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Subject:Re: Project management software From:Randall Raemon <rlr -at- HAL -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 20 Feb 1995 15:33:44 -0600
Emily Skarzenski writes:
> I, too, am becoming interested in project management software. Originally,
when
> I was a one-person department, I simply kept a detailed to-do list in Lotus
> Organizer and MS Word. However, my staff and workload are growing, and I'm
> wondering if I should consider project management software.
> I asked my boss about it (he's not a writer-type), and he said that packages
> like Microsoft Project are more trouble than they're worth unless you're
> planning large-scale projects that involve lots of people. It's true that I
> don't need a really complex package (at least not at this point), and if he's
> right, I certainly don't want to spend the money or effort on an
> MS Project-type application.
From my own experience, your boss is right. I've worked with both
CA-SuperProject and Symatec TimeLine. Both are good at what they do, but are
not well suited to handling small projects (the data entry can take longer
than the projects themselves...)
On the other hand, if you're trying to coordinate a lot of people, events,
and other resources (e.g. facilities) over a long time frame, then these
kinds of programs can be invaluable...
> Does anybody know of anything simpler and cheaper (maybe even shareware?) for
> doing light project scheduling and tracking? Or any good ideas for organizing
> the same type of system in a word processor or spreadsheet?
For "simple" projects, I find that simply drawing a timeline on a whiteboard
works quite well. The eraser is what brings hi-tech to the work :-)...
For programs, I would suggest checking some of the shareware forums on
Compuserve, or look at one of the PC-oriented BBS sites, such as Exec-PC.
Alternately, checking the SimTel archives or wuarchive.wustl.edu could yield
something useful for you, if you have ftp access.
In the comp.software-eng newsgroup, there is a Project Managements Programs
FAQ posted at intervals. It has a review/summary of some, but by no means
all, project management programs on various platforms. If I have a recent
copy, I'll forward it on to you.
Good luck...
--
Randall Raemon
rlr -at- hal -dot- com
delta1 -at- netcom -dot- com
0005650778 -at- mcimail -dot- com
