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PRIMAVERA P5.1 REVIEW: SNC-LAVALIN

SNC-Lavalin, an international engineering and construction conglomerate, has been using Primavera for more than two decades, a relationship that has helped the multi-billion dollar firm plan and schedule its mega-construction projects around the globe.

"We have tried other, different [construction project management] software programs. They cannot be compared with P5, in terms of their capacity and utilities. Primavera has all the tools we need in one package," said Khaled Elfekhfakh, project controls manager at SNC-Lavalin's headquarters in Montreal. "It is a must-have for planning and scheduling of all mega projects, such as those we do at SNC-Lavalin."

Indeed, the construction firm plans to upgrade to P6, which Primavera unveiled last year. SNC-Lavalin will continue to rely on Primavera to help it save millions of dollars by quickly allowing preventive actions when necessary and through the software's ability to let users oversee 20,000 monthly activities quickly and efficiently, said Elfekhfakh.  

Elfekhfakh rated Primavera P5 v5.1 a 9 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?
SNC-Lavalin companies provide engineering, procurement, construction, project management and project financing services to a variety of industry sectors, including agrifood, biopharmaceuticals, chemicals and petroleum, environment, heavy construction, mass transit, mining and metallurgy, power and water management.

How long have you been using this tool?
I have been using Primavera since I joined SNC-Lavalin in 1997.

Where did you obtain it?
We purchased it from an official Primavera dealer in Montreal, called Proji-controle.

How much did you pay?
We have more than 500 licenses, but I do not know the price we paid.

How are you using this product?
We are using Prolog P5 for all planning and construction project scheduling.

Why did you pick this product?
We found Primavera software to be the most professional in the market. It's the one that answers all our planning and construction scheduling needs.

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)?
We have tried other, different construction project mnagement software programs. They cannot be compared with P5, in terms of their capacity and utilities. Primavera has all the tools we need in one package.

Comparing the way you work now with the way you worked before you bought this tool, what has changed?
We have been using Primavera since it first came to the market in 1985, so I don't really have a point of comparison. It is a must-have for planning and scheduling of all mega projects, such as those we do at SNC-Lavalin.

Can you give us an example of a job where this tool really made a difference?
Primavera software really makes a difference in many areas of our business. If we have 20,000 activities that we must do in one month, there is no other tool available that can handle such a vast number of tasks and provide all the reporting capabilities that exist in Primavera. It allows us to plan shut-down work at a refinery within four hours, not longer, as that is unacceptable.

Can you estimate how much time or money you have saved or other measurable benefits your firm has realized using this tool?
We must have saved millions of dollars due to its efficiencies.

What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?
It allows us to meet our plans and perform the analysis we need to take corrective actions when necessary.

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

What would you change about the product if you could?
Nothing.

Are there features that you don't use? Why not?
The software is huge, and as a user I do not need all of the features. For example, we do not use the software for cost-control because we have another program for that function.

Who would you recommend use this tool?                
I'd recommend to all engineering and construction companies with more than $50 million of work per year.

How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?
It is not the computer experience that's important. It is the business knowledge.

Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?
Yes, it took me at least six months to use it effectively.

Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help? What was your experience like?
Yes, I have called Primavera and received excellent support.

How would you rate the user documentation? Is it helpful?
I find the documentation very helpful.

When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?
Yes, P6 is already out on the market and we will upgrade to that version.

Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?
9