Project Management Tools

Microsoft Office Project Conference 2006

2005-12-18T22:25:00.000-06:00

This year’s show will be held January 17-19th, 2006 in Seattle, Washington. This conference will provide attendees with opportunity to learn about Project and EPM. Microsoft informs that the program will include the following:

A special keynote address from Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO.
Over 80 sessions dedicated to the current and future release of Project and EPM broken out into different tracks
Best practices and information sharing from industry experts and access to the individuals who design and develop Microsoft Office Project and the EPM Solution.Hands on Labs and an exhibitor pavilion.
Deep knowledge and readiness for how to configure, manage and deploy the next release of Project and Project 2003.
An evening event, meals during core show hours, a softcopy of the presentations, plus gifts.

For more info: http://www.msprojectconference.com./US/

Project Server Companion Products

2005-12-18T22:06:00.000-06:00

http://project.mvps.org is one of the best sites on internet about MS Project Server information. The site has a list of companion products to Project Server. Some of the ones I like a lot are:
1- CoGenTex, Inc.
www.cogentex.com/products/reporter

Project Reporter is an innovative tool that automatically generates web-based project status reports, using files created with Microsoft(R) Project(TM).Project Reporter makes it easy and cost-effective to share project information with team members and project stakeholders, in an accessible format and without requiring special-purpose software.Project Reporter is designed for ease of use, both by project administrators and end users. On a typical office Intranet, you can install Project Reporter and have your projects on the web in half an hour. Viewing reports is easy - simply use the interactive Gantt chart applet to navigate through a project, and follow the hyperlinks to find the information you need.

For the rest of the products, visit http://project.mvps.org

ProjectSheet- check it out

2005-08-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

I like it, and want to share this tool with you.
ProjectSheet is an easy-to-use Excel-based planning tool that enables users to quickly create and manage project schedules. Users can plan forward from start dates or backward from due dates, link start dates, create task groups, and flag dates that exceed desired targets...all within an elegant and intuitive interface.
ProjectSheet produces attractive, easy-to-read, and comprehensive Gantt charts, or users can print a table view to share with their team.
Although it was primarily designed for folks who need to manage projects of low to moderate complexity (and for whom MS Project is overkill), we've found that customers are also using ProjectSheet as a front-end planning tool to quickly get a handle on project schedules before taking them into a more robust solution like Project or another enterprise-level solution.
Because it is Excel-based, users can leverage the collaboration tools within MS Office. And ProjectSheet is perfect for folks in locked-down IT environments, because it does not require installation and will not trigger security alerts.
Please visit http://www.ProjectSheet.com for more information, or feel free to write back and I can get you a brochure, an electronic copy of the Quick Tour Guide, or an evaluation copy.

Easy Projects .NET

2005-08-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

Easy Projects .NET - the latest generation web based system for managing and tracking software development projects. It is called "Easy Projects" for a good reason - it was specifically designed to make software project management hassle free and straightforward. If you are in the software business or just doing some IT work, if you are tired of spending days trying to setup and configure a large and complicated "fits all sizes" project application with millions of features or if you just want a simple web based tool to manage your projects - look no further than Easy Projects .NET. For more information: http://www.easyprojects.net/overview.asp

Open Source PM tool: OpenSched- Automated Project Scheduling

2005-03-16T04:40:00.000-06:00

OpenSched: Automated Project Scheduling

Ecco Pro is back!

2005-02-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

Ecco Pro is back and is available for free directly from the NetMange website. This tool is a life saver for project managers and knowledge workers who have multiple schedules and projects to juggle.Information about Ecco Pro and how to obtain it is available at URL:

http://www.compusol.org/cs/ecco/

Are you getting accurate and timely information about your projects?

2005-02-28T21:19:00.000-06:00

HMS Software and Microsoft Canada have joined forces to show how your business can unlock the value of Microsoft Office Project and Project Server 2003 to reduce response time, capture costs more accurately, and increase project profitability by integrating software and business processes.

By attending this event you will receive valuable information about what you can do - right now – to take the guesswork out of project management.

