Traylor Brothers Inc., which has been using Primavera software for bidding, claims, payment tracking and project management since 1996, upgraded to Primavera P6 from P3 and P3E in January 2007.

Jeremy Saperia, project controls manager at Evansville, Indiana-based Traylor Brothers, which specializes in underground construction, had looked at other project management tools, including Microsoft Project and Primavera SureTrak. However, neither was as powerful as Primavera P6, he said.

He particularly appreciated the level of detail and control that P6 brings into managing all elements associated with a project. For example, Traylor can incorporate subcontractors' schedules into the main construction schedule, without having to copy and paste. Although he is not certain how much time and money the company has saved, Saperia is sure he has spared himself many gray hairs.

One useful feature for Traylor is Claim Digger, a schedule analysis tool that enables a company to compare schedules and perform impact analysis and document delays. It looks at things like activities that might have been added or that were not completed. "Claim Digger enables comparison of project schedules updates. It also assists in performing an impact analysis and documenting delays on a project. We also use it to assist in showing schedule slippage and cost overruns," Saperia said.

In Tandem with Claim Digger, Saperia said Traylor also likes to use the construction schedule update/spotlight in P6 to demonstrate the impact of a delay.

Overall, Saperia rated Primavera P6 an 8 out of 10.