Microsoft Project Construction Reviews & Insights

Score8 out of 10

717 Reviews and Ratings

Community insights

TrustRadius Insights for Microsoft Project are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.

Pros

Collaborative Features: Users have expressed appreciation for the collaborative task assignment feature in Microsoft Project, citing its usefulness in streamlining project scheduling and enhancing team coordination. This feature allows users to assign tasks collaboratively, ensuring that all team members are aligned on project timelines and responsibilities.

Robust Resource Management Tools: Numerous users have found the resource management tools in Microsoft Project to be comprehensive and detailed, facilitating effective tracking of resource utilization across various projects. By utilizing these tools, users can optimize resource allocation, monitor availability, and prevent overloading specific team members.

Timeline Visualization: Chart functionalities have garnered praise from users for their ability to offer a visual representation of project timelines, aiding in planning tasks and managing resources efficiently. Users rely on this feature to visualize dependencies between tasks, identify critical paths, and track progress effectively throughout the project lifecycle.

Microsoft Project Reviews

19 Reviews

ConstructionConstruction19

Microsoft Project Review

Rating: 5 out of 10

Incentivized

December 15, 2022

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Our company has a business that invests in land and then builds and sells houses on these plots. We use Microsoft Project for resource management and job tracking, especially in construction works, in the management of this whole process.

Pros

connecting works as precursors and successors,
determining the critical path

Cons

A more effective collaboration with excel
user friendly interface
autorun for some data entry

Likelihood to Recommend

Since processes such as pre-construction design and project development are somewhat more human-related, the programs made in Microsoft Project may be delayed, but very accurate results can be obtained when machine equipment data and resource assignments are made for construction. I have witnessed many times that it correctly calculates the deviation of the result when the delays are processed and the program is updated.

Alternatives

I do not use any other software

Aybuke Aynur

Business Development Architect in Research & Development at Folkart (Construction, 201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

6 years of experience

View profile

Microsoft Project is a good starter option for Project Management

Rating: 6 out of 10

Incentivized

May 24, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using this software in my department. It does have a learning curve and those that are a little older are having a little trouble getting around but we, as a whole, are making it work. It's doing a good job of allowing us to assign tasks and keep up with what's going on with our projects. It is cutting down on the number of meetings we are having to have due to the amount of information we can transmit through the software.

Pros

Scheduling
Assigning of tasks
Communication

Cons

Learning curve is steep
Integration of other software would be nice.
Must have Office 365.

Likelihood to Recommend

If you are currently running office 365 then this is a good starting option for a project management software. It does a good job of handling your basic management and scheduling processes It helps if you have some computer savvy employees to dig into it first and then have them train others. If you have to run certain software's within your company then this might not be for you due to the lack of integration.

Alternatives

ProofHub

We picked Microsoft Project instead of Proofhub due to us already using Office 365. Microsoft Project was the cheaper of the two options and seemed to fit our needs better than Proofhub. It seemed to be easier to use on the front end since some of our less technology-savvy employees already knew how to use Microsoft programs.

Darrell Dunavan

Project Manager / Document Control at Grinder Fabricating & Erection (Construction, 11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

View profile

Construction industry standard--meets all our basic needs

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

May 24, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Microsoft Project to estimate construction project critical path schedules and utilize this schedule through to completion.

Pros

Fairly simple in function and does not overwhelm you with too many details--as simple or as detailed as you wish to use it
It might be the most common scheduling tool in construction and, therefore, does not require much of a learning curve for employees to be trained
The appearance of the exported deliverables can be finely tuned to your needs or your clients' needs

Cons

The user interface is a bit outdated but still perfectly functional
Printing schedules--can be tricky to get the view that you want and often requires a creative workaround to get the look you want
Editing your schedule from the gantt chart activities is not as easy, as Microsoft Project is more geared toward the edits from the table view, which can be challenging for visual learners

Likelihood to Recommend

Basic construction schedules where you must track a critical path of activities to meet a deadline is the ideal use. If you want a schedule that is more trackable/editable from a mobile app, this tool would not be as ideal.

Alternatives

Microsoft Project is a reasonable price and provides all of the functions we need, and even more. The fancier tools will be more expensive but not necessarily be more effective, so sticking with the industry standard seems to be the reasonable choice.

Russell Voigt, PE

Project Manager in Engineering at ICS Consulting, Inc. (Construction, 201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

7 years of experience

View profile

A Workhorse for Scheduling

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

March 9, 2020

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use MS Project to manage multiple subcontract jobs. We have many workers and resources which need to be managed and distributed properly across our management team and work sites. MS Project has helped us find holes and over-allocations of these things which in turn has made the company more efficient.

