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Primavera Software - Best Package?

21 replies [Last post]
Thu, 2007-05-10 04:32
Alastair Morrison
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Can anyone suggest what is the best P3 package to use as a planning tool ? I have previsouly used P3c and P3e etc but there now seems to be a P3 V5 etc etc and there are planning packages within the Primavera range for Construction, Planners, Managers, Cost analysis.

Primarily as the project planning engineer I need a strong scheduling tool that will allocate resource levels accordingly and effectively. Easy to manipulate and with good cost functions for cost & resource planning through the schedule.

Any suggestions would be grealy appreciated.

Rgds

Alastair Morrison
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Replies

Tue, 2009-04-14 05:17
#1
mimoune djouallah
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thanks all for those information, so in a simple English ’ P3 is technically dead ’

perhaps it is a good thing after all, "we" should understand that no matter how oracle keep it alive, P3 is not future proof, worst it will be’ officially’ killed in less then two years.

perhaps we should move on, perhaps oracle should consider all those wishlist, and bug reports and made P7 such a wonderful products that people forget P3.

who know, we ’have’ to be optimistic,

mimoune

ps: i am going back to home in this week, that’s why i am so positive
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Tue, 2009-04-14 02:41
#2
Arthur Godbeer
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1. P3 is still supported, for those under Maintenance (now called Support, the word used by Oracle). Some while back Primavera committed to that until at least the end of 2010 and that has not changed. It is correct that P3 is not sold to NEW users. That is, an entity that has never ever purchased P3 previously. But any existing user may purchase any number of P3 licences, in any configuration including "standalone". The reference to a "text file" is presumably the generic licence key file that is also the system being used for P6. It is how Oracle licences its software. Licence/serial numbers fall away and the licence key file may be used for any installation of any size. It is up to the user to ensure that they are using the product in accordance with what they have purchased. While that needs more attention to "housekeeping", some P6 users have found the flexibility the new system gives them convenient. They no longer need to contact Primavera if they want to change configurations.

2. Except where Primavera reps still have existing stock, there is now only one version of Primavera Contractor, the one that was previously called Contractor Deluxe. (At the same time, the available P6 configurations were also changed and simplified.)

3. SureTrak is still being sold by Primavera representatives.

All Primavera representatives have been fully aware of the pricing, configuration and policy changes since before their inception in the middle of February.
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Mon, 2009-04-13 10:29
#3
Ronald Winter
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There is nothing much more to say. Primavera broke their public promise to sell and support P3 for as long as their customers wanted to purchase it. Primavera did sell new P3 packages to customers with orders dated prior to 2009 up to February 15, 2009, but that policy is now over as well.

The simple truth is that you cannot purchase a new package of P3 software. The only thing that Primavera is willing to sell to you (at full price) is an emailed text file that you can load on to your existing P3 system that will grant you more users.

By the way, SureTrak is no longer available in the stores. I have heard word that Primavera is selling it directly but I also was told by someone that when they called Primavera customer support to order it, that they were unable to process credit cards at the time.

Finally, Contractor Lite (the 750 activity, low cost version) is also no longer for sale.

I am surprised that I have to be the one to tell you this; I am not a Primavera Dealer. Some of the other people on this website are Dealers and knew about this sometime back in 2008.
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Mon, 2009-04-13 10:14
#4
mimoune djouallah
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Ronald, please can you clarify more on this point !!!!!!

best regards
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Mon, 2009-04-13 10:07
#5
Ronald Winter
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Arthur,

You forgot the last line under your Point 2,

“Oracle Primavera effectively stopped selling P3 on January 1, 2009 and now only sells updated user-licenses that increases the number of users that can exist on existing P3 systems.”
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Sat, 2009-04-11 07:30
#6
Mohammad Aslam
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Dear Alastair Morrison

Can u send me some sample of the Master Program prepared at the project u’ve mentioned

Kindly send it at aslamkhan76yahoo.com
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Tue, 2007-05-22 09:45
#7
Arthur Godbeer
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To try and clarify as simply as possible . . .

1. As Marcio has said, and contrary to what Bijaya and Ahmed have said, there is definitely no such thing as "P3 Ver. 5".

2. P3 started life as a DOS program 24 years ago. After it reached Version 5.1, it was amalgamated with the similar (hourly-based) "Finest Hour" program and released as P3 Windows Version 1.0 in 1994. The version numbering progressed to the current Version 3.1, which is still supported although there will never be any new versions of P3.

3. What is now Primavera 5.0 (and what is now more commonly called "P5") started life with a different architecture to P3 in 1999, as Primavera Enterprise (or "P3e" for the main program) 1.0. By that time P3 was over 16 years old, and there is only so much one can do to continue enhancing such relatively old technology.

