The Colorful, and Vibrant, History of Project Management

 

How on earth would our societies, as well as civilization in general, would progress or develop without - Projects? Yes, according to historians, projects change the world, and we need projects to change the world. Projects and programs are also not only the vehicles of change, but they do cause change. Thus, project management is key to changing the world, as it provides the structure, processes and related tools and techniques to execute and enable change. Eventually, project management tools have also evolved, from the usual paper-heavy planning and design stages to the advent of high-tech software like the primavera p6. Here's a peek at the colorful, and vibrant, history of project management.

 

Stage One: Prior to 1958

The history of project management is actually broken down by experts into four major stages of advancement. A quick look would reveal that project management is a fairly brief history, even if the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians had their own ways of managing their colossal projects.

 

While we could definitely go back as far as the ancient times like the construction of the Great Wall of China or the pyramids of Egypt, most historians look to the period around the two world wars as perhaps the first true project management periods.

 

It was Henry Gantt who popularized the Gantt chart in 1910, and this paved the way for visualizing projects. Modern production methods and construction, particularly those that were part of the war effort, led to more ambitious projects, which eventually paved the way to the construction of software like the primavera p6.

 

Projects like that of The Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the atomic bomb, required a more organized and complex approach to effective project management. During this period, many tools and techniques were created, and innovators in both private industry and government also tested and developed their own project management methods and tools.

 

And, during this stage, another notable invention was that of the CPM, or Critical Path Method, which is one of several network analysis techniques. The CPM is a truly ubiquitous project management tool, and by using it project professionals can plan out the longest duration path to estimate the duration of the project.

 

Stage Two: 1958 to 1979

Many historians agree that the modern era of project management began around this time. In 1965, the International Project Management Association (IPMA), which is Europe's overarching project management body, was founded.

 

Shortly afterward. The Project Management Institute was founded in North America, and the project manager's role was becoming more important in itself, rather than as part of the job of the chief engineer.

 

And because the space program, particularly the Apollo space missions, were at its peak during this period, the NASA-related projects eventually led to the perfection of the Critical Path Movement and the Program Evaluation Review Technique or PERT.

 

Until the 1970s, project management was still mainly being applied in the defense, construction and aerospace industries. However, as the 70s continued the heavy use of tools like PERT and CPM formed a healthy association between project management and systems analysis.

 

Stage 3: 1980 to 1994

During this stage, project professionals started developing new attitudes and opinions towards project risk management. More time was devoted to resolving problems before they arose, and more time, effort and money was also spent in planning complex projects.

 

At this period, software engineering also became very useful, and it was during this time perhaps that the early creators of the primavera p6 begun developing the software. In 1981, the Project Management Institute released the Ethics, Standards and Accreditation project, and also offered the very first project management process groups.

 

Stage 4: 1995 to the Present

During this stage, the Internet was developed, which was eventually hailed as the modern purveyor of project management. It's because the Internet paved the way for more enhanced access and connectivity, and it also led to the increasing demand for new project-related software.

 

In addition, the further globalization of the planet's economy also meant that projects had to take a multi-cultural, and multifaceted approach. In fact, it was the Cold War that first required huge, multifaceted projects. Wow, so I guess we need to thank the US and the former Soviet Union for the amazing evolution of project management, as well as for the development of software like the primavera p6!

A Balanced Comparison of the Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project

 

If you're looking to improve your fortunes in project management, considering that your last (or even your current) project is faced with constant delays, inappropriate resources and rising costs, perhaps to time you start changing things, by using the latest project management software. But then again, there are lots of project management software to choose from, although two of the most popular are Microsoft Project and Oracle's primavera p6. Well, although these two are very capable tools, I'd like to be fairer and more balanced in my review of these two. So, read on to look at a balanced comparison of the Microsoft Project and Primavera P6 software.

 

Work Formula Types

According to experts on project management software, both the Microsoft Project and the primavera p6 use the following work formula (Pardon me if the explanation seems a bit quite technical).

 

In the primavera p6, the user's selection of “duration type” affects which variables in this work formula are fixed, and which are calculated. In Microsoft Project, it is the” type” field which specifies which variable is fixed.

 

In primavera p6, there are 4 duration types – Fixed Duration and Units, Fixed Duration and Units/Time, Fixed Units and Fixed Units/Time.

