Project Management Chapter 1 Notes
Lowend tools:These tools provide basic project management features and generally cost less than $200 per user. Smartphone and tablet apps are available for much less, but they often have limited functionality. Lowend tools are often recommended for small projects and single users.
Most of these tools allow users to create Gantt charts, which cannot be done easily using current productivity software. Midrange tools: A step up from lowend tools, midrange tools are designed to handle larger projects, multiple users, and multiple projects. All of these tools can produce Gantt charts and network diagrams, and can assist in critical path analysis, resource allocation, project tracking, and status reporting. Prices range from about $200 to $1,000 per user, or less per month for online tools. Several tools require additional server software for using workgroup features.
Microsoft Project is still the most widely used project management software in this category, and it has an enterprise version, as described earlier and in Appendix A. Students and educators can purchase software like Microsoft Project at reduced prices from sites like www.journeyed.com
($139.95 for Project Professional 2010 in 2012), and anyone can download a trial version from
Microsoft’s Web site. Many other suppliers also provide trial versions of their products. Highend tools: Another category of project management software is highend tools, sometimes referred to as enterprise project management software. These tools provide robust capabilities to handle very large projects and dispersed workgroups, and they have enterprise and portfolio management functions that summarize and combine individual project information to provide an enterprise view of all projects. These products are generally licensed on a peruser basis, can be integrated with enterprise database management software, and are accessible via the
Internet. In 2002, Microsoft introduced
Most of these tools allow users to create Gantt charts, which cannot be done easily using current productivity software. Midrange tools: A step up from lowend tools, midrange tools are designed to handle larger projects, multiple users, and multiple projects. All of these tools can produce Gantt charts and network diagrams, and can assist in critical path analysis, resource allocation, project tracking, and status reporting. Prices range from about $200 to $1,000 per user, or less per month for online tools. Several tools require additional server software for using workgroup features.
Microsoft Project is still the most widely used project management software in this category, and it has an enterprise version, as described earlier and in Appendix A. Students and educators can purchase software like Microsoft Project at reduced prices from sites like www.journeyed.com
($139.95 for Project Professional 2010 in 2012), and anyone can download a trial version from
Microsoft’s Web site. Many other suppliers also provide trial versions of their products. Highend tools: Another category of project management software is highend tools, sometimes referred to as enterprise project management software. These tools provide robust capabilities to handle very large projects and dispersed workgroups, and they have enterprise and portfolio management functions that summarize and combine individual project information to provide an enterprise view of all projects. These products are generally licensed on a peruser basis, can be integrated with enterprise database management software, and are accessible via the
Internet. In 2002, Microsoft introduced