a thought of a someone wants to be a planner

In my opinion a good planner / scheduler can do the job regardless of which software is used.

I've only ever been trained in P3, but picked up MS Project, Asta and P6 pretty easily just by playing with it over a couple of weeks, and with the valuable help of this forum. Asta and P6 are not totally different. -They do the same job in broadly the same way. The main difference is the terminology used and how the menus/views are organised.

When looking to recruit, experience with particular software is a low priority for me, unless I need someone urgently who can walk into the role at start producing at 100% efficiency from day one. Even then, experience in relevant projects and a good interview will tend to get the job over a software jockey -particularly if it's a permanent position rather than contract work.

That said, I know many other hiring managers do put a high priority on experience with the software, and P6 is the market leader, so rightly or wrongly it will improve your job prospects if you can get some P6 experience under your belt.

I believe Oracle offer a free trial version of the software. I suggest you download that and spend some time learning it.

Good luck!

G

I believe the argument about the tool being irrelevant is a dangerous fallacy. The wrong tool can place too many limitations in your performance, you need the tool and the user to be good, each complement each other but neither is a substitute of the other. Otherwise, the research effort by our institutions is a waste.

Why the need for MRI machines if we have X-ray machines, is it only the doctor not the machine?
Why a Ferrari and not a VW Beetle, is it only the driver not the car?
B.S. - the tool matters.

Most probably in a race between a VW Beetle and a Ferrari will be won by the Ferrari, no matter the driver, yes in a race between equal cars the driver will make the difference. If you insist on racing a VW Beetle against a VW Beatle, the driver will make the difference but the race will be slow and boring.

Do you believe the same doctor will perform the same if limited to use an X-Ray machine or electromyogram machine rather than an MRI? Do you believe the same car racer will perform the same if a VW Beetle than a Ferrari?
B.S.

If the software does not matter the get the one of lowest cost, otherwise it is very stupid on your part. That Asta is as slow as a 1960 VW Beetle same as those other mentioned by Gary is no surprise to me, better get a modern Ferrari and learn how to drive it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_p3wYJPXto

If a Ferrari, make it Spider

Nice pun, Rafael!

But I think you misunderstand me. I am not saying all racing cars are equal.

I am saying

1) For Team GaryF1, I would rather recruit a good driver who's never been in my ferrari than a poor driver with 1000 ferrari miles under his belt

2) Once you know how to drive a beetle, it's not that hard to learn to drive a ferrari. Or visa versa.

I don't think Gary was saying the tool is irrelevant, the software is usually the choice of the company or dictated by the client they are working for, not by the planner using it.  The important thing is to be a good planner and make the most of whatever software you have to use, if you have input in to the software used then go push for the best tool for the job.

A good driver is a good driver regardless of the car, though like most I would obviously rather be in the Ferrari than the Beetle!

Mike - Primavera is pretty much the standard so it would be a good idea to at least grasp the basics of using the software it can only help you to get on in planning, Oracle and their training partners run courses, but there are also books, tutorials, forums and trial copies of the software to get you started.  I personally have never had any formal software training but consider myself to be highly proficient in P3e, P6.2, P6.7, MS Project, Crest CS Project and will be in any new software that gets kicked my way!

Gary,

After your clarification I agree with you, sure both matter.

The Empire State building was built before CPM, and it was a success story, on the other hand many other failures have been scheduled using sophisticated software.

The point is, given a good planner he would get some advantage if his software is more capable, a good planner acknowledge this and will look for good tools.

The debate about the performance of the different tools shall continue forever, it is (I hope) what will drive the continuous improvement of these tools.

Regards,

Rafael

Lets don’t ague primavera or asta powerproject is better,

In light of getting jobs offer and pay, we might can say primavera has better chance?

I heard asta is better to get jobs in UK, is this true?

Outside UK, ofcoz!.... people might will ask you what is Asta? (if you tell them you are using asta as a planner)

Mike

At the moment Primavera is the leading software so knowledge of this is going to give you better chances than knowledge of another software package .... but it's not all about system knowledge, you need to learn planning regardless of the software, experience combined with knowledge is going to give you the best chance.

The story in the UK is much the same as the rest of the world, Primavera is the current industry standard and is what most are using.  Contracting companies will use many different tools as different clients will demand different software and they need to meet these contract requirements.

Andy

Hi Andy,

Yes I agree, it looks like it almost the time I need to change to primavera, knowledge in Asta can be an advantage for me but I should switch to primavera when I get the chance, I can see the job offers are 95% primavera related.

Better for me to learn how to drive primavera because I don’t want to be jobless when I quit from my company. Too hard for Asta at the moment. But it would be fun for me to explore Asta and primavera at the same time, can analyse both softwares and see if I can create a new planning software? Haha

Cheer up planners!

Any software can be used properly and not. If somebody used P6, Asta, or Spider does not tell if the planner is good.

It is easy to learn new software if to know what to look for. You can be better planner if tried to model projects with MSP instead of drawing Gantt Charts in P6.

In my country people are invited for the interview if they have an experience of planning with any software. Experience in certain softwares may be Plus but most attention is to How you planned, your field experience, your overall project management culture.

Good Day Planners

i am new in planning field and i need help to creat schedule in primavera P6.

is any one help in manpower calculations?

i need gulf prod. Rates , if any one have please help me and send me in my email mentioned blow.

adshahid@yahoo.com

adshahid@gmail.com

i am very thankful to you all

regards

A.D. Mohammad

Jeddah Saudi Arabia

Good Day Planners

i am new in planning field and i need help to creat schedule in primavera P6.

is any one help in manpower calculations?

i need gulf prod. Rates , if any one have please help me and send me in my email mentioned blow.

adshahid@yahoo.com

adshahid@gmail.com

i am very thankful to you all

regards

A.D. Mohammad

Jeddah Saudi Arabia