(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.
Hi all,
I currently work at a company where, as of September, there is no longer going to be a requirement for a planner within the company (that planner being me!). Myself and several other colleagues in Project Controls will leave the company due to enforced redundancies.
The impact of this is that our Primavera will be "switched off" but part of my handover before leaving is to allow engineers to do some of their own scheduling and, ideally, the resource management/loading that Primavera obviously provides.
My initial thought was Microsoft Project - I have exported a small project from P6 into Project and on first glance (without checking the nuts and bolts of the relationships, logic etc) it looks ok. In a perfect world I'd be able to export all current schedules to MS Project, give the engineers some basic training, set them up on a license and let them take it from there.
Do any of you have any other ideas on how to apprach it?
Thanks in advance,
David
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
Hello,
I have been looking at Synchro for a couple of days now. Every software has it's strenghts and weakneses. From what I saw Synchro resembles more Primavera than MS Project from the 2D scheduling point of view. It's main focus is the capability of importing any type of 3D model and using it in order to plan the project using CPM.
However Rafael may be right about it's resource leveling capabilities. I used his sample model and here is what I got:
https://ibb.co/fVYhVH
As you can see the Finish milestone is linked to driven by Activity 6, when leveling (both with optimization and without) I get the following:
I don't understand why the Finish milestone didn't move??? and why didn't the critical path update, even though it is set to update automatically???
I am going to assume that I don't fully undestand the software before I will conclude that the resource leveling is beyond bad.
If anybody can get a better resource constrained schedule please post it and explain how it was obtained, what settings were used.
Best Regards,
Bogdan
Andrew,
Andrew,
Yes the License is not for commercial use. But instead of for instance Asta where you have only 30 days trial period or TILOS where you have limit of 10 activities - this is fully functional package available for 1 year to try.
XER - indeed there is no support for XER import because this format is old (despite it's still widely used).
For instance P6 EPPM also doesn't have XER import/export functionality.
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E17266_01/p6help/help/en/helpmain.htm?toc.htm
Instead Oracle advise to use newer XML format for data exchange. Synchro has ability to import P6 XML files and also it can connect to DB Server (either MS Sql or Oracle). So for planner there is no problem to transfer schedule into Synchro.
For the leveling please check the Help Topic "Resource Leveller". You can add "Extra" ribbon to see the button.
Startup is slow - I'd agree on that one but remember, this is more than scheduling software - it also connects BIM into schedule. So it's quite resource demanding software.
Thank you for your prompt response.
Rafael
Hi Rafael.
Yes the License is not for commercial use. But instead of for instance Asta where you have only 30 days trial period or TILOS where you have limit of 10 activities - this is fully functional package available for 1 year to try.
XER - indeed there is no support for XER import because this format is old (despite it's still widely used).
For instance P6 EPPM also doesn't have XER import/export functionality.
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E17266_01/p6help/help/en/helpmain.htm?toc.htm...
Instead Oracle advise to use newer XML format for data exchange. Synchro has ability to import P6 XML files and also it can connect to DB Server (either MS Sql or Oracle). So for planner there is no problem to transfer schedule into Synchro.
For the leveling please check the Help Topic "Resource Leveller". You can add "Extra" ribbon to see the button.
Startup is slow - I'd agree on that one but remember, this is more than scheduling software - it also connects BIM into schedule. So it's quite resource demanding software.
Regards,
Andrew
Andrew,
Best Regards,
Rafael
Andrew,
As suggested I downloaded Synchro but cannot do basic resource leveling, can you give me a hint?
Also please note:
Best Regards,
Rafael
https://www.synchroltd.com/products-2/synchro-scheduler/
Best Regards,
Andrew
Santosh,
The majority of MSP's user base are completely incompetent by PP standards, and the tool reflects many decisions to accommodate these incompetent users while still supporting the few professionals. For most people with MSP installed on their computers (through a corporate volume license), I suspect it remains a tool for quickly drawing a "professional-looking" bar chart to impress the boss or customer - as it has been for 25 years. Your two numbered frustrations reflect the accommodations to these users. By the way, hierarchical sequencing logic (including logic on summaries) could be presented as a key differentiater for MSP and is attractive from a certain point of view. It's just too dangerous in practice....
