COBRA CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATING SOFTWARE USER REVIEW
REVIEW SUMMARY |
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To enable its design and construction of atomic power plants, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.'s project control teams rely extensively on Cobra and Primavera for construction estimating and project management. The end result, said Tarek Elrafie, a member of the Ontario-based team, was that some projects were completed in half the time.
"As a rough estimate, I would say that using both Cobra and Primavera on the atomic power plant project saved 50% of our time as a project controls team -- which is equivalent to 5% of the project's total cost," he said. "The powerful forecasting tool in Cobra made it easy to discover cost overruns in early stages, and it takes the necessary actions to solve problems sooner. This makes a huge difference, especially in this kind of huge, sensitive project -- atomic energy."
Elrafie said the organization potentially could see even more time and dollar savings if Cobra and Primavera were better integrated with each other, making it easier for each application to access the other's data.
Elrafie rated Cobra construction estimating and forecasting software an 8 out of 10 and Primavera software a 9 out of 10.
USER PROFILE |
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| User: | Tarek Elrafie |
| Company: | Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) |
| Location: | Ontario |
| Website: | www.aecl.ca |
| Type of business: | Federal government agency responsible for designing and building power plants |
| Business size: | Approximately $600 million |
| Experience: | More than 20 years |
| Software tools used: | Cobra 4.6; Primavera 5; Timberline |
| Tool & Version | Cobra 4.6 |
REVIEW DETAILS |
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What kinds of construction projects do you mostly work on?
How long have you been using this tool?
Where did you obtain it?
How much did you pay?
How are you using this product?
Why did you pick this product?
Did you look at other tools on the market before picking this one? What was it you didn't like about them (or made this product better)?
Comparing the way you work now with the way you worked before you bought this tool, what has changed?
Can you give us an example of a job where this tool really made a difference?
Can you estimate how much time or money you saved or other measurable benefits your firm realized using this tool?
What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?
Do you think it's a fair value for the price you paid?
What would you change about the product if you could?
Are there features that you don't use? Why not?
Who would you recommend use this tool?
How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?
Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?
Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help? What was your experience like?
How would you rate the user documentation? Is it helpful?
When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?
What kinds of construction projects do you mostly work on?
Atomic Energy of Canada designs and builds multi-million dollar projects, and it is currently involved in the refurbishment and construction of atomic power plants.
How long have you been using this tool?
Two years.
Where did you obtain it?
The company bought it and then upgraded it as the vendor released new versions.
How much did you pay?
I do not know.
How are you using this product?
I use Cobra for construction estimating and, subsequently, to follow up on and prepare reports for top management at my agency.
Why did you pick this product?
It was not my decision which cost estimating software to choose.
Did you look at other tools on the market before picking this one? What was it you didn't like about them (or made this product better)?
I do not know.
Comparing the way you work now with the way you worked before you bought this tool, what has changed?
I do not know.
Can you give us an example of a job where this tool really made a difference?
The powerful construction estimating and forecasting tools in Cobra made it easy to discover cost overruns in early stages, and it takes the necessary actions to solve problems sooner. This makes a huge difference, especially in this kind of huge, sensitive project -- atomic energy.
Can you estimate how much time or money you have saved or other measurable benefits your firm has realized using this tool?
As a rough estimate, I would say that using both Cobra and Primavera on the atomic power plant project saved 50% of our time as a project controls team, which is equivalent to 5% of the project's total cost.
What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?
Cobra's powerful and presentable reports are critical for sharing information easily and accurately.
Do you think it's a fair value for the price you paid?
Yes, although it is hard to judge because the company, not me, paid for this cost estimating software.
What would you change about the product if you could?
I'd like to see an interface added, as well as an easier way to link to other construction software, not just Windows applications. For example, I'd like a link between Cobra and Primavera, as well as an easier way for the two programs to exchange construction cost data.
Are there features that you don't use? Why not?
There are some built-in reports that I don't use, primarily because they are too detailed for top management.
Who would you recommend use this tool?
All project control teams on big projects could use this.
How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?
To get the most of Cobra, you must be excellent at using Microsoft Word and Excel and Adobe.
Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?
I attended two three-day training sessions, one basic and the other advanced.
Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help? What was your experience like?
Yes, I've called them to discuss formulas for forecasting. They were very cooperative and sent the response right away via email.
How would you rate the user documentation? Is it helpful?
For Cobra, I've found its documentation helpful. I have not used it for Primavera.
When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?
I believe the company will, since we've already upgraded Cobra and Primavera from the original older versions we purchased.
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?
I rate Cobra 8, and give Primavera 9.