 

Please remember that the units in primavera p6 is work, and Units/Time is effort. Sounds confusing? Well, I have to admit that the software may take some time to fully learn or embrace, but with the proper training and exposure, I'm sure you'll learn how to effectively use the software in just a short span of time!

 

Top-Down Scheduling

The primavera p6 is actually more suited to top-down scheduling than the Microsoft Project. When I say “top-down”, this means that the approach to project management means that you start with final deliverable, or project goal, and then break it down into smaller more manageable tasks or activities.

 

These tasks or activities can then be further broken down or divided into sub-tasks, but at greater details. And then the sub-tasks are assigned to key personnel or team members within that team, to make sure that the sub-tasks are efficiently completed.

 

So, what makes the primavera p6 more suited to top-down scheduling than the Microsoft Project? This means that in Oracle's software, you consider the first end product or deliverable that is the main purpose of the project.

 

Level of Effort Activities (LOE)

The primavera p6 has Level of Effort (LOE) activities which can span the full duration of the project. According to project management experts, LOE activities are very helpful in modeling and/or scheduling activities which do not specifically produce or create a deliverable WBS element.

 

Examples of LOE activities include administrative and project management efforts or tasks, which usually contribute to indirect project costs that are not that immaterial. The primavera p6 automatically accounts for progress on these efforts as the schedule progresses.

 

The Primavera P6 Has the Longest Path Critical Activity Definition

In project management, schedule optimization has the best impact when you shorten activities along the longest path. And, the primavera p6 has a longest path critical activity definition, which is a great plus.

Project constraints can also cause the scheduling software to display either too many critical paths, or completely hide the critical path. In these situations, it would be best to set the definition of the critical activities to the longest path.

 

Steps

The primavera p6 has a feature which is not found in the Microsoft Project, and this one's called activity steps. This feature provides two major advantages: It minimized Gantt chart activity clutter and it provides a discrete way of measuring schedule progress.

 

Gantt chart clutter usually takes place when you have a series of small tasks displayed on the Gantt chart. Instead of displaying numerous related tasks, the detail is represented by a series of steps, just like a to-do list for the activity, with each one weighted according to their relative effort.

 

Budgeted Material Cost

The primavera p6 has a field for displaying the budgeted material cost, while the Microsoft Project does not. However, Microsoft Project does provide the ability to insert Visual Basic Applications sub-routines, which can be programmed to isolate and display the budgeted material.

 

It's possible to display budgeted material cost in Microsoft Project, although doing so could require a gargantuan effort, as compared to using the primavera p6. So, if this is a major factor for your project implementation, then it would be best to use Microsoft Project.

 

Start & Finish Milestones

Milestones are those little shiny jewels which appear on a Gantt chart. Although these may be graphically small, they still represent major events in the project's schedule. Milestones are also like markers on a hiking trail which tell the individual where they are on the trail map.

 

Thus, the milestones of the primavera p6 serve like directional arrows on a trail marker, which point the person forward or backward on the trail. So, if you'd like to learn more about Oracle's project management, software, sign up for a training session in your area today.

Although I'm not saying that learning would be a breeze, because project management software can be quite tedious or meticulous. But, then again with the proper training and exposure, I'm sure you'll know the ins and outs of using the primavera p6 in the quickest time frame possible!

Helpful Hints on How to Learn the Oracle Primavera P6

 

Are you currently managing, or working with a team on a medium-sized to large-scale project? If you’re experiencing completion delays, cost overruns and a host of other issues or problems, perhaps it’s because you’re still stuck to using the old-school ways of managing projects. So, to turn things around to your favor, I strongly suggest that you and your project team switch to using the primavera software for project management! Here are a couple of helpful hints on how to learn using the Oracle Primavera P6.

 

According to technology experts, the primavera software is an enterprise portfolio management software, which includes project management, scheduling, opportunity management, resource management, collaboration and control capabilities as well as risk analysis.

 

It also effectively integrates with other enterprise software like SAP’s ERP Systems and other Oracle software. The product was actually launched in 1983 by Primavera Systems Inc., and was acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2008.

 

Now, what makes the primavera software better than the other project management software? Well, for starters it has a heathy, full-bodied collection of features which cover all aspects of project planning and scheduling, including resource management and risk analysis.

