MICROSOFT PROJECT REVIEW: FAITHFUL+GOULD
REVIEW SUMMARY |
|---|
When it comes to scheduling construction projects, Faithful+Gould opted to go with the flow and use Microsoft project management software, which so many of its clients and subcontractors have already implemented.
"The primary reason we selected Project was because most of our clients are using the Microsoft product, so it made it easier to communicate and schedule customers' projects if we all used the same scheduling software," said Paul Lakin, director of operations at the Minneapolis office.
Another reason why the firm was attracted to MS Project was due to its intuitiveness. Since it was developed as part of Microsoft's suite of office products, Project is easy to learn and use. In fact, anyone with an average amount of computer experience can quickly get up-to-speed on the program, Lakin said.
Lakin gave Microsoft Project a 9 out of 10 rating.
USER PROFILE |
|---|
| User: | Paul Lakin, director of operations |
| Company: | Faithful+Gould Inc. |
| Location: | Minneapolis, MN |
| Website: | www.fgould.com |
| Type of business: | Project managers and cost consultants |
| Business size: | More than 2,500 employees worldwide |
| Experience: | 19 years |
| Software tools used: | Microsoft Project; Faithful+Gould EPOCH; Faithful+Gould CATO |
| Tool & Version | Microsoft Project |
REVIEW DETAILS |
|---|
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?
Faithful+Gould is a project management and cost consulting firm.
I have been using Microsoft Project management software for about 15 years.
Where did you obtain it?We acquired Project as part of the Microsoft Office suite. I do not know whether we bought it from Microsoft directly or from a retailer.
How much did you pay?
I do not know.
How are you using this product?
We use Microsoft Project for scheduling and master scheduling of projects.
The primary reason we selected Project was because most of our clients are using the Microsoft product, so it makes it easier to communicate and schedule customers' projects if we all are using the same scheduling software.
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)?Not really, since this was primarily customer-driven.
Comparing the way you work now with the way you worked before you bought this tool, what has changed?I have been using Microsoft Project management software for a long time, so it's difficult to say. Using one of the de facto standards for scheduling makes it much easier to communicate and work with clients and subcontractors.
Can you give us an example of a job where this tool really made a difference?If we didn't use Microsoft Project, scheduling would be more complex and time-consuming because of integration with customers' scheduling programs.
Can you estimate how much time or money you saved or other measurable benefits your firm realized using this tool?
Again, it's more a matter of how much more time it would take us to schedule without using Microsoft Project management software.
What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?
We can easily and quickly schedule projects of many sizes
Do you think it's a fair value for the price you paid?
Yes.
There are only minor issues.
Are there features that you don't use? Why not?
We use most, if not all, of the features, although the features used depend on each client or project.
Who would you recommend use this tool?
I'd recommend it to schedulers.
How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?
You only need to be an average user to use Microsoft Project management software.
Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?
Not really. I'd say anywhere from two to five days would suffice, depending on the user's experience.
Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help? What was your experience like?
No. We rely on our internal IT department.
We rely mainly on our IT department for support.
When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?
Yes.
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?
9