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P3 User

4 replies [Last post]
Jonathan Ward
User offline. Last seen 12 years 38 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Posts: 114
hello all,
kind of a random question, just wanted to get an honest opinion from current users,, i consider myself to be proficient in P3,, how easy is it to pick up the fundimentals of working with P3e? what would be the major issues, potential pit falls to look out for?
many thanks
Jon

Replies

John Raper
User offline. Last seen 8 years 49 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 17 May 2004
Posts: 44
Groups: None
Some fundamentals:
P3 - One database, one project. (Allbeit 23 files!)
P5 - One database, all projects.

The biggest change to get used to is filters and layouts.
You don’t have four layers of filter, only one. But you then combine several filters.
In P5 Layouts are global, so if you have text in a footer relating to one project then you need to save the same layout again for a different project. I have this problem with saving the revision record.
In P6 layouts are project-specific, though I have yet to get upgraded to P6 so I haven’t seen how it works yet.
Dieter Wambach
User offline. Last seen 7 years 23 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 1350
Hi Jonathan
in a previous job I accompanied some users during their migration. Like everything: if you consider before what you are about to do, there will be no problem. Establish the structures before you’ll start to migrate projects.
Nevertheless there are some mines:

1. The structures:
- EPS, with e.g. the heritage of access rights
- Resources: Hierarchical, no "*" or "?"
- OBS / Responsible Manager as a team, not a person
- ...
2. Layouts and filters
3. Algorithm for levelling
4. Global change
5. Reporting: superiour, but different
6. Codes.
7. P5/P6 completely adapted to WINDOWS standards
8. More performant PC required.
9. Different usage of calendars
...

On the documentation CD you can find an excellent PDF "Moving from P3 to P3e"

It will be easier than you imagine.

Good luck!
Dieter
Good
Mark Chapman
User offline. Last seen 8 years 32 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 183
Groups: None
> flying with it in a matter of weeks

I guess you are thinking about your next contract? In which case a couple of weeks is too long if you said you were proficient in p3e.

I had p5 installed on my desk when we were using P3. I went in and took a look and it was totally alien. Even the most simplest task was initially difficult to solve.

I think after about a week of no help I was getting up to speed but I still had loads of burning questions.

So I would be honest and declare you are a P3 user but don’t anticipate moving to p3e being a problem.

Niek Zonneveld
User offline. Last seen 2 years 25 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 17 Mar 2005
Posts: 188
Groups: None
Jonathan,

I was a fairly proficient P3 user, until eight years ago when I switched to P3e.

I found the switch quite easy to make and never took any training.

The biggest trap you can fall into as far as I’m concerned is to assume that P3e should behave the same as P3. It’s an entirely different application that does many of the same things in a different way. If you don’t waste your time on spotting the differences, but just concentrate on how P3e works, you’ll be flying with it in a matter of weeks.

H.T.H.

Niek.