Re: Will Project Work For Us?

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To be blunt, it is impossible for software EVER to be "intuitive" in the sense you describe. No matter what the application, the software is only a tool to help a human expert do his or her job easier or more efficiently. But it can NEVER actually do the job of that human nor can it replace that human when it comes to making decisions, nor should it try. You simply cannot buy MS Project (or any other project software) and turn the job of a skilled project manager into a clerical function limited to pumping data into the decision-making machine and reading off what the machine in turn tells them to do.

--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

"Construction Scheduler" <ConstructionScheduler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:1F572BAD-3D73-4A05-AFB2-28461193E394@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks for all the responses. Please pardon me if I wasn't too clear. You are
on the right track. We're basically looking for scheduling software that is
intuitive, that is, can make 'assumptions'. If a task has missed it's
expected completion date, we'd like software that makes a best-case
assumption that the task will finish, for instance, the next day (best
possible scenario). This will then push forward the expected dates of all
taks that are linked up to the task that has been delayed.

The reason we need this is that, when tracking 80-90 projects at once, it
takes too much time to individually update each one, frequently. The goal is
to give management and subcontractors the most accurate expected schedule we
can. After posing this messege and doing more research, it seems that project
will not do this. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks again

"davegb" wrote:


John Sitka wrote:
> >>>>Specifically, we don't want a schedule that
> >>>> displays expected start/completion dates that are in the past. > >>>> We're not
> >>>> concerned to see that a project is behind schedule (we track > >>>> another way),
>
> I think I may have read these two sentences as being the same concept.
> I see now they can be read and interpreted as two distinct concepts
>
> 1.) Assume the obvious and reschedule all uncompleted work.
> 2.) the schedule is an operational defintion with no concern to the > contractural one.
>
> I read this one
> >>>>Specifically, we don't want a schedule that
> >>>> displays expected start/completion dates that are in the past.
>
> as "It's late", therefore, don't track it.

Ok, I see how you interpreted it now. I took that line to mean, "If
it's in the past, don't track it anymore".
>
>
>
> "davegb" <davegb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message > news:1136400965.855589.76570@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> > John Sitka wrote:
> >> I'd like to know what it is the original poster is actually asking.
> >> It appears that once a task is late, it merely falls off the map,
> >
> > Not following you here, John. What did the OP say that led you to > > this
> > conclusion? My interpretation of his message is that he wants to see > > a
> > task rescheduled when a predecessor is late, and not shown at it's
> > originally scheduled dates. I don't think he's saying he wants it
> > hidden. Am I missing something?
> >
> >> Therefore one has to ask why was that task in the project in the > >> first
> >> place. Completeness Has to be measured and evaluated or else there > >> is no
> >> definition of the current and future body of work.(remaining). It > >> that remaining work has
> >> no running calculation, it never shrinks, no calculation of future > >> dates is possible.
> >> You are simply rebuilding a new project everyday with a smaller > >> scope. Things that are behind
> >> schedule still eventually need completetion so what's the point, > >> just tell everybody who asks it will
> >> be done in "two weeks". It's as good an answer as any other.
> >>
> >>
> >> "davegb" <davegb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message > >> news:1136387412.249096.206690@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> >
> >> > Jim Reid wrote:
> >> >> Yes MSP will work very well for you. If you are using MSP Pro > >> >> alone it will
> >> >> not be as easy to see resource utilization but it can be done. > >> >> MSP is very
> >> >> good at showing the results of a task being late or early and the > >> >> effects on
> >> >> the balance of the project
> >> >> --
> >> >> Jim Reid, PMP
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > I agree with Jim's comment but would like to add that Project is > >> > not
> >> > very intuitive. To fully utilize it, you need to understand > >> > Critical
> >> > Path Method scheduling, which is what Project does IF IMPLEMENTED
> >> > CORRECTLY. It doesn't automatically do this. The tricky part is to > >> > find
> >> > training where the instructor knows CPM and how to implement it
> >> > properly. There are very few Project trainers around who know this
> >> > aspect of using Project. To paraphrase Lewis in Project > >> > Management,
> >> > Scheduling and Control, "Using sophisticated scheduling software
> >> > without an understanding of Project Management merely allows you > >> > to
> >> > document your failures accurately". I've seen a few clients in > >> > this
> >> > quagmire, and it ain't pretty. There are a number of such people > >> > here
> >> > in this forum. I advise you to find such a person and carefully > >> > plan
> >> > your implementation of Project so you get what you're looking for.
> >> > Hope this helps in your world.
> >> >>
> >> >> "Construction Scheduler" wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> > I work with a residental construction company considering > >> >> > switching to MS
> >> >> > Project for project management. One feature is particularly > >> >> > important to us:
> >> >> > We need software that auomatically updates expected schedule > >> >> > dates as
> >> >> > projects fall behind schedule. Specifically, we don't want a > >> >> > schedule that
> >> >> > displays expected start/completion dates that are in the past. > >> >> > We're not
> >> >> > concerned to see that a project is behind schedule (we track > >> >> > another way),
> >> >> > only concerned at what the most likely scenario will be for > >> >> > future work
> >> >> > start/end dates. Is this something that MS Project does?
> >> >
> >



.

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