Microsoft Project 2002

Rating:
Summary: Project Power Tool
Review: After driving this incredibly powerful application, I was ready to retire my expert level MOS certificate. Micro$oft (M$) Project 2002 is not terribly user friendly & it's intuitive in several of the wrong areas. However, it's exceptionally strong & incorporates a tonne of valuable functions.

For most inexperienced & average users, Project 2002 is simply too powerful to learn from a book & will require several classes w/a knowledgeable instructor. Yet, even if familiar w/the previous version, Project 2000 (P2k), more has changed than just the Graphic User Interface (GUI).

Almost all charts are now based on using the Gantt chart view. Program Review & Evaluation Technique (PERT) charts are no longer included as a View or Report option--instead, the Gantt must be selected & manipulated. This sort of needless integration is rather untidy; especially when using a network technique, like PERT, for specific detail over the basic shotgun approach of the Gantt.

"Oh, but what about the new & improved HTML Help?" Ha! Try figuring out anything useful from that suppos'ed Help feature. For instance, I wanted to change the default on the annoying undo button?there's only 3 undos btw, so use them well--I found everything BUT any help on the undo button. Also, there is NO redo button. C'mon M$, not everyone is as perfect @ data entry as your programmers are @ coding.

Take another example; I was looking to print a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) chart--easily done in P2k--no dice from the Help. Though, if I wanted, I could create a chart using Project & Visio in conjunction. Feh! I didn't have Visio, ergo, Help did me NO good whatsoever.

Yet, the Help feature does include plenty of handy tips on how resource allocation & material budgeting works. However, if I'm in PM, I already KNOW how these things work. I just need to enter them into Project, & more importantly, change them as necessary.

Several other user issues had me shaking my head in frustration. For instance, as all good PM folks know--or should know--Functional Components (FC) are key to any project. However, Project doesn't differentiate between a FC & a task. Meaning, if you enter a FC on the task list, the application presumes it's a task & intuitively assigns a duration period. Further aggravation ensues as tasks are entered & demoted beneath the FC & the duration time locks in on the FC. ARGH! I didn't even *want* durations assigned to the FC, yet, I was stuck w/a estimated duration of 0?days that didn't change as I assigned durations to the tasks. Feh. Fortunately, I know the M$ mindset fairly well & after some trial & failure, I figured out a reasonable solution; no thanks to the much vaunted Help.

Before this turns into an ol'fashioned M$ bashfest--& I can trash talk M$ all day--I feel they've made plenty of improvements & practical additions from previous versions of Project. For instance, the Project Wizard is a nifty new feature for putting together a basic project & allows the freedom to go as simple or complex as desired. A keen enhancement over P2k, material consumables can now be allocated in real-world customisable units e.g. tonnes, gross.

I found the smart tags on resource handling amazingly sensible & a key advance over P2k. While I don't necessarily need to be told I'm adding a new resource, it's nice to have the available options on-demand upon keying in a datum. Further, the intuitive design verifies changes or additions are for the right reasons & serves as a gentle reminder the project plan has been altered. After all, PM is all about the details & it's easy crash a project by over-scheduling.

M$ is obviously attempting to position its offering to compete w/more powerful Project Management tools; tendering an enterprise wide solution w/the collaborations options via the Project Server--nothing wrong w/this endeavour. However, Project 2002 is a big beast w/a complication factor going beyond the scope of an average M$ user. Even users w/M$ credentials--& for the most part, comfortable w/the mindset of M$ code slingers--can find themselves chewing through their bottom lip contending w/wonky development & multitudes of options.

Obviously, I can?t really fault M$ in their effort to create a better product & increase their market share. However, I can argue their product was fine as a general office PM tool, &, by trying to take it to a level of professional PM tools, they?ve alienated customers @ the user level. W/the tonnes of PM software out there--like Axista, easier to use & doesn?t intuitively insert what it thinks the user wants--M$ really should pay more attention to average end-users.

As Project 2002 is beast to work, smart managers are going to question if they need to put together a project to train themselves &/or their employees on using this product! Indeed, in view of the time, effort, money, & especially the training it takes to create a functional Project user, these bosses might go a relatively simpler route.

