Comparative analysis of the functional features of PM software packages

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MS Spider Project Lite Primavera Project Management Open Plan Professional Spider Project Professional

Parameters and Functions

STRUCTURES Portfolio Breakdown Structure Work Breakdown Structure Resource Breakdown Structure Cost Breakdown Structure ACTIVITY TYPES Duration Effort Volume (physical) Hammock (LOE) Switch Milestone RESOURCE TYPES Labor Material Production Skills Multi-Resources (crews) DEPENDENCIES Standard 4 types (FS, SS, FF, SF) Time Lags Volume Lags Strict Links Conditional Dependencies Multiple Links Double Dependencies Dependency Filters RESOURCE ASSIGNMENTS Individual Multi-Resources Independent teams (Shifts) Partial Workload Predefined Workload Profile Automatic Workload Profile Adjustment Material Consumption Material Production Materials consumed by Resources

Project

MSP Yes Yes Yes No

SPL No Yes Yes Yes

P6 Yes Yes Yes Yes

OPP Yes Yes Yes Yes

SPP Yes1 Yes1 Yes Yes

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Yes Yes No Yes2 No Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes No Yes No Yes

Yes Yes No Yes No Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes No No No

Yes Yes No Yes No

4

Yes Yes No No No

Yes Yes No Yes No

3

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

4

Yes Yes No No No No No No

Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes No No No Yes No No

Yes Yes No No No Yes No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No No

Yes No No Yes No No Yes No Yes

5

Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No No

Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

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Comparative analysis of the functional features of PM software packages

2 COSTS Cost Components Activity Cost Resource Hour Cost Material Unit Cost Planned Overload Cost Assignment Cost (Payment per Work) Income simulation Multi Currency CALENDARS Activity Calendars Resource Calendars Dependency Lag Calendars SCHEDULING CPM (without considering Resource Constraints) Resource Leveling Standard Priorities Custom Priorities Resource-constrained Schedule Optimization Schedule Stability Tools Scheduling with Supply Restrictions Scheduling with Financial Restrictions Conditional Scheduling Backward Scheduling Resource Critical Path (Critical Chain) Resource-Constrained Floats RISK PLANNING Risk Simulation Probability To Meet Project Targets (Cost, Finish) Calculation of Necessary Contingency Reserves No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes8 Yes9 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes7 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes7 Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes6 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes6 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

MONITORING AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT Duration Monitoring Resource Monitoring Volume Monitoring Supply Monitoring Cost and Income Monitoring Project Archives Reports for User Defined Periods Earned Value Management (EVM) Trends of any Project Parameters Trends of EVM Parameters Success Probability Trends Deviations from the Baseline Deviations by User Defined Period Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Comparative analysis of the functional features of PM software packages

3 PROJECT PORTFOLIO Portfolio Scheduling and Leveling Project Priorities Portfolio Budget Portfolio Budget by Cost Components and Centers Portfolio Cash Flow Including Profits WORK THROUGH WWW Monitoring Performance Remote Work With Project Model Graphical Reports Activity Gantt Chart Resource Gantt Chart Material Gantt Chart Network Diagram WBS and RBS Org Charts Time-Location Chart (Linear Diagram) Resource Histograms S-Curves Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
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No Yes Yes No Yes

No No No No No

Yes Yes Yes No No

Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes

Yes No

Yes Yes

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

- unlimited number of parallel WBS, RBS and other structures in one project - may be created, does not work properly when resources are assigned. - for resources with the same productivity - resources of the same skill may have different productivities, automatic resource assignments based on skills and availability - simulation of quantities and workloads, not just total workload - cost accounts but not cost components, impossible to define that resource cost consists of salary, taxes, indirect costs etc. - working calendars take into account both activity and resource calendars - with the simulation of material supply or production - with the simulation of project financing and income - using FTP and FTPS, access directly from Spider Project without using third party software.

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