If you can get your hands on a copy of Microsoft Project or P3 and possibly some programmes, perhaps from work to have a play around with would be a good start from a software perspective - youve been in the game long enough to ask the right questions, you wont have any probs.
Spider Project is most functional and powerful professional project management software.
The first SP version was launched in 1993 and since then it has been constantly improved. Today is used in 34 countries though most Spider Project customers are in Russia. Spider Project offers numerous unique functional features and is the only PM software that optimizes resource, cost, and material constrained schedules and budgets for projects and portfolios.
The unique features of Spider Project include Quantity Based Scheduling, Conditional Scheduling, Skill Scheduling, Optimal Resource, Cost and Material Leveling, Resource Critical Path Calculation, Cash and Material Flows Calculation and Management, Trend Analysis, Advanced Risk Simulation and Analysis, Calculation of Success Probability Trends, Calculation and Management of required Project Time and Cost Buffers, Application of Corporate Norms, Management of many Parallel Budgets, Multiple WBS and many others.
Spider Project was and is used for management of many large scale programs in Russia, including $51bln construction program for 2014 Winter Olympic Games preparation.
The application areas where Spider Project is successfully used include Aerospace, Banking, Construction, Defense, Energy, Engineering, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Metallurgy, Mining, Oil & Gas, Railways, Retail, Shipbuilding, Software Development, Telecommunications, Utilities, etc.
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Hi James
As far as I know Prince2 is not a purely construction planning software - it is used in project management for overall project control.
My son works in Local Government as a capital projects mananger and he uses it.
Best regards
Mike Testro
Hi Mike.
Thanks for the tip, Id heard of Power Project but not Power plan. Ill check out the video too.
Regards
James
P.S.
Anyone know of any good short Project Management / planning / control courses. Is Prince2 relevant to Construction?
Hi James
You can also get a lightweight version of powerproject - easyplan.
Go to astadev.com for a trial.
They also have a video demo of the main product PowerProject v10.
Good luck in your career move.
Best regards
Mike T.
Thanks Steve. Ill do that. Ive also applied for associate Mebership of the PEO & APM with the hope of learning more about Planning.
Regards
James
If you can get your hands on a copy of Microsoft Project or P3 and possibly some programmes, perhaps from work to have a play around with would be a good start from a software perspective - youve been in the game long enough to ask the right questions, you wont have any probs.
Steve
Hello Alphons
Many thanks for the lead, will get straight onto it.
Regards
James
Hello James, Check out http://www.primavera.com/customer/training/schedulebycourse.asp#101
regards Alphons