| AdeptTracker is
an alternative to MS Project. As a low-price and easy-to-use project
management software product, AdepTracker 's project
management
features enable you to track project, schedule project and
manage project in a very convenient way. A project
tracking and planning tool is very important for project
management.Is expensive MS Project the
only tool to do it ? No. AdeptTracker is your smart
choice! |
|
AdeptTracker is an inexpensive MS Project alternative.
AdeptTracker can give you some surprising features, Such as:
- Manage, organize, and track up to 10,000 project tasks
- Track Critical Path of each project in
multi-project management, including the Critical Path of
subproject and milestone
- Compare different versions of project plans by using unlimited project baselines and history Gantt
Chart
- Allow unlimited Undo/Redo operations
- Powerful Gantt Chart
editor with printing and jpeg export
- Support standard and simplified AON chart that clearly
outlines the whole project
- Analyze project costs, timeline, and workload with rich
project filters and abundant reports
- Flexible, customizable and easily adjustable WBS coding
format
- Low price!
|
 |
| AdeptTracker vs MS Project: |
| |
AdeptTracker |
|
MS Project |
| Redo/Undo |
Unlimited steps |
|
Only one step |
| Baseline |
Unlimited Baselines Can
compare the review/compare any old-version project plans
(Using History Gantt Chart) |
|
Only one baseline Cannot
track all project changes in history |
| Critical Path Method |
Can Track the Critical Paths
for the whole project, subproject and milestone |
|
Track the Critical Path for
the whole project only |
| Simplified AON |
Support both standard AON and
simplified AON Can view more portions of the project
structure in a small window |
|
Support standard AON only, No
simplified AON Cannot view the project structure in one
window/screen |
| WBS Coding |
Flexible, customizable and easily adjustable
format Would not reject wrong WBS coding |
|
Uniform format, not flexible,
Reject any wrong WBS coding |
| Price |
One-sixth price of MS Project |
|
Expensive |
| |
|
There are three AdeptTracker
products available to meet different customers' needs.
AdeptTracker Professional is a professional edition
with full features. A pretty good one of MS Project
alternatives.
AdepTracker Standard is a lower price version with
key features of AdeptTracker Professional.
AdepTracker Viewer is a freeware product to read
project plans in MS Project format. When you think of
Microsoft Project viewer, consider Adettracker.
AdeptTracker Professional version 2.2
has been released. To get What's New, click here.
AdeptTracker Professional version
2.11
- Measure tasks in hours
- Track Critical Path of each project in
multi-project management
- Support AON and Brief AON Chart
- Export Gantt Chart to jpeg image
- Bidirectional exchange data between
MS-Project and AdeptTracker
- Flexible and easy-to-use editor which
can make nice-looking Gantt Chart.
- Rich task filters to help you focus on
specific set of tasks.
- Divide your project into distinct
phases, so you can track progress easily.
- Fully undo/redo and automatic-save feature to avoid losing important data
- Show each worker's workload by using
enhanced resource view
- Export project data to html format
- Support powerful report and project cost calculation
- Full Gantt Chart Printing Support;
- More flexible Reports
- Define milestone
- Baseline support, tracking Gantt chart and history
review support make your "change control" easily
- Import project data and resources from
other project file(*.lzc file)
- Set the limit of the time of a task, and
display the tasks exceeding dead line
- Show the Critical Path of subproject or
milestone
- Support User-Defined Properties of tasks
|
AdeptTracker Standard version 2.11
- All features in AdeptTracker Professional edition 1.61
- Customizing columns
of Gantt Chart
- Full Gantt Chart Printing Support
- Powerful Gantt Chart editor , support up to 10000 tasks
with project/subproject organization
- Simply dragging mouse ,you can in place
adjust task's properties (such as start date, finish date ) and
set tasks' predecessor;
- Zoom-in/zoom-out Support
- Keep your data safe ,
support fully undo/redo and automatic save
- Support many task filter , create brief view of you scheme
- Print support, export schedule to html
file;
- Very small size , and does not copy any
DLL file to you system.
