Vladimir,

Ironically activity CCC is set to be the predecessor, the links are the following

CCC --> SF0 --> AAA
CCC --> SF0 --> BBB
CCC has a “As late as possible” Float Constraint

I uploaded the P3 file under the following link so anyone can download it and explore it, because I am using SureTrak you will have to adjust your Layout.

http://rapidshare.com/files/288646383/FIFO.zip

I am still wondering how to schedule for the activity to start as soon as any three out of a set of 10 finishes. Real life is not as easy as FS0 only.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hi. Has Spider project that useful for everything "jump to predecessor/succesor" button P3 has? In 2 clics, it takes you to the predecessors of an activity. It is very useful, I don’t know why it is not a feature of modern software, they seem to be focusing in making things more and more complicated instead of making common tasks more easygoing.

This is what I mean, I can get the driving sequence of an activity just by following its driving predecessors:
http://screenr.com/ZhH

Hi Anoon

Whats the point of having a bit of power if you can’t abuse it now and then?

Best regards

Mike Testro

Vladimir

Undo is not the same as audit trial, undo are done in backwards sequential order, with audit trial you can see your data entry history and make changes in non sequential order, if you can see what your last 40 or 60 changes were and undo only those you select then it will be a great improvement of what our undo in Primavera Products does, I also understand Primavera undo does not works with resource leveling. If Spider Project can undo specific actions in any order then this is great, please confirm it is not sequential that it can be discretionary in any order you wish.

About Longest Path you for whatever reason might be, you might need to compress or crash the path up to a specific activity, because predecessors can also be tied to other chains, float alone do not identify the driving activities of the particular chain you are investigating. The longest path to the particular activity is not necessarily determined by those predecessors with the lowest amount of float, even when the activity is artificially constrained.

http://scheduleanalyzer.com/sa_long.htm

http://scheduleanalyzer.com/sa_long_theory.htm

“LONGEST PATH Software extends the theory of Longest Path to every activity in the schedule. Just as with Total Float, every activity in the schedule can be rated by its Longest Path Value. “ Please note Longest Path is not available in any software, Ron Winter provide this without infringing Primavera Copyright in their products, he is enhancing them is a good deal for both. I believe he only works directly with the Database, and then after the changes are done in the database you can see them in P3 until it runs any procedure that recalculates these values.

I don’t have Longest Path Software, I don’t know if it would work with SureTrak P3 files but I believe it can because here the Longest Path Software is dealing directly with the database values.

If someone can develop by their own this functionality is Spider Project, stand to the challenge and extend it to include Resource Critical Path and float plus all other simultaneous constraint sets. That I want to see, Financial Critical Path, I want all these functionality and still able to see driving constraints; predecessors/succesors logic, resources, financial, all.

Best regards,
Rafael

Vladimir,

Thanks for your response about how to model crane use; you got it right this was my question.

I am not familiar with the use of consumable resources as Primavera SureTrak or P3 do not provide for these. I believe that Micro Planner had the concept of consumable resources; to me it seems similar to your material resource, just another name, please confirm.

I got the following functionalities missing from our software would like you to tell me if they or equivalent are available in Spider Project.

1)Automatic Audit Trail of Changes: http://www.ronwinterconsulting.com/Making_CPM_Transparent.pdf

2)Longest Path Value:
http://www.ronwinterconsulting.com/Longest_Path_Value.pdf

3)Expected Finish Constraint: this constraint calculates Remaining duration automatically between updates as the difference between the Expected Finish Constraint and the Data Date. Not a must have but handy.

Best regards,
Rafael

Vladimir,

“If financing schedule is a part of your project schedule model then Spider Project will calculate project schedule taking into account financial limitations and delaying activities when there are no money to proceed.”

You are thinking out of the box. With my mindset of a general contractor, not of a developer I was wondering on the application of this functionality. Yes I accept financial constaints as real constraints, and find your approach very clever.

Let’s move to the issues on “materials” constraints. You mentioned earlier in another thread about the use of material resources as to constraint your schedule under limited available work space. But can this also be used as a way to model limited storage space at the jobsite? Let say a job in the middle of downtown or an offshore rig.

And what about limits on hoisting facilities? This is a queuing or “waiting line” problem., I have no idea on how to model that into a CPM schedule but into a GPSS (Gen. Purpose Symulation System) or the like.

Best regards,
Rafael

Vladimir,

You got it right because of our laws acceleration using the same labor to produce more than a "days" work is forbidden. You got to use other shift that might start earlier or use more employees (no subcontractors, no way our laws will recognize individuals as independent contractors unless specific requirements are met.

Yes after they finish the production of a single day they will leave the construction site until next day.

We will enter 8 hours work and you better pay over minimum wage for the eight hours. If latter you are proved to evade the minimum wage law the penalty will be 100% payable to the employee plus all due labor taxes and very high penalties.

I am not sure but if you allow them to work over the basic eight hour production, the remaining might be interpreted as overtime and payable at twice the rate, here in the construction business our "Mandatory Decree" does not recognize 1-1/2 pay rate. For other industries it is different, the same as for holidays.

It would be good if you get info from Mainland US Contractors, to get the big picture.

Best regards,
Rafael

Vladimir,

The mathematical modeling of statistics in Spider Project is not a true Monte Carlo Simulation; it seems is neither the traditionally wrong PERT statistics, is another algorithm. Seems like the curve fitting of three job durations, one pessimistic, one most probable and one optimistic but not limited to a single critical path as original PERT was. The user assign a probability of occurrence for each and then you get X an Y values of three points in your curve. The computations are different to traditional PERT and also different to Monte Carlo Simulation. Monte Carlo Simulation is based on running the probable duration combinations hundreds or thousands of times. I have my reserves about the validity of the method without questioning the assessment of probabilities which can also be questioned for Monte Carlo. I have not seen the total job duration vs. probability curve distribution but I assume is somewhere available.

Pertmaster from the deterministic schedule can determine the distribution for your activities from a selection of distribution curves; this is very convenient when modeling thousands of activities. Spider Project implementation of probabilities to the schedule is short from what Permaster offer.

About the implementation of buffers I don’t see what is known as buffers in other software, I don’t want a substitute procedure that targets merely for early completion without the trick of a buffer activity that after float in a particular chain is consumed the reserve buffer is also consumed before the chain becomes critical, of course the buffer on the critical path might start very early to be consumed.

When I said I want to be able to model and update different schedules on parallel I meant same actual start for started but not finished activities, same actual start and finish for activities started and finished but different scenarios for the relationships, remaining duration, cost and resource loading. This is not what I am getting. I have no need for what I am getting with Spider Project in this regard.

The value of resource critical path and resource leveling algorithms is without any doubt a very relevant functionality, the most relevant, I find Spider Project stands above the competition. I am still figuring out in the 10 activities sample job you gave me what combination of prioritization can give me the same results as Spider Project. I also have to model the same again using Spider Project but not using your electronic file but my own without using driving resources. I suspect I will get the same results and Spider will again emerge as the winner, don’t take me wrong, just want to make sure as it seems too good to be true.

In my opinion, unless I get a surprise from other vendor, Spider Project is superior to what I have seen. Superior resource constraining and resource critical path keep it on top. Also don’t overlook the Resource Gantt, is great, better than a report.

I would take out some of the functionalities 98% of us do not need in order to provide with a leaner machine. I would take out cost leveling and earned value and substitute statistical functionalities with Buffers as a special type of visible activity.

Best regards,
Rafael