Register now or log in to join your professional community.
How would I begin the implementation of a planning tool in an engineering/construction environment wherein no planning tool is utilized yet?
Both Microsoft project and Primavera are useful tools. Microsoft Project is user friendly for companies involved in project management as well as civil engineers. It has added advantage over Primavera that it also caters for budget planning. Primavera is more suitable for resource planning.
For effective planning, Primavera is better as it allows more control over resource planning and cost control. However, MS project is more user friendly due to its visual representation (charts) and easiness of use. So, for simple projects (short durations, small number of resources, fixed resources, etc...) use MS project, otherwise, Primavera is better.
I guess the answer lies in your own question Mr. Nair. The confusion is between planning and planning tool, both are different and separate from each other. Many professionals do the mistake of associating schedule (often the case with MS Project) as the Project Plan. The Project (Management) Plan and the planning activity itself is to create a document that describes that you plan to do in a project, and how you intend to do it. It usually includes plans for Scope Management, Time Management, Cost Management, Quality Management and other related sub-plans.
Now whether you use a simple word (or excel) document to include these things or use a use a sophisticated tool to document is up to you or your organization. But to start to plan, you don't need either MS Project or PRIMAVERA. You may use these tools later on to manage the work, according to the earlier plan.
I hope it clarifies your doubt.
Primevera is best for effective planning.
That depends on the number of tasks involved, it would be more convenient to use Primavera in case of large or huge number of tasks rather than using MS Project; for small number of tasks MS Project would be better
Out of MS Project and Primavera, for simple project with limited resources and quick results, the Fast Track Schedule is a good tool.
Both PRIMAVERA and MS Project are useful and it all depends on individual's ease and experience.
As I have been using PRIMAVAREA since P3 version in 2001, i feel PRIMAVERA is more powerful than MS Project. I have used MS Project as in between, but still PRIMAVERA is the best for me.
MSP does have great interfacing and transfers of reports to other MS softwares. PRIMAVERA too have the transfers, but not as compatible as MSP is with other MS office softwares.
Both are good, MS is user friendly because of Microsoft product
Both are user friendly but I prefer MS project on 'forecast preparation' and evaluation of expected progress/cost of any project.
For me the MS project friendly more than Primavera
