre Bayrak
User offline. Last seen 9 years 36 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Posts: 18
Groups: GPC Qatar
I think it is a common problem that most of the planners are usually faced esp. beginning to their career.

But I also think that it also becomes a great motivation to use the power of your tools esp. when others are exactly not aware.

Using the tool and software can not be only itself being enough but, a planner who doesn’t have these abilities may lose most of its advantages in an organization.

If you can keep your EFFICIENCY when you are using it, as long as you share these benefits with your organization, they will feed back you also.

So as everyone says keep on planning even you mostly ask yourself mostly "why do we need that"

Regards
Emre
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Thu, 2005-11-17 01:20
#2
Xiaoguang Sun
User offline. Last seen 17 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 19 Oct 2005
Posts: 7
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
i am not have so much experiences as you see.what i am really to do is try my best to do it better,i know it is hard.but when i used p3 to schedule and offer some data had been analysed to manager director,i felt it was really usefull.that~s the reason for i like to do it.and i wanna be a planner in the future.whatever ,thank u guys ,thank u for ur advice!
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Thu, 2005-11-17 00:04
#3
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 4 weeks 1 day ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Feb 2001
Posts: 2753
Groups: Accreditation Editors, Board of Advisors, Civil Engineering, GPCCAR Editors, Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, Regional Representatives, Spider Project Team, TURNAROUND & SHUTDOWN (T/A & S/D)
Hi Zhang,
p3 is not the only serious PM softwate as can be understood from your post.
Regards,
Vladimir
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Wed, 2005-11-16 23:47
#4
Zhang Haixiang
User offline. Last seen 4 years 8 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Apr 2005
Posts: 250
Groups: None
Hi Sun,

First answer your question. P3 is not necessary. What kind of scheduling approach to use is up to your company. There are lot of alternatives, you can use MSP, Excel,or even manually. But a good use of P3 will improve the performance of the project greatly.

P3 is not just a software,it also brings you a systematic approach of scheduling. you need to set up a management system to make full use of P3 (schedule preparation, review&approval, modifying, cost/resource management, progress reporting/monitoring, performance evaluation, corrective action...). If you can’t do this then P3 will become a tool just for drawing gantt chart. And you will be the only one working on this schedule.

I totally understand your situation. This is common in China. I’ve seen a lot of contractors do not have professional schedulers, and using scheduling software just for a nice chart, no logic, no update...

Anyway try your best. Let your team see the power of P3. try to get support from your team. You need their experience in this industry.
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Wed, 2005-11-16 23:28
#5
alka revo
User offline. Last seen 19 years 2 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 9 Oct 2005
Posts: 4
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Hi I am working on a petro-chemical project at the moment and believe me you do need P3 or some other PM tools. Don’t let anyone confuse you by saying no scheduling tools are needed. Spreadsheets and all do not help you to forecast end dates. P3 or other scheduling tools are the tools that allow you to do "what if" analysis for time, resource and cost at same time and it also helps you to create different reports based on existing information.
Just concentrate best on what you are doing.
Good luck!
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Wed, 2005-11-16 09:17
#6
Gordon Blair
User offline. Last seen 6 years 43 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Jul 2005
Posts: 166
Groups: None
Jackie,

I rather think that Sigfredo’s remark about undermining comments was directed towards the (Snr Planner / PM?) in question, not at you.

Xiaoguang Sun,

Your best course of action would be to nod and smile politely at your lazy colleague, and Plan for each eventuality to the best of your ability, try to use the tool to help you ensure that the resources your colleague has packed off 1000s of miles away will have something to do, and something to do it with, when they get there.
Your outlook, approach, and willingness to learn are commendable, try not to let negative or lazy colleagues lead you astray; Planning is always more enjoyable when you are doing it Proactively, and looking for extra help and advice you can give.

I wish you all the best in your career, may it be long and fruitful.

Gordon
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Wed, 2005-11-16 07:10
#7
Jackie Gilliland
User offline. Last seen 14 years 23 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 17 Mar 2005
Posts: 41
Groups: None
Hi Xiaoguang

As Sigfredo says. Keep on planning. I am just afraid that he is referring to my post as being undermining. The fact is that if you do not understand the basics and fundamentals, and if you are not able to understand how the calculations are done I fail to understand how any software package can be utilized to it’s full potential.

As I said, I don’t know what your experience is and as you stated you would like to get up there.

Was my post undermining?

You decide.

Good luck

Jackie Gilliland
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Wed, 2005-11-16 06:01
#8
Se de Leon
User offline. Last seen 3 years 16 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 15 May 2001
Posts: 321
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Keep on planning Xiaoguang. Don’t listen to these kind of undermining comments. Expect these from people who does not understand what a software can do or can not do as they have the tendency to undermine things as part of their defense mechanism i.e. to hide their lack of knowledge.

On the other hand, you should also listen to them because they also have the experience which you can use in your planning career.

Pick up the good points, throw the trash to the garbage bin.

Cheers,

Se



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Wed, 2005-11-16 04:44
#9
MUHAMMAD IQBAL
User offline. Last seen 7 years 8 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 34
Groups: Planning, Claims & Contracting, TILOS
Most of the peolpe that are not much familier with p3 /or PM softwares they are intent to say like this

if any body use the p3/p4.1 as project management tool for controlling Schedule,cost management "fully & Completely "in professional way then i think there will be no more such questions

be happy on using p3
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Wed, 2005-11-16 04:37
#10
Xiaoguang Sun
User offline. Last seen 17 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 19 Oct 2005
Posts: 7
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
thank u.
i am a scheduler with one year experiences.but i like it ,i really want do it better like u guys.
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Wed, 2005-11-16 04:09
#11
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 4 weeks 1 day ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Feb 2001
Posts: 2753
Groups: Accreditation Editors, Board of Advisors, Civil Engineering, GPCCAR Editors, Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, Regional Representatives, Spider Project Team, TURNAROUND & SHUTDOWN (T/A & S/D)
Not only P3 can help but using PM software you will be able to forecast the dates, to optimize necessary resources, to optimize the technology of pipeline construction (spreads, directions, etc.). Proper planning prevents poor performance.
Regards,
Vladimir
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Wed, 2005-11-16 04:05
#12
Jackie Gilliland
User offline. Last seen 14 years 23 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 17 Mar 2005
Posts: 41
Groups: None
I am not sure what position your collegue holds, but it sounds to me that he is implying that after nine years experience he does not need a schedule to do the job. If he is in a senior position, good luck, you will need it.

If you are a planner you need to remember that as with any job you need tools to do your job. P3 is only a tool, and you could use P3 or any other scheduling tool to plan this job.

From your post I gather you are not an experienced planner and from your comments, if your collegue you mention is your project manager who you will be reporting to, and he is not interested in a program, I suggest to gather experience you do some good old hand programming and by your next project you may start to understand the use of available tools.

Jackie Gilliland

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