Why should Civil Engineering Students know Project Management Software?
The civil engineering industry is broad and varied. Civil engineers work in both construction and manufacturing. They share similarities with project managers when it comes to their job. They plan, design, construct, manage and supervise the construction of projects.
Due to complex projects and the ability to generate workload with ease, project management software is an integral part of the civil engineering process, more so now than ever before. Unfortunately, Project management software or concepts are not taught in Colleges and are not a priority for many students. Therefore, today we will like to elaborate on why civil engineering students should know project management software and how to use it.
We have so many engineers in the market holding their degrees up and looking for a well-paying job in current situations. But, many unfortunate candidates fail to get one. The reason might be not having industry-related skills and talent.
Importance of Project Management Software for Civil Engineering Students
As the world of construction and manufacturing has evolved, the industry demands a full sound knowledge of project management software or PMP certification. With the understanding of the application of this software, civil engineers can function more efficiently.
PMI (Project Management Institute) trains individuals who aspire to become project managers by offering PMP certification. Many civil engineers have opted out of PMP certification and got proficient with project management software to level up their skills.
To begin with, civil engineers who know project management software are highly beneficial for an organization and clients. Generally, clients or organizations have some set or restricted financial assets to complete a project in a specific time. Civil engineers who are good with planning can save the time and cost of a project and help achieve better results.
In addition, with expertise in project management and project management software, civil engineers can deliver some complex projects efficiently and consistently. With the help of the software, civil engineers can plan and strategize that can give the best outcome.
Furthermore, PMP certification and expertise can help civil engineers learn industry standards that are tested by experienced professionals and polish them to produce more fruitful results.
Therefore, every civil engineer who wishes to succeed and achieve a stable income with a good life should know project management software.
Which Project Management Software Should Civil Engineers Know?
Among the many project management software, some software is essential in civil engineering. Some of the commonly used software are mentioned below.
Primavera P6
Oracle’s Primavera is a robust project management tool widely used by all project-driven industries like Power, Infrastructure, Metro, Amart City, Manufacturing, Telecom, I.T industry it has powerful features to develop scope, Schedule, tracking /monitoring & forecasting. It will help n developing CPM Charts/Barc Charts/ Cash Flow/ Target schedule & Customised reports required to be shared to key stakeholders related to progress forecasting, plan, to-do list, etc.
P6 EPPM is a fully web-based interface so that the project team can access information anywhere and anytime. P6EPPM can provide planning, scheduling, cost and resource management software that enables organizations to make informed decisions and improve their ability to deliver projects on time and on budget.
Asta Power Project
It is the most powerful tool that one case use to prioritize, plan and manage projects. Whether you are managing small or large projects or a program, it gives you complete control, enabling you to make decisions based on the most up-to-date information. Astapower project’s easy-to-use graphical user interface helps you plan your projects and access the information you need with ease. It simplifies resource and cost management both within individual projects or large programs. You can interface the Astapower project with external applications manipulate your data, create reports and automate standard procedures to speed up the process
Primavera Unifier
Unifier is the project lifecycle management solution from Oracle Primavera; which is mainly used for capital planning, project delivery cost control, and facilities and real estate management. Primavera Unifier gives us governance across all project phases, from planning and building to operations and maintenance. We can export summarised data from Primavera P6 to Unifier and do the analysis in Unifier’s Cost Sheet, Cash Flow, and Earned Value modules. Unifier also enables user-defined reports and custom reports based on the integrated data.
Trello
In Agile planning where we use Kanban Trello is the visual work management tool that empowers teams to ideate, plan, manage, and celebrate their work together in a collaborative, productive, and organized way. If you and your team are starting anything new or trying to get more organized with your existing work, Trello adapts to any project.
Excel
Microsoft Excel is a universal project management software in civil engineering. Excel is a great tool to carry out complex calculations during project planning. One can always use excel spreadsheets for personal use to get familiar with excel.
Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project is another project management software that is used in construction. With Microsoft Project, civil engineers can check schedules, manage finances, and much more.
These are some of the software that civil engineers widely use. Apart from these, several other software is available according to expertise.
Conclusion
A civil engineer specializes in the design and planning of different types of infrastructures. Although it is possible to complete a civil engineering degree without having project management skills, most civil engineering degrees require students to take several courses in project management, including topics on how to manage and execute projects on time and within budget. Thus, civil engineers must learn project management software. It is proven that Civil Engineers with Project management certification earn more than people who don’t have project management knowledge.
