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!
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