Is Project the right solution?

[Derek Wittman]

Good morning
Generally, I'm hanging around the MS Access newsgroup, but I'm starting on a new project and am in the research phase. My company uses MSP for scheduling major construction projects, such as building a new distribution center (we are the distributors who work with contractors, designers, etc, but we manage all the construction and obviously the costs involved)

I have been tasked with Budget Tracking, including the flow of authorizations and asset requests from the various divisions or the rest of the engineering team, in an effort to better minimize cost overruns due to change orders, etc

Is Project a viable tool for tracking Vendors, Vendor Contacts (>1 per vendor is possible), Asset Requests, Approvals, Purchase Orders (and Change Orders), Invoices, and payments and retentions? I could have the option of putting all this information into a Project file for a particular job. However, we use the same vendors, contacts, check number system, etc between projects, so I'm looking even more high-level than the projects themselves.

I need to do this without placing undue burden on our Accounting department who cuts the checks and keeps the books on each vendor.

Is MS Project the best solution for this? I realize that the MVPs are quite possibly partial to Project, so I ask for a sincerely objective opinion

Thank you in advance
Derek

 

[JackD]

Project is not what you want. Project is a critical path scheduling tool. It
does not handle PO's CO's etc. and is lousy at keeping track of money to the
level of accuracy you need for payments.

There are some tools designed for this, Primavera Expedition comes to mind,
but expect to pay a bit for them.

-Jack

Good morning,
Generally, I'm hanging around the MS Access newsgroup, but I'm starting on

a new project and am in the research phase. My company uses MSP for
scheduling major construction projects, such as building a new distribution
center (we are the distributors who work with contractors, designers, etc,
but we manage all the construction and obviously the costs involved).

I have been tasked with Budget Tracking, including the flow of

authorizations and asset requests from the various divisions or the rest of
the engineering team, in an effort to better minimize cost overruns due to
change orders, etc.

Is Project a viable tool for tracking Vendors, Vendor Contacts (>1 per

vendor is possible), Asset Requests, Approvals, Purchase Orders (and Change
Orders), Invoices, and payments and retentions? I could have the option of
putting all this information into a Project file for a particular job.
However, we use the same vendors, contacts, check number system, etc between
projects, so I'm looking even more high-level than the projects themselves.

I need to do this without placing undue burden on our Accounting

department who cuts the checks and keeps the books on each vendor.

Is MS Project the best solution for this? I realize that the MVPs are

quite possibly partial to Project, so I ask for a sincerely objective
opinion.

 

[Joe]

I agree, Project is not good for tracking task itmes as it
seems what you want. Scheduling task itmes and
dependencies yes, but not what you want.

A simple spread sheet probably would even be better.