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Tips on using this forum..

(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?

(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.

Left P3 move to MsP

10 replies [Last post]
Thu, 2006-04-13 03:55
Rahmat Hidayat
User offline. Last seen 51 weeks 3 days ago. Offline
Joined: 30 Jul 2002
Posts: 82
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Hi guys,
it’s not a provocation but a technical argumentation. Choicing a schedule tool is not a personal preference but we have to choose the best one before starting the schedule creation in order to avoid any difficulties in the future.

Ms Project is more flexible, simple start,nice look and what p3 have there is all in Msp.

I’ve experience 10 years using such both tools. MsP make me easy but P3 always give me problem.I tell you this fact to make your work easier. Don’t reject this statement before you prove by your self !

Thks
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Replies

Thu, 2006-04-20 08:19
#1
Rahmat Hidayat
User offline. Last seen 51 weeks 3 days ago. Offline
Joined: 30 Jul 2002
Posts: 82
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Ok..ok guys. I started this topic with no tendencious to a certain brand. What I mean is to get the most functional scheduling tool that will make our job more effective.

Of course there should be no fanatisicm to one brand but we also have to be objective. I think the thread were trapped with finally discussing the brand, ok just stop this now.

Regards.




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Tue, 2006-04-18 08:41
#2
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 1 day 21 hours ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Feb 2001
Posts: 2751
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)
Jorge,
thank you for the list of features that you consider as necessary. I can add many other functional features that are not supported by P3. One shall choose the software basing on his or her requirements but P3 is not the only package that can do what you want. From your post and many other posts one can conclude that there are only two packages in the market - MSP and P3. It is not true.
Regards,
Vladimir
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Tue, 2006-04-18 07:31
#3
Jorge Taguinod
User offline. Last seen 2 years 42 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 8 Jul 2003
Posts: 139
Groups: P6-IAP Jedis, Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, Pinoy Planning Planet Community
WHY I DON’T USE MSP:

1. My projects are large - I don’t trust MSP.
I tried a test posted before in the internet. The test consisted of developing a simple network and then adding a few resources. Result: The Critical Path SHIFTED! This should not be the case.

2. I can’t specify Project Start AND Finish Dates in MSP.

3. I sometimes need multiple relationships between activities. Not possible in MSP.

4. I want to Organize, Summarize and Analyze activities from different perspectives. Not possible in MSP.

5. I wonder if you could already adjust the timescale in MSP (dragging).

6. I trust Primavera because the developers are focused on project management. While Microsoft just develops popular everyday applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, OS, etc. That’s their strength. Their PM tool is also simple - not for complex projects.

7. I need to be able to manage my work.
Although MSP is easier to learn by yourself, it is harder to use throughout the project life cycle. If you just want to draw a bar chart and paste it on a wall and never update it, you can use MSP. If you want to really manage a project, use Primavera.

Investing in Primavera Training will pay good returns since it has the power you need. For example, defining and using different calendars (5-day workweek, 6-day workweek, 7-day workweek - all with their own holidays, plus some holidays common to all calendars) have been a nightmare to setup in MSP. In P3, it’s easy.

The only way for MSP to be at PAR with Primavera is for Microsoft to copy P3 and just put it’s name in.

Best,

Jorge
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Sun, 2006-04-16 07:18
#4
Rahmat Hidayat
User offline. Last seen 51 weeks 3 days ago. Offline
Joined: 30 Jul 2002
Posts: 82
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Hi Charleston,

No.1 thank you for your advise of the meaning of democracy.

No.2 Views using layout in P3 ? you can do it many in MsP using Project Group by customizing fields including formulas or using Views function.

No.3 anybody have right to choose their own preferred tools, but for me so far MsP is really still the best.

And the last, thank you again on your comment suprising me.

Kind Regards,
RH
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Sun, 2006-04-16 02:05
#5
Charleston-Joseph...
User offline. Last seen 3 years 10 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 1347
Groups: None
Hi Rahmat,

Basically, you are entitle to your own opinion. However you are in PP forum and everything here are full of surprise.

Surprise No. 1.: I do not agree with your statement. Disagreeing with another person opinion is a hallmark of democracy which the founders of PP wanted so much to propagate. I do not agree with your statement because whatever advantage you will get in developing a schedule in MSP will eventually wipe out as you progress in managing schedules. A case in point is creating views without distorting the original logic. In P3 you can create a lot of views that will create impact in the way you analyze, manage and present schedules without changes in the original logic. This is not possible with MSP.

Surprise No. 2.: Tell me about your reaction to my comment if this is true to you or not.

Cheers,

Charlie
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Sun, 2006-04-16 00:15
#6
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 1 day 21 hours ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Feb 2001
Posts: 2751
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)
Dear Rahmat,
scheduling tools are useful for calculating resource and cost constrained schedules. If your resources and finances are unlimited then you can be satisfied with any scheduling software and can choose not by functional features but by its reporting flexibility and ease of use. If you need functionality that the software does not support its ease of use will not be attractive.
We always estimate the software against our own needs.
Regards,
Vladimir
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Fri, 2006-04-14 23:48
#7
Ranilo Asiao
User offline. Last seen 12 years 4 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 7 May 2004
Posts: 11
Groups: None
hi,
in all of my projects, using p3 is a requirement as per the contract but i also use ms project & excel for internal use only. they are more easy to understand at site level but p3 is really challenging and good project management software. so use them all is better.....
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Fri, 2006-04-14 22:31
#8
Rahmat Hidayat
User offline. Last seen 51 weeks 3 days ago. Offline
Joined: 30 Jul 2002
Posts: 82
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Dear Vladimir,

Calculating resources or costs with Earned Value Concept there is also available in the MsP but simple. Resources or costs calculation in the P3 even P3e is too detail then it’s very complicated.

Resources / costs calculation included the scheduling tool is ok for showing trend curve only but for real cost/res calc I suggest you to use spreadsheet. Calculating res / cost need more flexible tool like spreadsheet.

Thks
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Thu, 2006-04-13 06:33
#9
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 1 day 21 hours ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Feb 2001
Posts: 2751
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)
If you don’t use resources and costs in your schedules then you are right. MS Project is a nice tool for drawing Gantt Charts.
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