Primavera software needs to be improved

Primavera P3 is a wonderful piece of software. I use it on turnarounds/shutdowns and it has never let me down.



It could do with better graphics/reports etc but the main problem Primavera have si that Microsoft are jealous of their product. They know MS Project is no match for P3 and so they put as many blocks as possible in fornt of Primavera to stop them sending the data to Excel/Word etc and to use MS project.



Primavera have now issued P5 and it has a lot of new and updated features which were all initiated or asked for by ourselves so lets all see what it is like.



Keep smiling

Bill,

Spider Project was used for Caspian pipeline construction planning at Elista - Novorossijsk part (750 km). The schedule was developed for Starstroy (joint venture of Buig Offshore and some Russian companies) created specially for pipeline construction management. The schedule was approved by Fleur Daniel and used for subcontracting.

The schedule consisted of 9000 activities and 1145 resource types.

You are right - in the contract there was a requirement to use Primavera. That is why both systems were checked by Fleur Daniel and Spider Project usage approved. The only condition that was made - the high level schedule (like 300 activities without resources) shall be exported to P3 to follow the contract requirements. It was done.

Spider schedule was used for resource optimization and simulation of rather complicated actual construction conditions. The initial plan was totally reconsidered.

We were not involved in the management of construction, so I don’t know if they used Spider or Primavera after the schedule was approved.

If to estimate the software by the number of its users then MS Project is the best tool, isn’t it?

Best Regards,

Vladimir

hi all!

I usng Spider Project since 2000..



now we use the Spider Project for aluminium smelter construction project.

very nice soft. very flexible

Let us thank those who developed these softwares (Primavera of Spider) for they make the life of those at technical support level easier. Imagine producing report (and adjusting scdedule) based on comprehensive details in matter of minutes.



A Project Manager is the still the heart of a project. It is he who runs it, who dictates where and how it goes as per agreement with the owner. Even without these softwares, he can run the show, but the point of concern is time (and cost of course) - how to do it fast, and more economically. There goes the software developers...and the rest is history.



Let us all admit that what have been developed today are but product of encountered hardship of yesteryears. We keep on moving and improving. If there are loopholes to some available systems (like that of Primavera), we can help them by telling them about it(they have comments and suggestion boxes I believe). Primavera, like all other projects are product of many minds...let us be thankful about it.

Hello to all,



How to verify? Maybe links, reference, links to "spider"



Only an idea.



cheers

Dear Bill,

for your information:

at the moment Spider Project is used for management of the construction project with 98 planners involved and with more than 40000 activities in the model.

The largest model we scheduled (and leveled!) consisted of 270000 activities.

Spider Project was used for planning Caspian Pipeline construction, Blue Stream Pipeline construction, construction of Power Plants, Metallurgical Plants and many other large construction projects. I personally was involved in the management of Olympic Village construction for the 1st International Youth Games in Moscow 1998. This project had 17 major contractors and much more subcontractors.

I can suggest many examples of Spider Project usage in construction, telecommunications, oil $ gas, defense, ship building (by the way most complicated projects - one of the models consisted of 92000 activities), software development, manufacturing, metallurgy, etc.

So please next time try not to make conclusions without proper knowledge. You may be happy with P3 just because you don’t know other professional tools.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

You can download Spider Project Demo from http://www.spiderproject.ru/spider_e.php

In the few days the new release will be uploaded with the very interesting feature - you can view and analyze trends for everything in your projects. So I recommend to download this new version at the beginning of September.

Demo is restricted by 40 activities in the schedule (phases are not counted).

What verification do you need?

Hi Uly,



I agree that Primavera should make their improvements. I think one of their mistake is to launch P3ec instead of improving P3 3.1. I’m happy with 3.1 but as a user, though I believe there are still more room for improvement for 3.1.



But if you asked me if MS Project can cope up with what P3 3.1 is producing, I don’t think so. For the moment it can not compete with Primavera in terms of features. Try learning about 3.1, you might get the answers to your questions by studying all the things P3 3.1 can do/can not do then decide for yourself if you really want to continue using MS Project.