 

The primavera software is famous for its sophisticated and innovative approach to project portfolio management, along with its collection of supporting components. When installed and set up properly, the software is literally a powerhouse tool which can rev-up your approach to portfolio management to the next level.

 

However, you must also know that it’s a complex and mature product which takes a careful hand, and a trained eye, to set up. This explains why training is important.

 

The primavera software also includes the BI Publisher, which is an enterprise reporting tool, and the P6 Analytics (optional), which is an advanced dashboard and analytics tool. Users may also need other pre-requisite software tools and supporting tools to bring everything together, and to seamlessly fit into your existing technical architecture and processes.

 

Now, is it hard to learn using the primavera software? Well, the answer is no, it is not hard to learn, with the right training. However, it is not as intuitive as some of the applications that most people might be used to operating on a daily basis. Because it’s a complex software that’s designed to managing complex projects, by nature it can’t be that simple.

 

But, again with the right training and support, anyone can learn using it. Like any new type of software, once you get used to the features and components, and you eventually get experience in what the features can do, you will certainly gain confidence in using the primavera software to manage your projects, programs and portfolios.

 

The more you and your project team use the primavera software, the more will you and team see the full benefits from the advanced reporting and other mature capabilities.

 

There are two main types of primavera software on offer today – The self-paced and instructor-led classes. The type you select will depend on whether you want to spread your learning, and manage your own development, or whether it would be more helpful for you to learn via the classroom experience.

 

So, look for primavera software training courses which include hands-on exercises for developing your skills and experience in typical scenarios. Look for courses that also challenge you to solve problems using your own initiative, which should help set you up for future success at the workplace.

 

Also choose a primavera software training course that has been produced specifically to help you learn the core skills quickly, and has been designed by professionals who have years, or even decades, of experience in using and training the tools in the real world.

 

Now, if you opt for online, self-paced training, you can start the primavera software course straight away without having to wait for a classroom session to start. If you need to enhance your system knowledge right now, on-demand video training courses would be a wonderful choice.

 

For example, if you are a project manager who’s new to the software, a Professional Fundamentals Course would be a good start. This will provide you with the basics, as well as a good foundation from which to build your leaning in time, without overwhelming or overpowering you with features that you won’t be using for the moment.

The Effects of Oracle Primavera on your Management

 

Oracle Primavera Cloud is for handling projects effortlessly on Oracle’s Most Modern Project Management Platform, it is the most modern and broader project management platform in the market which still incorporates some very powerful and amazing implements. Oracle Primavera Cloud Service is a comprehensive, cloud-first victory platform for all phases of the project lifecycle. It designates executives, project managers, and field professionals to produce the assignment starting from inception through the actuality of the project's completion with more efficiently, unfailingly, and with tremendous enthusiasm. Real-time visibility into undertaking cost, program, hazard, and interpretation details will be delivered via strong and adaptable dashboards and reports. This enables project supervisors and stakeholders to complete the right determinations at the proper period. The native social association, including conversation abilities, permits project teams to disseminate and unite effectively for more specific project planning, monitoring, and implementation.

Oracle Primavera Cloud Works

Portfolio Management

Oracle Portfolio Cloud delivers a portfolio-based statement of project data, including the suggested project pipeline, evaluated budgets, money spend, and fund distribution necessities. Portfolio administrators can assess the scenarios and come at the best plan to assign monetary allocations and additional resources across numerous projects that are in line with strategic objectives. Also, users can observe portfolio health, trace performance, and compensation portfolios via alignment with corporate strategic objectives.

Schedule Management

Project planning and scheduling are the main features of adequate project management. A well-created project schedule permits project managers to handle project milestones, deliverables, and timelines effectively. Primavera Schedule is a cloud-based solution that is combined with other Oracle Primavera Cloud modules to deliver a comprehensive project management solution.

Resource Management

Oracle Primavera Schedule Cloud Service permits project managers to address hierarchy-based resources and functions per project. Communities also can decide to control these functions and resources at an initiative level and permit project managers to operate them on-demand basis at the project level. Resources and roles can be allocated to activities as part of resource assignment credentials, letting project leaders to resource load the project schedule.

