Alternatives?

[mr goat]

Hello

I am from a small business that needs to find a solution for managing
projects.

We need to be able to do basic Gannt charts and then 'alter'
milestones depending on other commitments that mat come up on an ad
hoc basis.

MS Project does this. But it feels like using Photoshop to do a bit
of cropping.

Our licenses allow me to use it, but I feel like I am 'fighting' with
it every step of the way. Training courses for it seem to come in at
*around* 700 odd quid a day.

So, after that, what am I after?

I want to know if there is a less bloaty, easier to use app that will
allow me to do what I need to do with a Gannt Chart.

Any ideas?

Please email me at this address or reply here. damian DOT jennings AT
inweb DOT co DOT uk.

Thanks in advance.

Damian

 

[Rob Schneider]

Hello

I am from a small business that needs to find a solution for managing
projects.

We need to be able to do basic Gannt charts and then 'alter'
milestones depending on other commitments that mat come up on an ad
hoc basis.

MS Project does this. But it feels like using Photoshop to do a bit
of cropping.

Our licenses allow me to use it, but I feel like I am 'fighting' with
it every step of the way. Training courses for it seem to come in at
*around* 700 odd quid a day.

So, after that, what am I after?

I want to know if there is a less bloaty, easier to use app that will
allow me to do what I need to do with a Gannt Chart.

Any ideas?

Please email me at this address or reply here. damian DOT jennings AT
inweb DOT co DOT uk.

Thanks in advance.

Damian

Damian,

Full Disclosure: I think Microsoft Project is probably the best PM tool
available. There are other market leading products. There are other
emerging products. I wouldn't call version up to 2002 bloaty. Don't yet
know about Project 2003.

If all you are after is to create Gantt Chart pictures, and allow easy
modification of those pictures...use Excel. Or if you want to be fancy,
use Visio; or even PowerPoint for that matter. Keep it simple.

If what you are after is to build a project schedule which you will use
to identify critical path, resource commitments, communication of Gantt
charts, tracking capabilities to be use as part of your Project
Management process ... then use Project (or other PM tool).

My hunch is that your struggling because you are using Project as a
fancy way to make a Gantt Chart picture. Whenever I see that,
frustrated users of Microsoft Project are nearby. Also nearby are folks
who will then tell me that Project was always giving "wrong" answers and
"I can do better with Excel". I also tend to notice projects that are
in distress, not necessarily due to selection of tools, but PM
methodology and work processes.

Idea: take that 700 quid and instead of taking yet another generic
Project training course, call in a PM consultant (someone who knows and
uses Project would help) who can work with you for one day talking about
how you manage your projects, what you wish you could do, what you want
to do, what you don't want to do, ... and go from there. A consultant
can help you with fresh new ideas and perspectives to help you achieve
your business objectives.

No matter what PM tool you use, you'll find best success if you use it
as *part* of your PM work processes instead of as a fancy
Gantt-chart-picture-maker.

All that being said, you can find lots of other PM Tools starting with
taking a peek at
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Software/Project_Management/.
Microsoft does have competition.

 

[mr goat]

All that being said, you can find lots of other PM Tools starting with
taking a peek at
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Software/Project_Management/.
Microsoft does have competition.

Thank you so much for your intelligent and well written answer. I
appreciate your help and input. And you make sense too.

Appreciated.

Thank you.

Damian de la Goat