What version do I need?

[Top Spin]

I would like to put my business on Project. I have been using Outlook
tasks and Word documents. I'm hoping this will be better.

We have a 2-node p2p network. My assistant uses the workstation and I
use the laptop. We are running Windows 2000 on both.

My admin will be the primary user, but I would like to be able to look
at the project files and maybe modify them from time to time.

We have a couple of other applications where she is the primary user,
but I need to view the data and occasionally modify it. We came up
with a system of shared and mirrored folders that works pretty well.
I'm wondering if we can do this with Project?

* Install a copy of Project on each machine.
* Create a shared folder on her machine for the project data files.
* Create a similar folder on my laptop.
* Use a shareware program (FileSync) to keep the two folders in sync.

Most of the time, if I needed to see the project, I would use the
mirror folder (either when connected to the network or away from the
office). If I needed to modify the project, I would make sure that she
is not using it and then either access it on the shared folder or do a
sync to make sure I have the latest, do the modifications on the
mirror folder, then sync again to udate her copy.

From what I can see on the MSFT web site, I should be to do this with
Project 2002 Standard. Is that correct?

I don't think I can even make use of the Professional or Server
versions on a P2P network. Is that correct?

Thanks

 

[Steve House]

You can use Project Professional or Standard but you won't have access to
any of the enterprise functionality of Project Pro with also using Project
Server so save your money. Server cannot run on a peer-to-peer, it requires
Windows Server, Internet Information Server, and SQL Server as well as
Project Server itself and this represents a considerable investment in
hardware, software, and the administrative overhead to get it all
functioning and keep it running. It would be far more ecomical to purchase
2 licenses of Project 2002 Standard. FYI. Project 2003 is right around the
corner, like next month, so it would make sense to wait though I believe the
technology guarantee program has already kicked in so it would be a free
upgrade if you purchase 2002 now.

You might want to consider what you're trying to accomplish by implementing
Project for your organization. "Project" as the term is used in everyday
business language and "Project" as used by the discipline of formal project
management are sometimes two quite different critters. First and foremost,
a project is something very specific - a time limited undertaking resulting
in the creation of a unique product or result - and it is not the same thing
as coordinating the pieces of an ongoing business operation. For example,
the creation of a new help desk department in an orgainzation is a project,
but coordinating the staff, workload, and activities in an existing help
desk is not (although certainly the help desk may have real projects as part
of its responsibilities). I'd strongly suggest you review some sources on
formal project management in general (the MSProject FAQs and the PMI
website, www.pmi.org, are good starting points) and critical path
methodology in specific to see if it really applies to your situation before
comitting to a major effort. It emphatically is NOT a replacement for nor
an enhancement to using Outlook tasks or other daily planner and calendaring
applications to manage your business's day-to-day activities or those of
your staff. Before purchasing you should research what it really does and
determine if that's something you really need doing <grin>.