Pros

Extremely detailed in planning items.
Integrates with MS Planner.
Allows for multiple users to use and manager their jobs.
Properly manages resources.

Cons

Can be overwhelming to new users.
Can get lost in the details and miss the big planning picture.
Requires a lot of training.

Likelihood to Recommend

Overall I would recommend this program to other colleagues. However, I would ask what their intentions are, what they need to accomplish. Sometimes all you need is MS Planner or Excel but other times you might need MS Project. You want to be careful you're not trying to kill a fly with a sledge hammer. But MS Project can definitely get the job done.

Alternatives

ProjectLibre

ProjectLibre is a free or open source version of MS Project. It’s supported by a community of programmers that maintain its versions. It’s definitely not MS Project but definitely gives you a good idea what to expect from MS Project. I would recommend trying it first to see if fits your needs.

Matthew Smith

Estimator and Project Manager in Corporate at Century Exteriors Inc (Construction, 11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

View profile

Best Scheduling Software... Easy to Use, Manage, & Implement

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

February 3, 2020

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Microsoft Project is used daily at the company I work for. It is utilized for both our project schedules and our bid schedules. The program allows us to track the project progress, delays, issues, review times, and many other project details. The majority of the time, Microsoft Project is utilized by our project managers. Also, our quality control department and estimating department use the program occasionally.

Pros

Easy to use
Easy to update / change / manage

Cons

More templates available
Help section could be more descriptive (use photos)

Likelihood to Recommend

Microsoft Project is very well suited for any size construction company. It is so easy to use and easy to manipulate, change, update. It is so much better than other scheduling software available. The Gantt chart is excellent and easy to read. Most people are familiar with this program, so it makes it easy to discuss and share throughout the project duration. An excellent tool for any project!

Alternatives

Procore

Procore allows Microsoft Project schedules to be uploaded into it. It is not an easy feature to use. The uploading is a piece of cake, but changing anything after that is challenging and never seems to track correctly for me. Maybe I need more practice but it is not a feature I use often, I prefer to use the program alone!

Kristen Silvan

Project Manager & Chief Estimator at Patriot Construction, Inc. (Construction, 11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

5 years of experience

View profile

Microsoft Project

Rating: 6 out of 10

Incentivized

January 21, 2020

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Microsoft Project to schedule our construction projects from beginning to end. It is critical in being able to give our clients a document with a visual representation of our plan.

Pros

Links tasks
Shows Gantt chart

Cons

Some of the logic can get messed up.
It isn't as intuitive as other Microsoft products.

Likelihood to Recommend

Microsoft Project is an above average product at a competitive price.

Alternatives

Microsoft Project is similar in its setup, but as with other Microsoft products there are many features buried in the tabs. You have to know what you are looking for.

Verified User

Project Manager in Professional Services (Construction company, 51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

6 years of experience

Projects Can be a Project

Rating: 7 out of 10

Incentivized

January 10, 2020

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Currently, at our company, Microsoft Projects is used during the estimating phase while planning timeline and phasing of a project, and by Project Management when needed to create and revise schedules and manpower to see where and when resources will be used. The program allows us to plan accordingly and see where along with our schedule, we have a hole or time to make up if issues present themselves.

Pros

Planning
Scheduling

Cons

Not easy to learn

Likelihood to Recommend

Microsoft Projects is great for creating project schedules and tracking subcontractors, manpower and adjusting timelines based on issues or changes that come along throughout the lifetime of a project.

For what it’s used for it is a good product but the program can be difficult to learn and isn’t something you will pick up in a day. The cost is also expensive for a program that focuses on one specific area of a project.

Alternatives

In terms of how our company uses Microsoft Projects, which is mostly for scheduling and resource tracking, we have not used many other comparable programs. Previously we used Excel, which in itself is much easier, but does not have the reports, and complexity that Projects does and is not as valuable for time tracking. We also use Procore, but that does not so much create a schedule and is better at allowing for collaboration on a project from multiple sources, ie. General Contractors, Superintendents, Subcontractors, etc.

Erica Weiner

Assistant Project Manager in Product Management at Mahogany Incorporated (Construction, 51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

3 years of experience

View profile

Great for the novice who isn't ready for P6

Rating: 7 out of 10

Incentivized

June 23, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use it as a quick and dirty backup to P6 scheduling software. We have an in-house scheduling department that uses P6 to schedule our projects. However, for teams looking for a quick schedule that need turnaround when the scheduling team is unavailable or when it just makes sense to make a project themselves (ourselves), we can use Microsoft Project as a little more user-friendly quick option.