4. The different versions of P5 listed by Mark are essentially similar "under the covers", but they have been customised to make them applicable to different industries and applications. This includes the choice of the sample database, which in turn includes sample reports and layouts and suggested coding structures.
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Tue, 2007-05-22 04:08
#8
Alastair Morrison
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That sounds like a good package Brad, sorry to hear you work with Network Rail .... I spent some time with Network Rail when working on the West Coat Mainline Project out of the Charles Schwab Building in Milton Keanes when i was a Project Manager with Parson Brinckerhoff, we used P3 back then and it worked fine creating master plans from the Carillion, Westinghouse and Balfour Beattie planners. Most of the railway contractors and consultants favour P3e now for the resource planning capabilities so the move to P5 must be recent ie within the last 2 years. Although Carillion Rail had been using P3 and todate as far as Iam aware still are and successfuly integrating with Network Rail on all projects. Thanks for the useful information I will take into account all Ive learned.

Rgds

Alastair
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Tue, 2007-05-22 03:56
#9
Brad Lord
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Alastair

It totally depends what your company is trying to do with the tool i believe, I worked for Network Rail (Booh Hooh) and they use it conjunction with Oracle to basically collect time and cost information, If you are a sub contractor and the main client insists you use P5 then you have a problem if not P3 is fine, although I am on the understanding that it is no longer supported by Primavera as they obviously want everyone to go over to P5, the good thing with P5 you can import p3 and msp straight into it, One of the best things of P5 is the WBS it is so user friendly compared to P3 you can write your WBS in any order you wish and by pressing pressing buttons on screen you can create the hirearchy,

regards

brad
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Tue, 2007-05-22 03:48
#10
Alastair Morrison
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Brad

I see what you are saying , thus leading to more internal conflict as to what i should buy. Given the choice would you still use P3 ? rather than P5 ? What advantages have you encountered from P5 since moving accross?
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Tue, 2007-05-22 03:45
#11
Alastair Morrison
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If you look in the Primavera web site it gives you a concise description of each package and the capabilitys limitations of each.
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Tue, 2007-05-22 03:44
#12
Brad Lord
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Primavera P5 is a business planning tool and notjust a project planning tool, I have used it for 15 months now off and on and although it does have the same functionality as P3 (although they are hidden) I still think P3 is a better planning tool, example with P3 it is so simple to export your cost or resource information into a spreadsheet format, with P5 you have to go into the resource assignment screen and mess about with reformatting the view, i know you can create layouts but to me is a bit of a pain, but saying that I am no more than use to P5 and as that is the way forward so be it

regards

brad
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Tue, 2007-05-22 03:04
#13
Mark Chapman
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Hi Ashraf,

I have no idea and I am just as confused as you. I would ask Primavera.

Mark
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Mon, 2007-05-21 06:50
#14
Ashraf Jahangeer
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Hi Mark,

As I am still using P3, I wonder will so many packages of P5 which I come to know by your posting will get me lost.

And do I need to work on different packages for different type of projects. Sounds bit complicated for me, as for an EPC copany with wide rannge of projects how do we go about it.

Regards,

Ashraf
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Mon, 2007-05-21 04:01
#15
Alastair Morrison
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The Primavera 5 for Engineering & Construction looks as if it will meet my requirements

Thanks
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Fri, 2007-05-18 07:34
#16
Mark Chapman
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from: http://www.primavera.com/products/index.asp#P5


Primavera P5, an enterprise-wide project planning, management and control solution that enables organizations to meet budget and deadline commitments by managing schedules, resources and costs across all of their projects and programs.

Primavera P5 for Engineering & Construction

Primavera P5 for Power, Energy, and Process

Primavera P5 for Public Sector

Primavera P5 for Aerospace & Defense

Primavera P5 for High Tech/Telecom


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Thu, 2007-05-17 13:19
#17
Ahmed Syed
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I agree with Bijaya. The current version is P3 Ver. 5 not P5.
P3 stands for P(rimavera) P(roject) P(lanner).
I hope this will erase any doubts.
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Fri, 2007-05-11 20:24
#18
Marcio Sampaio
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Be attention that the correct name os last version is Primavera 5.0, there is no P3 version 5.

Regards.
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Thu, 2007-05-10 11:14
#19
Alastair Morrison
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Ok thanks , I will make the relevant arrangements

Cheers

Alastair
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Thu, 2007-05-10 11:10
#20
Bijaya Bajracharya
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Your question itself has norrowed down the possible answer. Which P3 package? There may be different versions of software, but it is always the latest version that is only available for you to buy and get support. So P3 version 5 would be what are looking for. There is nothing else.
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