MS project and Primavera P6, both are reputed software of project management, focused on project planning, monitoring and controlling. Both of the software works worldwide and they have renowned benefits. If we list out the major differences between these two Projects, some of them are:

Baselines:

In Primavera P6 we can create unlimited baselines, but in MS project only 11 baselines can be formed.

Multiple User Access:

If we talk about the accessibility of user on these projects, MS Project doesn’t allow multiple users to access or to work on their single project at that running time; whereas Primavera P6 allow you to work together. The best thing in working with Primavera P6 software is that it can specify that which feature is restricted for this user of which is only allowed for this user which means it’s very user-friendly kind of software.

Issues & Risks:

In Primavera P6, we can investigate every kind of risks and any kind of issue, but in MS Projects we cannot do this. There is a lack of functionality in MS project that it doesn’t track any ongoing issue.

Web Support:

In Primavera P6, any kind of documentation or information can be directly converted to HTML format. MS Project is unable to perform this functionality.

Custom Fields:

Basically, both Primavera P6 and MS Project uses the functionality of creating custom fields. The difference comes in the working format like in MS Project, user has to use complex formulas for setting their functions and have to add additional values to use it properly; whereas In Primavera user have a blank custom field and don’t have any kind of formulae there, so user have to enter values manually and have to enter in each row and column.

Columns:

Primavera P6 includes so many useful columns, approximately it comes with more than 200 columns installed and each column will give you unique information. Each column has different names like EVM, cost, risk and Budgeting. On the contrary, MS project only has 40 columns.

Activity Relationships:

In Primavera P6, multiple types of relationship can be formed between the two activities of the same project, for e.g. If two different activities running at the same time, we can have SS and also FF in these two activities simultaneously. On the Contrary, In MS Project one relationship is allowed in between of two different activities.

Multiple Project Create, Track and Viewed:

In Primavera we can create and view multiple projects, these can also be done in MS Project also, As this Software is not more efficient for creating multiple project so people are switching their daily working towards Primavera because it is very much efficient in WBS comparison, any kind of calculation and investigation of any issue. Most of the workers still like to work with MS project.

CONCLUSION

Construction industry deals with complex projects which include large schedules & need powerful monitoring & controlling of the project. It is preferable to use Primavera software in construction industry. However this software requires an extensive training to understand & practical use.