Helping hand for project management
 
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Part of your job as an IT pro is to make sure that upgrades and new rollouts get done on time and within budget. No matter what team members or technologies are involved, using a project management tool can greatly increase the likelihood of success.
Project management tools typically help you schedule and track tasks, resources and deadlines. Microsoft® Project 2000 is the dominant general-purpose desktop scheduling tool, according to Gartner Research. However, there are several other tools to consider, including:
* Computer Associates' SuperProject
* IMSI Software's TurboProject
* Inovie Software's TeamCenter
* KIDASA Software's Milestones
* Primavera Systems' P3, SureTrak or TeamPlay
* Scitor's Project Scheduler
* Timeline's Timeline
* Welcom's OpenPlan
Companies that need more functionality to manage multiple, complex projects at the enterprise level may need to turn to third-party toolsets from vendors such as elabor.com, Pacific Edge, and SME Corp. Such tools are often called project portfolio management, or PPM.
If you're shopping for a PPM tool, pay close attention to features. Gartner identifies some of the most popular capabilities buyers are looking for in a PPM tool:
* What-if modeling
* Project views
* Ease of use
* Project time reporting
* Interface to different formats
* Project information and status
* Resource allocation
* Rules-based workflow configuration
* Internet or intranet enablement
* E-mail notification
* Reporting
* Database support
* Security
You can download the entire Gartner report on The Project Office for free (registration necessary) at: www.techrepublic.com/download_now.jhtml?url=ftp://ftp.techrepublic.com/itconsultant/white_paper/project_office.zip&id=dr00720000915rec01.htm&title=The+Project+Office:+Teams,+Processes,+and+Tools
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Amy Schurr is an editor for Network World's Management Strategies and Features sections. If you have any career topics you'd like her to cover or want to comment on this newsletter, you can reach her at aschurr@nww.com.
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