AdeptTracker Viewer 2.11
A free way to read project plan in MS Project format.
Now you can read the schedule created by MS Project 2002 on a PC
without using MS Project ! AdeptTracker Viewer can import the
XML file saved by MS Project 2002 .
When your customers need to read your project plan that is
created with MS Project , they don't have to buy expensive MS
Project anymore . We provide a way to read the plan without MS
Project , and is totally free !
Freeware AdeptTracker viewer can import the project plan from MS
Project , and save it as AdeptTracker format . In another PC
where MS Project has not been installed, the plan in
AdeptTracker format can be opened by AdeptTracker viewer .
AdeptTracker viewer can show the Gantt Chart , Resources Sheet,
and Task Usage .
You can convert the project plan into AdeptTracker format on a
PC with MS Project installed , and the plan in AdeptTracker
format can be viewed on any PC with AdeptTracker viewer. |
Price advantage
When you think about Microsoft Project download, please have
a look this MS project equivelent. When you are planning to
purchase MS project 98,4.0 or MS Project 2000,Microsoft Project
2002, do you feel they are too expensive ? Do you think cost is
a very basic factor when you buy a software tool. Adepttracker
is a low price solution. One-sixth of the MS Porject price!
Size advantage
Do you think there are too many MS Project files in its
package? Our software package size is small, only a little
bit more than 2M bytes. MS Project has hundreds of Megabytes.
Even Kickstart's installation package is also larger than
AdeptTracker. (Kickstart is a simpler software product with less
features than AdeptTracker.)
Many software products will copy their DLL files into the
operations system(OS) folder when they are installed. This
method would cause some conflicts among exsiting applications
and OS, and it would lessen the reliability of the OS.
AdeptTracker doesn't have any dll files at all. So it doesn't
affect any other applications and the OS. That is one of the
shining points of AdeptTracker.
Easy to Learn, Easy to Use!
Microsoft Project is complicated in its formation and has too
many useless features for some users, who don't want to read
many materials, such as MS Project Manual, examples, templates,
warz instructions and tutorial or demo. Many users have to visit
some web sites to get help.And some need attend Microsoft
Project training courses. They have to learn difficult MS
Project Marcos and api,mpp in one course. They have to go to
Microsoft Project central web to learn more. Now, using
Adepttracker product serial can allow you to simplify your usage
of a project planning, shorten your training cycle, and add more
freedom and lessen your pain in project management process. You
may import data from and export data to an MS Project format
compatible file.
AdeptTracker is one of
the best alternatives to Microsoft Project if you don't want to
pay more than US$80 for a Gantt chart editor and project
planning software.
Here are the differences between
Professional and Standard version of AdeptTracker:
|
Features
|
Standard Version 2.1
|
Professional Version 2.1
|
| Flexible and easy-to-use editor
which can make nice-looking Gantt Chart |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Filters |
Basic
|
More
|
| Export project data to html
format |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| report and
cost calculation |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Gantt Chart Printing Support |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Define
milestone |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Baseline support, tracking Gantt
chart and history review |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Define
milestone |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Export Gantt Chart to Jpeg image |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Support AON
and Brief AON Chart |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| measuring task in hours |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| WBS coding |
No
|
Yes
|
| import project data from other
roject file(*.lzc file) |
No
|
Yes
|
| import resources form other
project file(*.lzc file). |
No
|
Yes
|
| Set the limit of the time of a
task, and Displaying the tasks exceeding dead line |
No
|
Yes
|
| Show the Critical Path of
subproject or milestone |
No
|
Yes
|
| Support User-Defined Properties
of tasks |
No
|
Yes
|
|
PERT, CPM and GANTT
November 20, 1997
Taken from "A Professional's Guide
to Systems Analysis", Martin E. Modell, 2nd. Ed. McGraw
Hill, 1996.
|
Previous Steps
|
Before attempting to use these tools,
the project's information must be assembled in a certain
way. I include a basic description of the preceding steps.