Risk Management

Risk Management furnishes the essential tools that permit project experts to address trouble efficiently and successfully. There are tools present to determine risk verges and cutting matrices for qualitative research. There are also some risk response plans to manage the project risks and specify post-response scenarios with out-of-the-box bi-directional integration with Primavera P6 EPPM leveraging Primavera Gateway to deliver schedule risk analysis.

Cost Management

Cost management permits project leaders and key stakeholders to grab budget, complete projection analysis, and foretell upcoming expenses to assist or reduce the possibility of going over budget. Oracle Primavera Schedule Cloud Service permits project managers to address the most fundamental to complex cost management scenarios with comfort.

Lean Task Management

The Oracle Primavera Lean Cloud’s Task Management ability delivers a package of tools to enhance the precise coordination, planning, and performance of work between planners, supervisors, and field workers. The tool facilitates field workers to determine the best way to manage their work with the highest efficiency and tiniest waste of time and resources.

Primavera P6 Software: Frequently Asked Question and Answers

 

Primavera P6 software has reached the interest of every project manager today and will also be in demand in the near future. Because of the benefits that it could offer to the project management process, this has become a famous tool for the said project management field. To get to know more about the primavera scheduling software cost, here is the FAQ about the Primavera P6.

What is the Oracle Primavera used for?

The Oracle Primavera P6 is a program and portfolio management tool that is used for planning, controlling, and executing project work. It is developed to manage large and small projects in a number of diverse industries, such as the construction, manufacturing, energy, and information technology aspects. It has various reasons why it fits those said fields.

Will the Oracle license cost worth it?

The purchasing of the Oracle Primavera will be more worth it if the Oracle partner will be true and will not do any fraud. The Oracle partners have to be accredited to assist the clients on the oracle products and having those things, they can benefit from it for a count of years to experience the goodness of the Oracle.  A great Oracle partner will not let you purchase extra for your licenses than you must and will frequently get you better discounts than Oracle. Oracle partner must always be true to its client to gain trust and to avoid any issues pertaining to the services and the characteristics of the firm. A partner can get them a higher deal on the initial primavera scheduling software cost purchase and, as an outcome, so your license costs will also be decreased. Furthermore, Oracle is greatly known for its complex licensing regulations and modifications to pricing, products, and rules are usually not clearly comprehended by the customer, though, happen quarterly. The modifications to the licensing procedure can influence the approach and resources. An Oracle partner is always on top of the licensing rules and might promote you to compose a plan that corresponds to the company’s requirements while staying in compliance with Oracle’s changing rules. To purchase the Primavera, it could be a yearly or perpetual license.

Is it easy to install and easy to use the software?

Primavera P6 is comparatively more manageable to establish on a workstation for a person with intermediate Information Technology learning and skills. For nestling Primavera on a Central server, The Oracle partner technicians can support the client from determining the right arrangement of servers to a complete installation. About the user-friendly software, Oracle Primavera P6 is a complex piece of software which used to produce extremely complex projects. The fastest manner to understand the software is to get qualified by someone who communicates the same occasions as yours and can explain to you the best use case for all operations connected to unraveling situations in your precise field. You will need minimum practice for 2-3 months in a supervised environment if you want to achieve real control of this primavera scheduling software cost.

Will Primavera Unifier Cost Worth it?

 

What is Primavera Unifier?

Oracle’s Primavera Unifier cost is the best-in-class project lifecycle management solution for capital planning, project delivery, cost control, and facilities and real estate management. It provides governance across all project phases, from planning and building to operations and maintenance. The Business Process Automation engine integrates critical business processes, data, and documents across the organization. Primavera Unifier’s Web-based platform optimizes and integrates critical business processes, data, and documents across the organization. Its intuitive user interface can be tailored to your business to increase adoption, minimize training, and deliver rapid time to value. Whether you are employing prebuilt templates out of the box or building new configurations from scratch, Primavera Unifier cost delivers the best combination of ease of use and flexibility—no matter how large or small your deployment.

Benefits of Primavera unifier

With the Primavera Unifier cost, the configurability and management have automated any operation, from simple to complex, with complete authority and data ownership. Cloud or on premise deployment, due to the cloud is could be under the browsing or also can be updated installed to the machine that is being used. An exhaustive explanation for the entire project lifecycle governance planning via asset management.

