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Joao Pereira , Project Engineer - Project Management , Saudi Aramco
Primavera has a much more professional approach and its more suitable for construction industry. With Primavera you really need to be a good planing engineer, to use it you actually have to think and construct the WBS from the root. Not going even to describe the program possibilities when it comes to leveling resources, track record history of execution rates and calculation of the critical path based on those figures. MS-Project is more user friendly but has to many flaws and for construction complex projects and programs were EVT is needed it can't provide what Primavera can.
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gaby nasr , Technical and Investment Director , North Lebanon Water establishment
There are many more minor differences between Primavera and Microsoft Project but below list attempts to highlight of the more commonly referred differences between the two tools. We are well aware that favor one system over the other is not sure and will spark much conversation, debate and disagreement.
1-Multiple User Access
Microsoft Project doesn’t allow multiple users to work on a single project at the same time, Primavera does.
In Microsoft Project11 baselines can be created. In Primavera P6 unlimited baselines can be created.
2-Issues & Risk
Microsoft Project lacks the feature for tracking project issues or risks. Primavera can record issues and risks.
3-Web Support
Primavera plans, documents and other information can be converted to HTML directly from the software. Microsoft Project doesn’t have such options.
4-Steps
The Steps feature in Primavera allows you to create sub-activities (steps) of an activity. Each step has a weighting that can be used to drive % complete for an activity as the steps are marked off as completed. This capability is not available in Microsoft Project.
5-Expenses
In addition to Costs, Primavera can add project expenses e.g. training, travel, etc. in Microsoft Project you cannot.
6-Custom Fields
Both Microsoft Project and Primavera allows you to create custom fields. Microsoft Project also allows you to set formulas or use fields and add additional values to it, to use as a custom field.
7-Columns
Primavera has many columns. It comes installed with over200 columns, each giving you different information. Column categories include EVM, Budgeting, Costs, etc. In Microsoft Project, there are only around40 columns.
Multiple Activity Relationships
In Primavera, more than one type of relationship can be established between activities, e.g. we can have FF and SS between the same two activities. In Microsoft Project only one relationship can be made between two activities.
8-Project Website
Primavera can create a comprehensive website comprising of all the project details including activities, resources, reports, risks, issues, WBS, and anything else that a user can define. This website feature is not present in Microsoft Project.
9-Multiple Project Creation and Tracking
Both Microsoft Project and Primavera allow for multiple projects to be created and viewed. However, Primavera capabilities extend beyond this to include multiple project tracking, multiple project or WBS comparisons, cost and units calculations.