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PRIMAVERA PROJECT PLANNER (P3) USER REVIEW: DEMONSTRATED PERFORMANCE

Demonstrated Performance, a Roseville, California-based software consultant for industrial construction businesses, chose Primavera Project Planner (P3) for its construction scheduling needs because it sees Primavera software as the industry leader.

"It's in use by most industrial construction clients and contractors. Primavera's ease of use and quality of output are first-rate," noted Guy Gaines, chief technology officer at the consultancy, which has more than 15 years expertise in project management, project controls, procurement and systems development and support. Gaines added that presentation is a key advantage of Primavera Project Planner, since construction project scheduling can be quite complex.

Primavera's documentation plays an integral role in the software's success, Gaines said. "I use the online documentation frequently. One very positive aspect is that help -- the F1 key -- is accessed based on your context in the application. In other words, the help content comes up related to the file or screen that you are using within the program," he said.

However, Primavera's tendency to add extra features, which require additional hardware and networking capabilities, can make upgrading to a later version cost-prohibitive for smaller businesses, said Gaines: "That's overkill for many companies."

Gaines rated Primavera Project Planner (P3) a 7 out of 10.

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?
Demonstrated Performance works on natural gas combined cycle power, biofuel and processing solar.

How long have you been using this tool?
More than 15 years.

Where did you obtain it?
We purchased it from our local Primavera representative, DR McNatty.

How much did you pay?
About $4,500 per copy.

How are you using this product?
We use it for construction schedule development, updates and analysis.

Why did you pick this product?
We chose Primavera software because it is the market leader. In fact, it's in use by most industrial construction clients and contractors.

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)?
No, since the tool is more or less mandated by our clients.

Comparing the way you work now with the way you worked before you bought this tool, what has changed?
Once upon a time, schedules were built with pencils and tape, and calculations were done manually. Obviously, computerized construction scheduling is much faster, accurate and flexible.

Can you give us an example of a job where this tool really made a difference?
No. I have been using Primavera Project Planner (P3) for more than 15 years, so it is hard to judge.

Can you estimate how much time or money you have saved or other measurable benefits your firm has realized using this tool?
No. Again, I have been using it for more than 15 years, so it is hard to judge.

What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?
Primavera's ease of use and quality of output are first-rate. Construction project scheduling is quite complex and presentation is a key issue.

Do you think it's a fair value for the price you paid?
Yes.

What would you change about the product if you could?
I would build it forward from a 16-bit platform.

Are there features that you don't use? Why not?
Yes. We tend not to use the WBS features and the Crystal Reports add-on.

Who would you recommend use this tool?   
I would recommend Primavera Project Planner (P3) to the owners and contractors at industrial, commercial and residential construction firms that do not have a major main office presence and need a standalone product.

How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?
You need a significant amount of computer experience -- three years or more, in my opinion -- to use Primavera Project Planner to its fullest. There are a lot of inexperienced folks who call themselves planners, but all they really can do is operate the software marginally.

Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?
Our experience is that we can expect three to five years before a planner can truly become effective.

Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help? What was your experience like?
Yes. Primavera has online help and call-in assistance. Generally, their support has been outstanding.

How would you rate the user documentation? Is it helpful?
I use the online documentation frequently. One very positive aspect is that help -- the F1 key -- is accessed based on your context in the application. In other words, the help content comes up related to the file or screen that you are using within the program.

When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?
Yes and no. Primavera has released a version 5 and version 6 that both require a significant investment in infrastructure for items such as Web servers, Oracle or Microsoft SQL database, and so forth. That's over-kill for many companies.

Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?
7.