I absolutely agree with your frustration re. the reliance on the task ID field, which is ultimately too volatile for reliable referencing. Combined with the tendency of many users (even experienced professionals) to use duplicated task names everywhere, this can make the task predecessor and successor panes useless in even moderately-sized projects.
David,
My biggest frustrations with MS Project are schedules that are developed with
1) No logic, or missing logic. That is, the user simply positions bars where they want them to be
2) Linking to/from summary bars - this shouldn't be allowed to happen!
and also the way that MSP contantly changes the Task ID's based simply on the position in the list. Yes you can use Unique ID as the ID field, but thats not the reference field for a lot of other requirements.
Thanks all. It seems that Project is the route that I'll go down. I don't actually have any experience of Project so I'm learning as I go along. So it's quite difficult replacing P6 with something you aren't familiar with, then rolling it out to people and act like an expert. I can only do my best I suppose!
Vladimir, agreed. Even in the case of clients, its not so much the clients themselves, but the consultants they engage who will specify the contractual requirements.
I think the industry would go a long way if the contract requirements were outcomes based, for example: Electronic provsion f a CPM scheduel that meets XYZ, rather than simply "P6 XER file submission".
Santosh,
unfortunately most planners do not have an authority to select their scheduling tools. P6 is and will be used due to contract requirements. In other case many planners would select other tools like Spider Project, Asta or Safran now.
I use Spider Project for more demanding needs; in many occasions P6 just falls short, because my scheduling needs require complex models the tool I use must be more capable. Although more capable than P6 I find it easier to use when the model becomes complex as it frequently happens in construction schedules.
Good Luck.
I heard ASTA is good
Hello David,
A strange situation indeed. I suggest you look at Safran Project (safran.com) as a useful tool for replacing Primavera. You can import XER files directly. Safran also fully supports cost loading, etc., very much in line with Primavera capabilities, but in addition can handle schedule risk, within the same tool, and easily track changes/variations, what if scenarios, etc., and soem godo reporting functionality.
They have desktop based and cloud versions now.
Cheers Tom. Yes a pretty bizarre situation! MS Project is the preferred option it would seem - if my schedules (around 100 reasonably small work packages) can be simply exported from P6 into Project then great, and I'll give the engineers some basic training on MSP (once I'm up to speed with it - never really used it myself!).
I think the first job will be to evaluate the quality of the export into MSP and take it from there. Thanks again for the message.
David
Another source of problem might be when exporting constraints, their implementation is a little different, also MSP cannot work with two constraints in one activity.
David,
It's pretty amazing to see a train wreck happening before your eyes, isn't it. Planning and Project Controls is now "redundant," while "engineers" will be doing their "own" scheduling and resource management (through a scheduling tool).
If MSP is already included in your corporate office suite, there will be irresistable pressure to use it since the marginal cost of adopting it is low. I imagine this is your case; otherwise a solution involving a few standalone MSP intallations is not hugely cheaper than one involving a few standalone P6 users. If you are not being driven to MSP, then there are certainly other possiblities to consider, any of which may be cost competitive: Spider Project (what Raphael uses), Phoenix (a P3-lookalike), Asta Power Project, Deltek Open Plan....
All of these tools - including MSP - will require a certain investment of time and money for training in a)project schedule management, and b)the details of the selected toolset. In light of the "redundancy" decision, I doubt if such an investment is forthcoming.
You might also consider getting a few licenses of Primavera Reader or XER Schedule Toolkit for reviewing the existing P6 schedules once your database goes dark.
Thank you Rafael. Good points, and thanks for the link, I'll read it.
Please be aware that it is common practice to require SS & FF links between two activities that must overlap, this is done everyday by P6 users but cannot be done in MSP. This kind of logic will not be exported; will not be available in MSP; MSP users frequently overlap such activities with FS and negative lag, a poor workaround.
The following link might be of interest.
http://www.ronwinterconsulting.com/MS_Project_for_Construction.pdf
BTW I do not like P6, I do not like MSP.
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
Replies