Join the exclusive event on Tuesday, March 8th specifically designed for IT project managers and senior executives.
Date: March 8, 2005Time: 8:30am - 11:00amLocation: Microsoft Canada Head Office, 1950 Meadowvale Blvd, Mississauga, ON L5N 8L9

HMS Software will deliver a content-packed event with an overview of Microsoft Project solutions with a demonstration of Microsoft Office Project and Project Server 2003. This is your chance to see Project Management technology in action from one of Canada’s leading experts in the field.

MS Project Server 2003 Tips

2005-02-23T17:46:00.000-06:00

Is it right to call it tip or finding, I don't know. Feel free to comment on it.

Project Server Resource Center avalibility grid and diagram don't update real time if users send new or changed assignments to the PServer. I found out that it there is appr. 1 hr delay to update. I haven't looked into the reasons in detail, however here is what i found to overcome the issue. To make the update real time, have the plans Published with "Send All Information". This feature updates the views real time. Anybody knows the reason?

Welcome Home 4.0 Enhance Proejct Communication for Improved Returns

2005-01-25T05:10:00.000-06:00

New Release of WelcomHome helps improve project performance by allowing participants to access key project information through a browser.

(January 10, 2005) Houston, Texas - Welcom, a global leader in project and cost management software and services, today announced the release of WelcomHome™ 4.0, the latest version of its Web-based project collaboration portal. WelcomHome allows teams and stakeholders to use a single, customizable interface to easily access project and cost information from multiple systems. Performance and communication is enhanced as data from various systems is combined and accessed in real time. Live schedule views make it easy to monitor total project progress while document and task management features give users better project control.

“Before using WelcomHome, people had to e-mail back and forth or call to stay informed,” says Thea Yancey, proposal manager with Sperry Marine. “The wrong version of a document could be passed to somebody and team members might miss information if they missed meetings. Now everyone gets general information from the portal’s home pages, reviews an up-to-date notice board, checks documents in and out, accesses process and risk information, and views live schedule and milestone reports.”“

In any given project, many groups of people within an organization are brought together, each with different needs,” says Steve Cook, president and co-founder of Welcom. “As project teams become more dispersed, the challenge to communicate effectively and share information in a timely manner is greater. WelcomHome has the power and versatility our customers need to better monitor a project’s health at any time, whether in the office or on the road.”WelcomHome allows sharing of up-to-date project and cost information throughout the organization. Project teams can communicate easier to bring projects to a successful completion.

The portal integrates data from a variety of business systems, including scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project® and Welcom’s Open Plan®, as well as project cost information and earned value from Welcom’s Cobra®. New features include enhanced item management, comprehensive document management, and greater customization capabilities.

WelcomHome 4.0 pricing starts at US$15,000 for 25 named users. Additional users can be added with pricing beginning at $200 per user. WelcomHome is sold directly and through an international network of distributors.

More information is available at www.welcom.com or by calling 1-800-349-8854 or 1-281-558-0514.

About WelcomHomeWelcomHome is a Web-based project management portal that provides all project participants with easy access to project information from multiple systems. Digital dashboards and project health views provide executives with up-to-date program metrics. Live schedule views, document management, and item management give project managers closer project control and improved team member collaboration.Schedule information from Open Plan and Microsoft Project is accessed and remotely updated through the WelcomHome portal. DataViews (custom reports) are easily extended to interface with other corporate systems. With fully customizable reporting, navigation, and branding, WelcomHome has the flexibility to fit the unique business needs of each customer.

About WelcomWelcom (www.welcom.com) provides cost and project management solutions that allow organizations to effectively plan and manage business-critical projects, delivering the right information to the right person for maximum collaboration and control. With over two decades of leadership and a worldwide customer base, Welcom is an established global leader with extensive project management and vertical industry expertise.

Established in 1983, Welcom is a privately held company with corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas, USA, and offices in the United Kingdom, Singapore, and reseller partners worldwide.

-end-Welcom, Open Plan, and Cobra are registered trademarks and WelcomHome is a trademark of WST Corporation. All rights reserved. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.

