Primavera Project Planner education and training can help you get ahead in the business world. By successfully learning the various aspects of project management utilizing the Primavera Project Planning platform, you can give yourself an edge in a competitive job market or give your company an edge over your competition by learning how to better organize your projects. This is especially important in industries requiring detailed information about all the resources needed to complete a given project.

Education and training in Primavera Project Planner comes in a variety of forms, including in the classroom, over the Internet and on-site at your business. You can find straight coursework with classroom exercises or hands-on training depending on how you prefer to learn new concepts. All these options make it easier to get the proper training. Seek information about Primavera Project Planner training and education by:

1. Starting with the basics and then finding more advanced Primavera Project Planner education and training.

2. Ensuring you’re getting the best Primavera Project Planner education and training by using trainers who’re certified.

3. Learning more about Primavera Project Planner software prior to enrolling in a training program by finding a Primavera free trial.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get hands-on Primavera Project Planner education and training

By finding courses that offer basic training for Primavera project planning, you can get hands-on education about the concepts of scheduling and planning while learning the Primavera Project Planner system. Many of these courses also offer college credits for the work, so you can count your studies towards your continuing education or just get ahead at work by obtaining certification in this area of project management.

I recommend: Oracle University offers two courses lasting three days each for Planning and Scheduling in Primavera Project Planner, one via instructor-led training and the other through live virtual classes. It also has advanced courses that include Resource and Cost Analysis in Primavera Project Planner and Managing Project Data in Primavera Project Planner. PCI Group offers both introductory courses and advanced classes for Primavera Project Planner in a number of locations in several states.

Utilize Primavera Project Planner providers with authorized Primavera trainers

You can find Primavera service providers who offer training in many areas of Primavera software products including project planning. To ensure you or your employees are getting the best training available, look for those providers who provide authorized trainers for any external education or in-house training your company uses.

I recommend: Innovative Management Solutions uses authorized trainers in all three of its classroom facilities and in its on-site training and consulting, in which the company brings its classes to your business for added convenience. Global Project Management requires all its instructors to be certified Project Management Professionals with the Project Management Institute and also offers courses and training using Primavera Project Planner at its New Orleans facility or on-site at your business.

Use a Primavera Project Planner demo or free trial to better understand Primavera project planning

You can download Primavera Project Planner software from the Internet, which sometimes includes a free Primavera Project Planner trial period to decide if the program will work for your needs. Primavera Project Planner suppliers also sometimes offer downloadable demos and manuals if you need to learn more about the software prior to seeking further education and training.

I recommend: You can save money on Primavera software with a discounted Primavera Project Planner download sent straight to your computer from Cheap OEM, an online software shop. This provides you with the software you need, so you can then pursue training with the program right at your fingertips. Rapid Library also offers Primavera Project Planner downloads including manuals that will help you better understand how the software works before pursuing more formal training.

Primavera Project Planner software could be the answer to so many of your project management needs. Whether you're looking to manage multiple projects in a multi-user environment, or dealing with a single, high-intensity project involving a variety of complex teams, this product can help you reach your goals.

Professionals in the engineering, construction, architecture, utilities and telecommunications industries often turn to this software to guide them through their projects. Primavera Project Planner can effectively manage the various details of your project, including people, time, money, suppliers, communications, risks and problems.

If you aren't sure whether your business could truly utilize this software, quiz yourself on the following questions. If you answer yes to even one of them, then you need more information about Primavera Project Planner.

1. Do a large number of people (vendors, suppliers, schedulers) need to have access to the same information regarding your project?

2. Do you have a large amount of data that needs to be regularly updated and tracked by multiple users?

3. Are you tired of dealing with delays and wasted time on your project?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare Primavera Project Planner prices and packages online

From the simple to the complex, from $19.99 to $729.00, there are different Primavera software packages and guides at different price points for you to consider.

I recommend: Compare and research prices for Primavera software at Cheap OEM Software. They offer the "no frills" but affordable versions without user guides and manuals. If you think a text or guide for the software would be useful, you can compare prices and purchase those guides at NexTag.com.

Download Primavera Project Planner software

You can also keep everything digital and right at your fingertips by testing a Primavera Project Planner demo online, or simply download the software directly to your computer.

I recommend: For a quick and easy download of Primavera Project Planner, visit the online software store, LPStore. If you would like to add a hard copy to your library of guides and manuals, visit Amazon and purchase a text to help you on your project-planning way.

Hire a consultant to teach you the Primavera Project Planner software

Maybe reading through a software manual isn't for you. Or maybe your project or team of people is so large that you need an expert to train your team and provide them with the necessary information on Primavera Project Planner.

I recommend: Consider utilizing the services of Burk & Co., an elite group of Primavera Project Planner providers. They can come to you, or you can participate in a live, hands-on "webinar" to learn the software. You can also take a class on the software from CMCS (Collaboration, Management and Control Solutions), which offers a three-day course on the Primavera Project Planner program.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  There isn't a project so big or so small that it can't benefit from better organization and management. If you're leery of purchasing the software, consider a Primavera free trial download or Primavera Project Planner trial version. If you find that it helps you to better manage the many aspects of your project, then go for the full software package. Ask for feedback from other project managers who have utilized the program and see if it might be worth a second look for you and your business.

Oracle's Primavera Project Planner, or P3, makes it easy for project managers to map out their projects. It's ideal for users in a variety of industries, including aerospace and defense, retail and education. However, in order to make the most of P3, you need to know some of the common terms that people use with the software program. Knowing these words will also help you to determine whether this software program is the right program for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Multi-user access

One of the most useful aspects of Primavera Project Planner is its multi-user access. This allows many users to have the ability to update the project as they complete tasks. The program does, however, allow you to limit the amount of access that a user has, making it possible for users to only edit their own segment of the project.

I recommend: In its description of the Primavera Project Planner software, Collaborative Project Management discusses P3's multi-user access capabilities.

Human capital management

One of the most important resources of any company is the workers that it employs, or its human capital. By properly managing employees and choosing the right person for the right job, companies can increase their bottom line. P3 allows for human capital management within a project to help ensure that you are selecting the right employees to complete each task.

I recommend: The Journal of Human Resources and Human Resources Management discusses human capital management.

Project portfolio management (PPM)

Businesses keep track of all their projects with project portfolio management, or PPM. This allows them to best prioritize projects and tasks in order to meet deadlines and goals. It helps to see the big picture.

I recommend: In his site on project management, Michael Greer talks about the objectives of project portfolio management.

PERT chart

The U.S. Navy designed the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) in the 1950s and many companies now use it as a project management technique. A PERT chart is a method for mapping the project in a visual way, with numbered nodes representing milestones and numbered tasks listed between the nodes.

I recommend: NetMBA describes how to make a PERT chart, complete with diagrams, though the Primavera Project Planner software will do this for you automatically.

CPM scheduling

The Critical Path Method (CPM) of scheduling helps to identify and plan the most critical aspects of the project to ensure that a company completes these tasks first. CPM scheduling also identifies tasks that a company can postpone without affecting the completion of the project as a whole.

I recommend: Look to Exponent for a good description of CPM scheduling.

Project status reports

P3 makes it easy to print out project status reports on any of the projects that you track using its software. Project status reports allow project managers to update clients or others in the company about the progress of a project.

I recommend: Learn about writing an effective project status report at BrightHub. See a current project status report from CERP to learn what it includes.