The project planning process consists of the following:
- Setting the project start date
- Setting the project completion date
- Selecting the project methodology or project life
cycle to be used
- Determining the scope of the project in terms of the
phases of the selected project methodology or project life
cycle
- Identifying or selecting the project review methods to
be used
- Identifying any predtermined interim milestone or
other critical dates which must be met.
- Listing tasks, by project phase, in the order in which
they might be accomplished.
- Estimating the personnel necessary to accomplish each
task
- Estimating the personnel available to accomplish each
task
- Determining skill level necessay to perform each task
- Determining task dependencies
- Which tasks can be done in parallel
- Which tasks require the completion of other tasks before
they can start
- Project control or review points
- Performing project cost estimation and cost-benefit
analysis
Work breakdown Structures
The development of a project plan is predicated on having
a clear and detailed understanding of both the tasks
involved, the estimated length of time each task will take,
the dependencies between thosetasks, and the sequence in
which those tasks have to be performed. Additionally,
resource availability must be determined in order to assign
each task or group of tasks to the appropiate worker.
One method used to develop the list of tasks is to create
what is known as a work breakdown structure.
A definition
Awork breakdown structure(WBS) is a hierarchic
decomposition or breakdown of a project or major activity
insto successive levels, in whcih each level is a finer
breakdown of the preceding one. In final form a WBS is
very similar in structure and layout to a document
outline. Each item at a specific level of a WBS is
numbered consecutively (e.g., 10, 10, 30, 40, 50 ). Each
item at the next level is numbered within the number of
its parent item (e.g., 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4).
The WBS may be drawn in a diagrammatic form (if automated
tools are available) or in a chart resembling an outline.
The WBS begins with a single overall task representing
the totality of work to be performed on the project. This
becomes the name of the project plan WBS. Using a
methodology or system life cycle (analysis, design and
implementation) steps as a guide, the project is divided
into its major steps. The first phase is project initiation;
the second major phase is analysis, followed by design,
construction, testing, implementation, and
post-implementation follow-up. Each of these phases must be
broken in their next level of detail, and each of those,
into still finer levels of detail, until a manageable task
size is arrived at. The first WBS level for the life cycle
would be:
| WBS number |
Task Description |
| 1.0 |
Project initiation |
| 1.1 |
Draft project plan |
| 2.0 |
Analysis phase |
| 2.1 |
Plan user interviews |
| 2.2 |
Schedule users interviews |
| 3.0 |
Examination and test |
| 4.0 |
Design |
| 5.0 |
Test |
| 6.0 |
Implementation |
| 7.0 |
Postimplementation review |
Tasks at each succesively finer level of detail are
numbered to reflect the task from which they were derived.
Thus, the first level of tasks would be numbered 1.0, 2.0,
3.0, and so forth. Each of their subtasks would have a two
part number: the first part reflecting the parent task and
the second part, the subtask number itslef, such as 1.1,
1.2, or 1.3. As each of these, in turn, decomposed or broken
down into its component tasks, each component receives a
number comprised of it's parent number plus a unique number
of its own.
A definition
A manageable task is one in which the expected
results can be easily identified; success, failure, or
completion of the task can be easily ascertained; the time
to complete the task can be easily estimated; ant the
resource requirements of the task can be easily
determined.
|
Program Evaluation and Review
Technique (PERT)
|
Program evaluation and review technique (PERT) charts
depict task, duration, and dependency information. Each
chart starts with an initiation node from which the first
task, or tasks, originates. If multiple tasks begin at the
same time, they are all started from the node or branch, or
fork out from the starting point. Each task is represented
by a line which states its name or other identifier, its
duration, the number of people assigned to it, and in some
cases the initials of the personnel assigned. The other end
of the task line is terminated by another node which
identifies the start of another task, or the beginning of
any slack time, that is, waiting time between tasks.
