Primavera P6 Software

Pros

This is a great and powerful tool for scheduling, absolutely love this program and its ability to get things done. We still use P6 as we feel this is the best version, the web-versions aren't as good.

Cons

Ever since Oracle took it over they completely screwed up things on licensing, etc. Not a fan of that this is why we stay on the non-updated versions.

this software does what it is designed to do, just not in the easiest format to learn!

Pros

I have used P3 and P6 now for years and find the software very powerful and thorough. I find that once you learn how to use the software it enables the company to be more efficient and productive.

Cons

The con to this software is the upfront cost, lack of training, and how complex the software is. They really need to improve their training! I will spend countless hours trying to get a newby up to speed on this software.

Pros

Oracle Primavera provides the flexibility to integrate different schedules while maintaining each on as a stand-alone schedule when needed. The ability to create different layouts, filters and baselines is a great feature to satisfy different requirements from our stakeholders. We use Springboard platform to access the software through a web connection adding additional flexibility and real time access. We had use the software with a peak of seven planners including two CM companies in a Green Field project with great success.
In addition, we are currently planning a shutdown and the ability to schedule using different calendars and resources has been very useful in identifying gaps and peaks in our plan.
The option to have multiple baselines is also useful to compare current schedule through different phases of the project.

Cons

Resources/progress graph and histograms are not as good as I am used to get from other application like Excel. Data export is not always as expected and some data manipulation is required in the other application (like Excel) to get the appropriate formats.

For schedule management of a large greenfield program with multiple CM's and Engineering firms there is no better tool I know. Provisioned through Loadspring, the enterprise version allowed for streamlining of bi-weekly progressing, quality checking and ad-hoc reporting. Licensing fees are a bit pricey however. Also, a good knowledge of scheduling discipline is required to directly use this tool.

There's too many other options out there that are much easier to use. The interface needs to be simplified and the work flow process needs to be shortened.

Oracle Primavera is a very useful tool for tracking project and budget of the same. In any industry you can use this program as a working tool especially for the creation of budget and cost area.

My company was using excel sheets prior to buying Primavera. It took a long time for us to get used to it as it is very detailed. However, once we started using it, Project Planning became a must easier and visual process and calculating the lag time, the Critical Path, the milestones identification, all became much more easier and less error prone. Very happy with this product and the support that we have recieved.

Pros

Features of the product

Cons

Difficult to grasp the first couple of tries.

We used Primavera primarily for Project Management. Submittals, Pay Apps, Transmittals. For the most part it was great. Especially once you got used to the system (It was not user friendly to all). The software was dependent on a particular version of IE and you could NEVER update your JAVA ever! Otherwise, it just wouldn't work. In the early years (before Oracle) the customer service was fantastic. However, since Oracle took over, the customer service has been terrible. We have since switched to a different software.

Pros

It managed documents very well. Once used to the system and formats it was easy to use. Early on customer support was amazing.

Cons

Current customer support by Oracle is terrible. EI and Java could never be updated otherwise the software would not function.

We have been using Primavera for just over two years now. Although it has many uses, we use it primarily for scheduling. All projects get entered into Primavera with necessary labor requirements and we look at the long-term schedule to determine our manpower and estimating needs.

This product is very in depth and can be cumbersome. It's best to get help from an expert while setting up your first project(s). A very powerful tool and a great asset for most contractors.

As a Project Controls Professional, I have been using Primavera since 1996. It has evolved from its P3 days to the current P6 version. Primavera is considered the best-in-class by most of the major industries in the world.
One of the unique qualities of Oracle Primavera is - It combines good old proven scheduling techniques like CPM with a great database. This allows for large amounts of scheduling data storage and easy retrieval of historical data for use as a standard for future work. It also makes it easier to reconstruct past schedules for forensic delay analysis etc.
In the current market scenario, where competitiveness is a very important attribute for survival, expertise in Oracle Primavera is an absolute must!

I use the P6 version of Primavera on a daily basis allowing me to maintain record of all milestones, resources and material needed on my projects. The many ways of reporting data, showing completed work, work in progress and progress completed it is very useful to keep track of the actual things happening at your project. Baselines are used to keep track of how a project has changed since day one, and re-baselining is so easy to do. The manpower can be entered and reported knowing how many employees are assigned to a specific line item.

Pros

powerful, multiple ES-FS, LS-ES, and many more ways of scheduling

We are a System Integrator and have implemented scalable project management solutions since 1993. Of all the applications available to support Project Portfolio Management, Oracle Primavera is the most robust and intuitive solution on the market. Our customers have raved about how Primavera helps them deliver their projects more effectively.

Pros

Flexible, Scalable, Intuitive and market tested.

Cons

To maximize the value, it's best you partner with a partner.

I have used Primavera tool in the past. Used this tool mainly for the purpose of Employee Timesheet management.

Pros

For the time sheet management purpose, it was kind of easy to use.

Cons

This tool didnt have many options or features available.

Advice to Others

I haven not used it extensively.

good product, fulfill all your requirements for risk management and internal audit