Cost control powers

Full earned value management analysis

Real-time enterprise visibility to make fast, accurate decisions

Monitoring, visualization, and adjustment of plans based on financial forecasts

Multilevel hierarchies to model programs, portfolios, facilities, and assets

Integrated collaboration functionality

Configurability and governance automate any process, from simple to complex, with total control and data ownership. There will always be a cloud or on premise deployment for it is reachable by any device that will open. The extensive resolution for the entire project lifecycle management planning via asset administration.  Cost control capabilities, being aware of the costing and some changes to happen in the coming tomorrows. Having control over the cost will provide you a heads up about the over usage of the resources or the other way around. With the Primavera unifier, there will be a full earned value administration analysis

Real-time enterprise visibility to make fast, proper decisions. There are monitoring, visualization, and adjustment of programs established on financial projections. Multilevel hierarchies to model agendas, portfolios, facilities, and assets and integrated association functionality.

Primavera capabilities

From the concepts to the ratified portfolio

Compose project proposals from across the organization with the help of the unifier. There will be a used preconfigured project attribute or configure the forms provided. With the help of the unifier, the portfolio scenarios for the comparison and ultimate selection for the approval.

The communication and collaboration of work

There is an immediate record, credentials, and assessment RFIs, DPRs, and Submittals for the victorious development of a project. It can store all project data in a single, secure place allowing visibility into any likely problems or uncertainties. And there are several common business operations that are unrestricted and preconfigured.

Good management for documentation and mobile accessibility

Primavera Unifier includes a robust Document Manager module.

Tight permission rules to control access across the enterprise. Both check-in and check-out, version control, and full-text search for all Microsoft Office documents. There will be no hardship in using this for it can also be open using the smartphone. The mobile application allows users to be competent to move and assemble new assignments whether the user is online or offline. This works for the entire life cycle of the project so this software is really worth the cost.

Advantages of the Primavera P6

Primavera P6 provides unparalleled control, monitoring, and insight to planners, project managers, schedulers, employers, stakeholders, and many more management activities in a given project. The following are the possible reason for employing the Primavera P6 on the given project.

Easy to use software

Primavera P6 presents multiple complicated calculations and procedures; nevertheless, accessing and controlling the program stays straightforward. Simply input the details, and pause for the software to specify if any problems exist. For instance, worker changes maybe not be revealed, have too many employees, or moreover, raw materials may be required. P6 may be used throughout a fundamental project, even in enormous, multi-tier schemes.

Reduced Risk

Sometimes, the wrong inserted details on the program will be a risk to the entire project. When the plan has inconsistencies, misconceptions, or plagued concerns, the project expenses will automatically grow and will negatively affect the organization. This could mean trimming more vital factors of the project to reimburse for the extra costs. Using Primavera P6 enables the management to identify and mitigate threats in the course of planning, managing, and finishing a project. This really works for the betterment of the project and the successful outcome of the project.

Enhancing the visibility and optimized resources

For every project to start, it is important to have visibility and compliance with political and environmental regulations, these are among the leading preferences for project managers and business directors. Since Primavera P6 permits all data to be documented, tracked and investigated in one area, there must be an assurance that the project will not be imposed any legal violations. It also authorizes all entangled in a project to carefully observe resource availability and modify such resources to satisfy project directives from planning up to the completion of the project. Similarly, the software can assist identify areas where resource costs may be reduced by examining resource motions and costs.

Tracking and forecasting project activities

Many of the software today provides tracking features, and so we can also see it on the Primavera P6. The tracking features of Primavera P6 authorize users to quickly generate reports, guarantee all projects are completed as requested, and support baseline adherence. As a project develops, the project may require additional resources, activities, and tasks to meet stakeholder demands. Within Oracle Primavera P6, project managers can construct forecasts for the resources, movements of the process, and another assignment requires.

Enhanced communication

Communication is the top essential in an organization. Communication plays a vital role in an organization to understand and to express ideas. Some projects may span extensive geographic regions, require hundreds of employees, and involve many various parties. Primavera P6 allows executive-level staff to express with other workers, project managers, and planners easily. Similarly, notes can be created to the program in the software to guarantee all users notice the message. Starting from the planning up to the completion of the project, the communication between the team and the management really makes a good thing for a successful project.