Obviously, the ubiquity of easy to use web-based PM tools presents a nice option as there's little set-up & readily available tech support from the supplier. Then, there's the choice of purchasing a licensing agreement for an uncomplicated software tool from the competition. Of course, there's always outsourced customised PM tools designed by a 3rd party vendor, or having in-house talent put together a package.

While I'm not terribly sanguine about M$ products, Project 2002's acumen for detail make it a Project Power Tool. While it's petty to subtract an entire star on a single function, it's also inane not to include a redo & fully functional undo button; especially w/such a hefty price tag. Considering the above, M$ will better serve its profits by modelling Project after Excel w/its ease of use & streamlined options. Otherwise, it's a terrific product for the skilled project manager.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful program, but nasty to learn
Review: I got a trial by fire, or rather, immersion, in this software. I got a copy at work and had to immediately set up a project. Oh, the pain, the pain.

This software has just about everything you could ever need to set up a project, including GANTT charts, PERT charts and schedules. Project set-up parameters such as identifing objectives, scope, stakeholders, costs, resources, risks, etc. are available.

What this software won't teach you is how to use MS Project 2002 to fullest advantage. For that, there are text books, courses, computer-based trainings. If you intend to reap the full benefits of this powerful package, you need some kind of intensive tutorial. The good news is that there is so much power here that you will be likely to grow into the software and find more and more things you can do with it. But the beginning can be rough going.

In summary, a lot of software power for the money, but to fully use that power, you'll need some kind of guide or course.

Rating:
Summary: A great program but not for the average user.
Review: I have had the privilege of using this product and to be honest, it is truly amazing. With a very concise, easy to use and intuitive interface, MS Project is the number one solution for big businesses. What Project does is to organise how events in your company is scheduled, example if your releasing a product or scheduling how workers operate in your organisation. About the easy to learn part, compared to other project managament software MS Project hands down is the easiest, with the usual Microsoft Office interface, your on way to learning this product. You might have to go to some lesson classes in Project management first, because this product is not for the ordinary user, it for big businesses that need to have their company on time and in order. The price is a little bit scary, but if you are a company that has to always be prepared I recommend it. This version is even more integrated with web services, so for those companies that have Intranets good opportunity to purchase. For the average user who wants a scheduling program, buy Microsoft Outlook.

Rating:
Summary: A great program but not for the average user.
Review: I have had the privilege of using this product and to be honest, it is truly amazing. With a very concise, easy to use and intuitive interface, MS Project is the number solution for any large company. What Project does is to organise how events in your company is scheduled, example if your releasing a product or scheduling how workers operate in your organisation. About the easy to learn part, compared to other project managament software MS Project hands down is the easiest, with the usual Microsoft Office interface, your on way to learning this product. You might have to go to some lesson classes in Project management first, because this product is not for the ordinary user, it for big businesses that need to have their company on time and in order. The price is a little bit scary, but if you are a company that has to always be prepared I recommend it. If you have just purchased version 2000, please wait two to three years, spending $300 to $600 is not a nice thing to do. This version is even more integrated with web services, so for those companies that have Intranets good opportunity to purchase. Project 95 and 98 users, this is recommended upgrade. For the average user who wants a scheduling program, buy Microsoft Outlook.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but integration requires a little more work...
Review: One of the reasons that Project appealed to me was the emphasis on the integration with Microsoft Outlook. However, without running Project Server, the integration effort is a bit klugey, at best.

As a new user, I can offer only minimal comments on the project management aspects of the software; seems to work fine for me, allowing me to plot out my development activities over the next few months, and allocate resources (and time) to those efforts. The interface is intuitive, and I was developing my project list within minutes after installation.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but integration requires a little more work...
Review: One of the reasons that Project appealed to me was the emphasis on the integration with Microsoft Outlook. However, without running Project Server, the integration effort is a bit klugey, at best.

As a new user, I can offer only minimal comments on the project management aspects of the software; seems to work fine for me, allowing me to plot out my development activities over the next few months, and allocate resources (and time) to those efforts. The interface is intuitive, and I was developing my project list within minutes after installation.