This question asked quite often from many customers whether we should use MS Projects or Primavera? Which one is good for my project management needs? So let’s address this thoroughly today.
Though both MS Projects and Primavera P6 are the two most popular choices in the market for construction projects, most contractors are not sure which one would suit them better. Project Management Information Systems are not only costly but also require too much data feeding to actually start producing some real results from them, so rather than wasting precious time and money, take out some time and watch this video till the end.
The key difference between both Primavera and MS projects is that Primavera is a database-based software and MSP is a file-based software. So, how does this difference actually affect you and your organization? There is no one version of the truth when it comes to file-based software and it becomes very difficult to manage the transfer of information due to reliability concerns. Simply stated, you don’t know whether your planner has made some changes to the file after the file comes to you.
With database software, all the data is stored on a single platform where all the updates are synchronized centrally and multiple users can access the platform at the same time. So Primavera comes with this exceptional ability to give you one version of the truth for the whole project team.
The second most important difference is the User Interface. The user interface of Microsoft project is very similar to that of excel with some additional project management features like scheduling, baselines, and resource allocations, but because these are just features that were added as the product advanced you sometimes struggle to find all the things in one place. Also, there are no functions to sort and filter the data as per activity coding or work breakdown structures. While on the other hand Primavera was meant to be an enterprise-grade software on the Oracle SQL database since its inception so it has all the database management features required in a lengthy schedule and is able to manage the information very well due to its coding and WBS functions.
The third very important difference between both is the integration of Risk Management in a Schedule. As we all know: Man Plans and God Laughs, so it is very important to take into consideration the risks that are an inherent part of the Project Management business. MS Projects doesn’t take into account the risks associated with the activities while Primavera takes both qualitative and quantitative risks into consideration at the activity level. There are more than 15 other differences that make Primavera more reliable. So, what’s the verdict? See Primavera is costlier compared to MS Projects and is definitely suitable for large projects above 5 million involving multiple users and a large number of activities. Here most projects are part of a bigger project, and a lot of integrations and APIs are required.
Conclusion :
If this sounds like you then Primavera is the right choice for you but if you have smaller projects with fewer complexities, go with MSP. If you are stuck somewhere and need more information on any of the PMIS software, Click Here & we will help you in the best way we possibly can!