MSFT Project Issues

I received a comment that needs to be commented on...

In my opinion, the major deficiencies of MS Project are, and always have been:

1. It cannot display or print a   pictorial WBS;

The PERT Chart Expert tool provides the needed replacement for the lack of any PERT output. As well the WBS version of this product from Critical Tools provides an OK replacement for the complete lack of WBS management in MSP

2. There is essentially no practical way to update the project with actual cost, for example, by importing a time card file. In fact,importing or exporting anything to/from MS project is extremely cumbersome and limited.

In practice separating cost and schedule is the best approach. Using a cost accounting system like CostView, MPM or even SAP provides a clean break between schedule and cost. Reporting BCWS and Physical percent complete to one of these applications is the standard approach. MSFT of course poorly understanding the costing side of projects as demonstrated by the lack of an accounting calendar.

3. It cannot display a time-phased
(aligned with a timeline) task network.

The PERT Chart expert product is a start of this.

MS project is a toy, useful only for small, barely changing projects. It certainly will not support managing a Government C/SCSC (Cost Schedule Control System Criteria) project. I don't believe any serious project manager would try to use it to manage a major program.

Not sure a "toy" is the correct description. We use MSP on multi-billion dollar programs - with the associated cost tools and a non-trivial amount of VBA to glue things together. But certainty MSP is lacking in many of the features found in more serious enterprise project management tools.