Project Management Tools

Projects, either large or small, need to be managed. If your company is involved in building skyscrapers or tool sheds, people need to know what is expected, when it is expected and when it is complete. This can be done haphazardly or methodically. The use of sticky papers is probably not the most effective tool out there. With more and more people becoming savvy using computers as tools, the most effective methods also use computers as tools. 

The state of the art methods use the internet as a tool to provide access to the

 project management tool. You can now find companies that offer MS Project server hosting that allow your company and customers access to a wide variety of features.

Not only will a hosted Microsoft Project server give you and your customer access to tools such as Gantt charts to see the whole project laid out visually, it gives you access to features such as resource tracking, change management and the ability to import other software applications as needed.

For those out there who are not familiar with fully hosted SaaS solutions you will soon find out that it is an option that allows companies to use the latest versions of software at a fraction of the cost that it would take to buy that software. Software as a service providers update the software, train the end user and basically take all of the headaches away from their customers while providing them all of the benefits of having a software.

There are a myriad of tools we can use to manage and track our projects, I find the one most essential in my tool bag is Gantt Charts. This takes into account that the project has been initiated, all the Terms and Conditions have been met and your resources are available. The customer will expect a schedule, so their stakeholders are aware of the delivery timeframe, who will need to be involved and at what stage, so they can co-ordinate their own resources. 

For this to happen, all involved in the project will need a plan, a schedule outlining the tasks, resources and the intended time frame. The tool for this job is a Gantt Chart, as it provides the overall view of the project from start to finish. Obviously, more complex the project and more steps and resources involved, then the project plan can become sizable. Hence unruly, but don't worry, be patient it is all worthwhile, having a quick snapshot of tasks at your fingertips is invaluable for reporting and resource management.

A Gantt chart is a simple graphical representation of the work to be done and the schedule for completing it. The Gantt chart consists of a number of rectangular bars, each one representing an activity in the project. The length of each bar corresponds to the estimated time it will take to complete the activity. These bars are arranged across a horizontal time scale with the left edge of the bar lined up with the schedule start activity. The bars are arranged vertically in the order of scheduled start date. The resulting picture forms a descending stair-step pattern. That is, after all, where the detail tasks of doing work would occur. The finish of the bar would occur at about the project completion date. That is where testing and documentation for your project would occur.

It is one of the most convenient, most used, and easy to grasp depictions of project activities that I have encountered during my career. The chart is formatted as a two-dimensional representation of the project schedule with activities shown in the rows and time shown across the horizontal axis. It can be used during planning, for resource scheduling, and for status reporting. The only down side to using Gantt charts is that they do not contain dependency relationships. Some project management software tools have an option to display these dependencies, but the result is a graphical report that is so cluttered with lines representing the dependencies that the report is next to useless.

All contemporary scheduling software packages also produce task lists by resources, resource loading, and other critical planning and tracking information. The project scheduling package can also be used as the basis for project tracking and reporting. However, these tools are a classic example of "garbage-in/garbage-out". If the planning process is flawed, the resultant schedules and other information produced by these tools are simply false and dangerous. That is why we have to be very diligent during the planning process, involve all the main project resources at this time, obtain their input to ensure a realistic depiction of the project delivery and main milestones.

The Gantt chart becomes the essential project modelling tool for each person on the project. Most desktop based scheduling tools will provide this chart, which will provide each team member with a clear picture of their individual work effort. While the overall project Gantt chart provides each team member with a common vision of how the effort of all team members combines in the project. They are also the most useful basis for tracking.

If you haven't used Gantt Charts in the past, then it is worthwhile investigating courses on how to use and construct them. They are an invaluable tool for all project managers regardless of their experience. This tool is as important to us as a hammer is to a builder, providing the project information we need almost instantaneously, allowing us to manage our resources effectively and track progress. Once again a schedule is only as good as the quality time you and your team spend during the planning process.