PinnellBusch Inc., a firm of construction management consultants, would like all its clients to toss out Microsoft Project and replace it with Primavera P6, the latest iteration of Primavera's Web-based project management software designed to facilitate collaboration and information access.

Although the learning curve, both in terms of the software and the vocabulary associated with Critical Path Scheduling, can be steep for Primavera P6, a user's educational exertions are rewarded by dramatically improved productivity, said Blake Marchand, project manager at the Portland, Oregon-based consulting firm.

"I can't specifically estimate our savings, but we've most likely saved thousands of hours since we'd have had to do much math by hand, which is extremely time-consuming," he said. "To be honest, I don't remember how I functioned without it."

Despite the software's capabilities, it suffers from poor documentation and, as Marchand put it, it "has too many features for what the industry really needs."

However, Primavera's technical support staff is generally helpful, he noted.

Overall, Marchand rated Primavera P6 software an 8 out of 10.