With Spider, I haven’t encountered it yet but I’m willing to learn if there’s a chance.



Se

Hello Uly,



I did notice your threads and your hostility towards Primavera. Now, I undestand why you keep shooting down Primavera. As you said "actually I am now having my own program to incorporate with MS project ...". It is obvious on why your acting this way, also your goals, objectives, motives, etc.



I’m an open person and I wish you all the best with regards to these programs and on what your goasl, objectives, motives, etc.



I’m sorry in persuading you to improve your skills in Primavera because I really don’t know your motives and what you been up to. Now that I’m aware on what your doing and I have an idea of your motives, I offer my sincere apology.



Well anyway, as I said I wish you all the best. I do encourage you to give your best shot for that program and hope that it will be as you claim.



Cheers. We will move on.

continaul improvement in all spheres is the order of the day. In softwares be it P3 or MSP or MS office, the so called revisions does this enhancing features to make it userfreidly. The relevant software industry gets the info on bugs or any other probs from the users.



More importantly, P3 users is engrossed in planning activiites and have less time to delve into flaws of almost a perfect package.



This forum needs to discuss more imporatant issues than throwing brickbats at each others.

Hello Vladimir,



Personally, I’m happy with what I got in the current version of Primavera. I would be glad for any improvement from Primavera, but i don’t have the money to buy latest version with improvements.



I can only wait for some friends including PP to enligthen me on any updates from Primavera.



So in answer to your question honestly, I’m happy with Primavera features. What I think about improvement is immaterial because for Primavera to survive the competition, they have to improve. Primavera company already decided that they needed to improve or change for the best for them to survive.



This thread is no consequence because for any software to survive they have to improve or change for the best. The best we can do is to be specific on what we want for Primavera to change and hope for the best that they will listen to us.

Hi Charleston-Joseph,

do you mean that you are quite happy with Primavera features and think that it does not need improvements (as any other software)?

Hi Uly,



It is high time for you to look back and evaluate yourself on what you have done with your planning experience.



Remember, not because someone had so so years of experience makes him the best ever planner. Some people do have so and so so years of wrong experience in planning.



There is a growing brotherhood of primavera planners. These people are discriminatory in the real world of construction. Only here in PP where anyone are allow to voice there opinion openly without prejudice.



I seen planning engineer send back to their country of origin after one week in project site because they miscacalate the project management team and insisted in using essy project management tools when it was very clear in the contract that primavera software will be used in planning.



While it is true that Primavera keeps on improving their product, it is also preferable to improve ourselves into expert level in using Primavera.



It maybe hard for you at the present moment, probably, the site your working is not using Primavera. A friendly advice, please do something with your Primavera skills.



Cheers

I think... we should improved ourself first..

Why you expect improvements only from Primavera?

Spider Project is considered much more functional and powerful than Primavera in those countries where it is distributed.

Open Plan has many advantages if to compare with Primavera.

Why not to look around if you need something that Primavera does not support?

Simplification is not a solution if you need power. I think that the software that can simulates your projects and produces better resource, cost and supplies constrained schedules is more attractive to professional planners than simple and less reliable packages.

It may be of interest to create a list of functions that are useful and to discuss which software supports them.

This matter was severally discussed in this forum to eliminate the flaws in P3 such as deletion and same like others but all the times P3 never worked on such things and flaws still stood there where on first day.



NO new improvement so far.

BIT OF FLAWS INHERENT IN EVERY SYSTEM HUMANS CREATED FOR HE IS NOT THE ALMIGHTY TO CREATE FLAWLESS SYSTEM.



FOR PM AT THE MOMENT PRIMAVERA IS THE BEST KNOWN SOFTWARE AND MOST OF THE US ARE IGNORANT ABOUT ITS WIDE RANGING FEATURES. NOVICE USERS MAY DISCUSS PROBLEMS THEY ENCOUNTER HERE OR ANY SUCH FORUMS