Why You Should Use Primavera P6
As a project leader, you are always looking for ways to optimize your workflow and get the most out of your team. You may have heard of Oracle Primavera P6, or been asked to use it as part of contracted work and wondered if it is really worth the investment.
We’re here to tell you yes it is!
Contrary to what you might think, it can be used for both small and large projects, and it is suitable for a variety of industries.
10 Benefits of Primavera P6
There are many benefits that come with using Primavera P6 for project management. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is the fact that Primavera P6 provides users with powerful tools for planning, scheduling, and resource management. But what does that actually mean? And how is it going to support your delivery teams in getting your project done?
Let’s dive into some reasons about why we love this tool. Here are 10 benefits of Primavera P6 that will supercharge your projects when you start using it.
1. Access from anywhere
Primavera P6 is a flexible application and if you need to access it from anywhere, the EPPM version will allow you to do just that. It’s perfect for teams that are based out on a construction site or at a client’s location.
As long as you’ve got an internet connection, users can access their project plans from anywhere in the world.
2. User-friendly
Yes, really! OK, there is a little learning curve, but anyone who has used enterprise scheduling tools before will find it relatively straightforward to move the user-friendly interface and easy-to-use menus.
The user interface is designed to be intuitive, which makes it possible for even the most inexperienced users to get started.
A quick Primavera training course will soon set your team up for success.
3. Improved visibility
With a powerful scheduling engine and collaborative features, everyone on the team will be on the same page. You can easily see what work is coming up and how much progress is being made. This improved visibility can help you identify potential problems early on, so you can take corrective action before it’s too late.
That helps with the next benefit.
4. Improved decision-making
All that data, and the ability to be able to visualize progress, means your teams should be making better, data-driven decisions.
Primavera helps organizations optimize their portfolios and improve decision-making. It includes dashboards and reports that present information in a way that is truly useful for project teams. It also provides the ability to track and manage multiple projects simultaneously, which is helpful if you are managing a large program or portfolio of work and need the big picture view.
5. Accurate scheduling
Schedules are only as good as the data you feed into them, but Primavera P6 is built from the ground up to make it as easy as possible to create robust, compliant schedules. It can help you improve your project scheduling. With its powerful scheduling tools, you can create more accurate schedules that take into account all of the factors that can impact your project.
This can help you avoid delays and keep your project on track.
6. Integrations with other tools
Primavera sits within your earned value management system and integrates with your other tools. That reduces manual effort at data entry and minimizes the likelihood of mistakes in data transfer.
For example, did you know that you can upload expenses costs from Excel into Primavera? It integrates with Deltek Cobra as well. Integrations make it easier to share data and information between different departments and teams. The standard format also makes it easy to export and share with clients and other contractors.
7. Supports your business workflows
In addition to integrations with other tools, there are a huge range of extra powerful features available through Primavera Unifier. Unifier is a business workflow engine amongst other things. It offers top-down and bottom-up visibility for planners and project managers and cashflow capabilities across the portfolio lifecycle.
8. Enhanced resource management
Often, projects don’t simply require people resources but also machinery, equipment, rooms and other materials. Primavera P6 provides enhanced resource management capabilities. With its resource leveling features, you can ensure that your resources are being used efficiently and that your project stays within budget.
The software includes powerful tools for resource planning and scheduling, which can help organizations optimize their use of resources and improve project delivery timelines.
9. Improved collaboration
Another benefit of Primavera P6 is that it can improve collaboration among your team members. With a clear plan, and the ability to add notes into the schedule, you can keep everyone on track.
In our experience, a robust schedule builds confidence in the whole project management team, which goes towards making sure people meet their commitments. It’s easy to see who is responsible for what with resource allocation, and that makes it easy for colleagues to contact the right person if they need to work together on something.
10. Better risk management
Schedules are inherently risky, so why not use the best possible tool to surface and mitigate that risk? The more controlled your project, the more likely it is that risks will be identified and addressed earlier.
A robust schedule will already have provision made to help mitigate project risk, because it will be vertically and horizontally integrated. It should represent all the work required to deliver the project so nothing falls through the cracks. The powerful scheduling engine that is the heart of Primavera P6 makes it easy to set your schedule up for success.
11. Easy to outsource
OK, there’s a bonus reason! Primavera P6 is internationally known and highly respected. That’s one of the reasons we are able to drive it for you. If you aren’t ready to bring Primavera in-house, it’s incredibly easy to outsource schedule creation and maintenance to experts who do it all the time.
The benefits of using Primavera P6 include improved project visibility, better control over projects, and increased efficiency. If you are looking for ways to improve your project management workflow, investing in Primavera P6 may be a good option for you.