MS Project Tip

2005-01-25T05:01:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't like good MS Project Tips. Here is one on how to print the notes. I ran into this in ALLPM, a site dedicated to improve project management.

Q: What would be some tips about documenting changes in the project. My sponsorslike to see the changes in dates, durations documented. I am currently usingthe Notes column. However, this doesn't print well with Gantt charts and printingit at the end has limited utility. Additionally, it seems there is a field limit.

A: John, there are two ways of printing Notes:
- as a separate page through File, Page Setup, tab View
- in between the tasks by using a Report, choose Views, Reports, click Custom,select a Task report and click Edit, tab Definition, select Notes.

The next best way is to save your entire project in MS Access and add fieldsto the tables in MS Access in which you capture the changes.Hope this helps...
Answered by AllPM resident guru Eric Uyttewaal, PMPVice-President, MS Project CertificationInternational Institute for Learning, Inc.

WBS by Critical Tools

2005-01-12T21:47:00.000-06:00

I completely recommend this tool to every project planner. Excellent WBS creation tool which has close to perfect integration with MS Project. The tool works with MS Project 2003 as well as all previous versions. The printing could be improved though.

The same firm also offers Network diagramming tool, unfortunately I can't say the same good things about that one. Still worth to try.

Both tools have trial versions at the companies web site. Criticaltools.com

Checklists and templates

2005-01-12T21:40:00.000-06:00

Cardboard Checklists (tm) "These checklists are a tool for helping you focus attention on the critical aspects of your project at the different stages of its lifecycle."
Methods123.com a Project Management Methodology which provides you with all of the documents,processes, tools, templates and methods required in order to succeed as a Project Manager. These tools are an integral part of the Method123 project lifecycle. 12 Templates free! ProgramControl.com makes available for download preformatted and customized templates for managing a wide range of projects. Templates include renovation, systems integration, network implementation, software validation, etc.
Project Management Productivity Checklist
ProjectSmart
Sample Project Charter
SmartDraw Easily Create Gantt Charts and PERT Charts for Project Management in Minutes—Free
[pdf] What Every Project Manager Should Know and Do

Simple but good site for more of similiar tools:

2005-01-11T19:34:00.000-06:00

Couple stuff to start with.

Microsoft Project web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/project

Project 2003
Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Migration Tool
Project 2003 Software Development Kit (SDK)
Project Server 2003 Configuration Planning Guide
Project Server 2003 Installation Guide
Microsoft Office 2003 Web Services Toolkit 2.01
Project Server 2003: Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Packs
Project Server 2003 Administrator's Guide
Project Server 2003 Application Configuration Guide
Project Server 2003 Disaster Recovery Guide
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003: Portfolio Analyzer OLAP Extensions
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003: Project Data Service (PDS) Usage and Methods Reference
Microsoft Office Project 2003 Workgroup Message Handler
Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 Database Compatibility Scripts for Microsoft Project Server 2002
Project Server 2003 Database Schema
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003: WinHTTP Proxy Configuration Tool
Project Server 2003 SetTracing Utility
Project Server 2003 Setup Flow Diagram
Project Server 2003 In-Box Documentation
Project 2003 Database Schema
Windows Server 2003 Statement of Support for Microsoft Project Server 2002
Project Server 2003 PSMIGRAT Utility
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 ConnInfo Utility
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 PSCOMPlus Tool

Project 2002
Project 2002 Update:http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2002/prj1001.aspx
Project Server 2002 Update:http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2002/ps1001en.aspx
Project 2002 Software Development Kit (SDK)http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2f38311b-5307-4ca4-a7e2-345affc14758&DisplayLang=en

Project 2000
Project 2000 SR-1 downloads
Project 2000 Training Manual 1 Project 2000 Training Manual 2
Project 2000 SR-1 download
Project 2000 Deployment Kit

2005-01-11T19:28:00.000-06:00

PM tools

2005-01-11T19:21:00.000-06:00

This is a blog to discuss anything related to project management tools.