Project Managers: Explore Some Software to Make Life Easier

Project managers have a lot of tasks to accomplish, and in business, time is money. This study examined the new ways project managers can save time and money, while producing a quality product or presentation. Project Management software can save a company both time and money by keeping track of which employees are on a project, the number of man hours already put into a project, the project's expense, and how far or far off a project is from being completed. However, as the researcher learned, not all software is designed the same. Some software performed better in assisting small businesses, while others did well for handling multiple projects at one time. Most software was geared to the professional Project Manager; however Microsoft's Project for Windows was specifically designed for the non-Project Manager. Too see which software can best be utilized a business has to take many factors into consideration. These include, but are not limited to: the size of the project (single or multiple), the type of business (small or large), the user (professional Project Manager or General Manager), and the cost. All of the Project Management software discussed retails from $395 - $697, so its features and performance will be concentrated in the following discussion.

Findings

During the early days of Project Management software, the software designed to help create time management actually took more time to use than it would save. A Manager would often have a difficult time learning the software's complexity and it would be of no use to the company (Business, 1997). With the advances and development of Project Management software, today's businesses are finding it easier to manage employees, inventory, and project deadlines, with the click of a mouse.
Most of a Project Manager's job description is communicating with other company officials about how far a project is coming along (Project Management, 1995). In the past, this was usually done by distributing photocopied reports or assembling for a PowerPoint presentation. Today, as many businesses are global, this isn't feasible. Project Managers now can submit their whole project (manpower hours, costs, inventory, duration, progress) via email by utilizing advanced Project Management software.

In addition to keeping track with a project, this software allows to the unexpected in business to occur, and with a few quick keystrokes a project can be back on task. For example, a project's budget may need to be reconfigured due a shortage of raw materials. A manager can go in and adjust the date the project would be completed, the new net cost of obtaining materials from another supplier, the inventory of the raw materials, and the extra manpower hours needed to extend the project. This would affect the overall report in all areas of the software. These changes could then be quickly emailed to all important persons involved with the project.

When it comes to utilizing all of this software, there are many types to choose from. Symantec Corporation manufactures Time Line for Windows, which retails for $695 (Time, 1995). This is designed for both the experienced and inexperienced manager, and "has many features borrowed from projects Symantec purchased or licensed, including an SQL database manager, a report generator and an automated project builder" (Time, 1995). Projects, calendars, resources, and overviews can be customized to suit the manager (Time, 1995). It is recommended to manage both large and multiple projects.

Another Project Management software program is Texim Project for Windows (Texim, 1995). This software provides good analytical features, but lacks workgroup support. For this reason, Texim scored fair and poor ratings when tested by PC Magazine (Texim, 1995). Having received an excellent rating, Primavera Systems Inc's SureTrak Project Manager for Windows performed very well in the small business category (Sure, 1995). This software is flexible and easy to customize, and it allows the user to have up to nine projects open at the same time (Sure, 1995). This is an important feature, as Project Managers can access multiple projects and keep track of all necessary operations (human resources, accounting, and inventory). The only downside to this is that, while users may be able to view all projects at the same time, they may not coordinate multiple projects (Sure, 1995). This means that data must be transferred to an Excel comparable program, or else manually charted or calculated.

When it comes to managing small, large, and multiple project categories, Scitor Corp's, Project Scheduler 6 for Windows received excellent ratings in all of these categories (Project Scheduler, 1995). It was rated PC Magazine's Editor's Choice for having a horizontal and vertical toolbar, thus maximizing the efficiency of the program, while allowing data to be viewed in both graphing and reporting views (Project Scheduler, 1995). Projects can cross-combined, and calendars can be customized according to the individual task (Project Scheduler, 1995).

As one of the forefront industry leaders, Microsoft has its version of Project Management software too. In keeping with traditional Microsoft tradition, its Microsoft Project for Windows software features its wizards to help uniform and minimize the labor involved in processing tasks and reports (Microsoft, 1995). For this feature, PC Magazine rated it an excellent rating in the ease category, but it only faired good in the power capabilities (Microsoft, 1995). "The design of Microsoft Project Version 4.0 for Windows is based on the premise that there is a large, unserved population of users whose specific expertise is not project management but who nevertheless need the scheduling, resource management, and accounting tools that traditional project management programs provide (Microsoft, 1995). In taking this into account, General Managers, Small Office Managers, and even Executive Assistants would most likely benefit from this Microsoft software, because of its ease and multi-feature capability.

Today's software is better than before. Companies are listening to Project Managers to find out what features are needed to improve the performance and function of the software. In addition as more tasks are delegated, software is becoming more user friendly, and large businesses are purchasing multi-task, multi-user Project Management software. In the future many companies may follow Microsoft's lead and design software specifically for non-Project Managers (i.e.: General Managers) that utilize the manpower of a company (Project Management, 1995). Perhaps one day, as software advances, high-tech software will develop allowing an employee to scan inventory, and it is automatically submitted back to the software and the inventory changes. Then, more supply is ordered automatically, which adjusts the accounting budget. This would greatly save on time and resources. Who knows, the future of Project Management is unlimited.

Works Cited

1. Microsoft Project for Windows. PC Magazine, April 11, 1995 v14 n7 p178(2).
2. Project Management on time and on budget. PC Magazine April 11, 1995 v14 n7 p165(6).
3. Project Scheduler 6 for Windows. PC Magazine, April 11, 1995 v14 n7 p183(3).
4. Sure Trak Project Manager for Windows. PC Magazine, April 11, 1995 v14 n7 p194(2).
5. Texim Project for Windows. PC Magazine, April 11, 1995 v14 n7 p196(2).
6. Time Line for Windows. PC Magazine, April 11, 1995 v14 n7 p198(2).