Guild of Project Controls: Compendium | Roles | Assessment | Certifications | Membership

Tips on using this forum..

(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?

(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.

Planning Software .... will you use this

13 replies [Last post]
Tue, 2007-07-03 21:24
Alex Wong
User offline. Last seen 11 years 5 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 874
Groups: TILOS
Dear All

If a planning software cannot achieve the following ... will you recommend your CEO to use it for Project Management and Resource Management tool.

1. Assign multiple Role to single activity
2. Assign multiple resources to single activity
3. Assign multiple resources to multiple activities
4. Plan and assign resource base on secondary role
5. Link role capacity to assigned resource capacity
6. Associate resources with secondary skills
7. Spread resource utilisation based on % of loading
8. Link multi activities to single milestone
9. Plan activity base on completion date
10. Assign expected finish date constraint to an activity
11. Trace / track / display critical path and critical activities
12. Trace / track / display longest critical path
13. Define specific calendar to the project (i.e. wet/dry season)
14. Report / filter any data/activity base on “OR” condition
15. Track / report & compare previously reported progress
16. Data-date concept for forward scheduling
17. Schedule unfinished works based on current progress information
18. Schedule and plan multiple projects in single view
19. Manage external Schedule
20. Revise baseline schedule / dates to all remaining activities
21. Calculate remaining duration base on % completed
22. Plan milestone base on specific calendar

Your comments is valuable

Cheers

Alex
Top

Replies

Sun, 2007-07-08 19:56
#1
Alex Wong
User offline. Last seen 11 years 5 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 874
Groups: TILOS
Dieter

You are quite right we are refer to the same product from your posting I know.

I have difficulity to ask our planner to use "xxx" and also to find a company use "xxx" in a project / resource planning environment. Difficult I know, since you are in Germany, what is the local do with planning.

Thanks in advance

Alex
Top
Fri, 2007-07-06 05:28
#2
Dieter Wambach
User offline. Last seen 7 years 1 week ago. Offline
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 1350
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, TILOS
Alex
If we discuss the same software, you might check if it was ever designed for project time- and resource-control or if it was designed for the control of the investment for a project and the cash flow. You might check the GUI (Graphical User Interface). Take a scheduling engineer and let him work with the software - will he feel comfortable?

I know some companies who use both: this software AND Primavera taking advantage of the strengths of both.

Regards

Dieter
Top
Fri, 2007-07-06 01:31
#3
Alex Wong
User offline. Last seen 11 years 5 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 874
Groups: TILOS
Dieter

Seem like you know what software I am using....

Yes I have the list of customer use it for Financial control but the list of customer use it for "Real" project control is very hairy .... Can you share your experience

Alex
Top
Thu, 2007-07-05 09:23
#4
Dieter Wambach
User offline. Last seen 7 years 1 week ago. Offline
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 1350
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, TILOS
Hi Alex,
you might ask for a list of customers who use both, the one for (accounting based)controlling, the other for project planning, scheduling and controlling. Maybe this financial software even offers a link to MSP because they know of its weaknesses.
You might ask too for:
- Constraints, how they are scheduled,
- More than one resource assigned to an activity
- Calendar per activity different to the project’s calendar
- ...
- Special strength of the other software

Regards and good luck!
Dieter

p.s. or it will be a horror for you.
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 05:28
#5
Dev Tamboli
User offline. Last seen 10 years 35 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 3 Jun 2007
Posts: 28
Groups: None
Hi Ravi,

i have not much used MSP so i have no idea about it.
if you know, will you please add in my knowledge.

cheers,

Dev
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 03:17
#6
Vladimir Liberzon
User offline. Last seen 17 weeks 4 days ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Feb 2001
Posts: 2748
Groups: Accreditation Editors, Board of Advisors, Civil Engineering, GPCCAR Editors, Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, Regional Representatives, Spider Project Team, TURNAROUND & SHUTDOWN (T/A & S/D)
Alex,
do you still select role resources manually or find something more efficient?
I can add a lot to your requirements list that is very useful.
Regards,
Vladimir
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 01:37
#7
Alex Wong
User offline. Last seen 11 years 5 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 874
Groups: TILOS
Thanks Karen
Did a bit of that today, hope it works.
Cheers
Alex
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 01:26
#8
Karen Smith
User offline. Last seen 14 years 44 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 22 May 2007
Posts: 16
Groups: None
Alex,

That’s easy, I’ve been in a similar position. Senior management usually know nothing about planning that is why they have you, as soon as you speak with authority the same list you posted they will be over whelmed and gratful of your valuable input. Just keep in mind, speak facts discuss pros and cons and you will be home sailing.

Good Luck
Karen
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 01:17
#9
Alex Wong
User offline. Last seen 11 years 5 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 874
Groups: TILOS
Dear All,

I am not bored or anything but just that I am in a position of evulation of a software provided by a major player in the financial software market. And after find out that it won’t do any of the mentioned functions, how can I explain to the senior management the tool they as me to evulate is crab... It is not a planning tool at all...

Back to you all

Alex
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 01:16
#10
Charleston-Joseph...
User offline. Last seen 2 years 39 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 1347
Groups: None
Hi Alex,

What planning software do you have in mind?

Is it other than Primavera P5 or Spider.

Please let us know what software you encounter and I will recommend to my CEO.

Cheers,

Joseph
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 00:53
#11
A D
User offline. Last seen 3 years 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 1027
Groups: Accreditation Editors
Hi Dev,

Just a query!!

Does MSP 2004/07 supports point no. 04 as asked by Alex.

I know, it doesn’t make huge difference in programming, but still does MSP supports it?
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 00:37
#12
Karen Smith
User offline. Last seen 14 years 44 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 22 May 2007
Posts: 16
Groups: None
Alex,
I agree with Dev, if you are a planner you already know the answer.
Regards
Karen
Top
Wed, 2007-07-04 00:20
#13
Dev Tamboli
User offline. Last seen 10 years 35 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 3 Jun 2007
Posts: 28
Groups: None
hey Alex,

if there are no features in the software as you mentioned. that will not be an planning software.

i think you just wanted do pass your time so you wrote this message.

it’s so foolish to ask such question.
Top