Each task is connected to its successor tasks in this
manner forming a network of nodes and connecting lines. The
chart is complete when all final tasks come together at the
completion node. When slack time exists between the end of
one task and the start of another, the usual method is to
draw a broken or dotted line between the end of the first
task and the start of the next dependent task.
A PERT chart may have multiple parallel or
interconnecting networks of tasks. If the scheduled project
has milestones, checkpoints, or review points (all of which
are highly recommended in any project schedule), the PERT
chart will note that all tasks up to that point terminate at
the review node. It should be noted at this point that the
project review, approvals, user reviews, and so forth all
take time. This time should never be underestimated when
drawing up the project plan. It is not unusual for a review
to take 1 or 2 weeks. Obtaining management and user
approvals may take even longer.
When drawing up the plan, be sure to include tasks for
documentation writing, documentation editing, project report
writing and editing, and report reproduction. These tasks
are usually time-consuming, so don't underestimate how long
it will take to complete them.
PERT charts are usually drawn on ruled paper with the
horizontal axis indicating time period divisions in days,
weeks, months, and so on. Although it is possible to draw a
PERT chart for an entire project, the usual practice is to
break the plans into smaller, more meaningful parts. This is
very helpful if the chart has to be redrawn for any reason,
such as skipped or incorrectly estimated tasks.
Many PERT charts terminate at the major review points,
such as at the end of the analysis. Many organizations
include funding reviews in the projects life cycle. Where
this is the case, each chart terminates in the funding
review node.
Funding reviews can affect a project in that they may
either increase funding, in which case more people have to
made available, or they may decrease funding, in which case
fewer people may be available. Obviously more or less people
will affect the length of time it takes to complete the
project.
|
Critical Path Method (CPM)
|
Critical Path Method (CPM) charts are similar to PERT
charts and are sometimes known as PERT/CPM. In a CPM chart,
the critical path is indicated. A critical path consists
that set of dependen tasks (each depedent on the preceding
one) which together take the longest time to complete.
Although it is not normally done, a CPM chart can define
multiple, equally critical paths. Tasks which fall on the
critical path should be noted in some way, so that they may
be given special attention. One way is to draw critical path
tasks with a double line instead of a single line.
Tasks which fall on the critical path should receive
special attention by both the project manager and the
personnel assigned to them. The critical path for any given
method may shift as the project progresses; this can happen
when tasks are completed either behind or ahead of schedule,
causing other tasks which may still be onschedule to fall on
the new critical path.
|
GANTT Charts
|
A Gantt chart is a matrix which lists on the vertical
axis all the tasks to be performed. Each row contains a
single task
identification which usually consists of a number and name.
The horizontal axis is headed by columns indicating
estimated task duration, skill level needed to perform the
task, and the name of the person assigned to the task,
followed by one column for each period in the project's
duration. Each period may be expressed in hours, days,
weeks, months, and other time units. In some cases it may be
necessary to label the period columns as period 1, period 2,
and so on.
The graphics portion of the Gantt chart consists of a
horizontal bar for each task connecting the period start and
period ending columns. A set of markers is usually used to
indicate estimated and actual start and end. Each bar on a
separate line, and the name of each person assigned to the
task is on a separate line. In many cases when this type of
project plan is used, a blank row is left between tasks.
When the project is under way, this row is used to indicate
progress, indicated by a second bar which starts in the
period column when the task is actually started and
continues until the task is actually completed. Comparison
between estimated start and end and actual start and end
should indicate project status on a task-by-task basis.
Variants of this method include a lower chart which shows
personnel allocations on a person-by-person basis. For this
section the vertical axis contains the number of people
assigned to the project, and the columns indicating task
duration are left blank, as is the column indicating person
assigned. The graphics consists of the same bar notation as
in the upper chart indicates that the person is working on a
task. The value of this lower chart is evident when it shows
slack time for the project personnel, that is, times when
they are not actually working on any project.
|
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