Pros

Schedules and Logic.
User-friendly.
Easy to learn interface, similar to all Microsoft products, so familiar to most new users.

Cons

The overall look of the schedules produced is a little lackluster. There are not a whole lot of customization options, and to the construction field, it is quickly recognizable that the schedule was produced in Project. It's not a bad thing, but not the industry standard. I think it would be better to design the output to follow P6 just for credibility. It almost looks a little bit "cartoonish" or juvenile. Now I understand that MS design is certainly "better looking," but this is simply in comparison to the industry standard for credibility purposes.

Likelihood to Recommend

It is well suited for scheduling quickly, and scheduling by a project team member that may not be familiar with the complexities of other scheduling software. The logic is easy to adjust and understand, and the inputs are easier than typical Primavera products. I overall think that it is a great product, much easier to use, just know that the overall scheduling industry standard is Primavera P6. I am not sure why, or how to address moving that over.

Alternatives

Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management

P6 is the biggest competition and, as previously noted, is the gold standard in scheduling in the construction world. We select them in some cases, and Project in other cases, depending on how much experience in scheduling the end user has under their belt.

Che Odom

Marketing and Business Administrator in Marketing at Rabren General Contractors, Inc. (Construction, 51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

5 years of experience

View profile

One of the basic tools for Construction Management

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

May 1, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Microsoft Project is the tool of choice in our organization to create and follow up on construction project schedules. We use it as a planning and decision-making tool.

Pros

Basic and/or detailed sequencing of activities.
Helps determine credible timelines for projects.

Cons

The resources assignment tool could be made easier. With so many resources to be managed, assigning resources in construction schedules turns them into huge files that are difficult to manage if your computer is modest in processing capacity.

Likelihood to Recommend

Well suited for all typical projects where tracking of earned value depends mostly on the percent progress achieved.
Less appropriate for projects where tracking depends more on the effort performed by the assigned resources of each activity. For example, in big construction projects where activities depend on the input of many resources like machinery of different types, manpower of different trades, supervision, etc.

Alternatives

Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management

We selected Microsoft Project because of its better use of as a stand-alone tool, plus being a more widely used tool in our business environment. Most of our clients and contractors are familiarized with Microsoft Project so it's easier to share information with them. Plus is a much easier tool for a colleague to teach and with literally a couple of hours of training you can get the least experienced person to start recording information.

Gonzalo Justiniani Herrera

Construction Manager at PanCO Construction Consultants (Construction, 1-10 employees)

Vetted Review

20 years of experience

View profile

Microsoft Project for Financial Projections

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

April 10, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Microsoft Project to schedule electrical construction projects. Microsoft Project easily allows for accurate projections when resources are input accurately. Tasking of employees and planning for labor is accomplished easily and it is easy to see when a single labor resource is over-allocated allowing us to decide to increase manpower or adjust the schedule.

Pros

Auto schedule for holidays and weekends without referencing an outside calendar.
Allocate resources for accurate projections.
Visualize actual construction progress in the timeline.
Multiple views and reports for presentation to construction crews and clients.

Cons

Import other schedules from Excel would be nice, but that's asking a lot.

Likelihood to Recommend

Microsoft Project is perfect for small to medium construction projects. Larger construction projects may benefit more from more robust scheduling software. A single contractor on a single project will benefit greatly from Microsoft Project as opposed to no scheduling software and trying to use a calendar method only. Linking of activities prevents missteps of activities when supervised properly.

Jay Handleson

Project Manager at PDE Total Energy Solutions (Construction, 1001-5000 employees)

Vetted Review

10 years of experience

View profile

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Great for the novice who isn't ready for P6

Rating: 7 out of 10

Incentivized

June 23, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Pros

Schedules and Logic.
User-friendly.
Easy to learn interface, similar to all Microsoft products, so familiar to most new users.

Cons

The overall look of the schedules produced is a little lackluster. There are not a whole lot of customization options, and to the construction field, it is quickly recognizable that the schedule was produced in Project. It's not a bad thing, but not the industry standard. I think it would be better to design the output to follow P6 just for credibility. It almost looks a little bit "cartoonish" or juvenile. Now I understand that MS design is certainly "better looking," but this is simply in comparison to the industry standard for credibility purposes.

Likelihood to Recommend

Alternatives

Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management

Che Odom

Marketing and Business Administrator in Marketing at Rabren General Contractors, Inc. (Construction, 51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

5 years of experience

View profile