Oscar Dolloway
Project management tools
Project Management Tools Research
Introduction
In this document I will carry out research on several project management software’s and tools available
on the market for example Microsoft project, Gantt charts and the life cycle. I will also discuss the
advantages, disadvantages and how these tools could benefit a project of my own.
Gantt chart
Gantt charts are used to organise all the tasks involved within a project into a chart, this chart helps to
determine what tasks are needed to be completed by what time in order to meet deadlines. The
advantages of a Gantt chart are that it helps to avoid confusion, for instance it keeps everyone within
the project on the same page and also shows what tasks have been completed.
A Gantt chart can help a project manager make decisions based on the future, this gives the project
more of a chance to last long term.
http://creately.com/blog/diagrams/5-reasons-to-use-gantt-charts/
Project Management Life Cycle
The purpose of a project management life cycle is to lay out the project step by step; if a project
manager has a clear understanding of the phases involved within a project then it allows them to
manage the project more efficiently.
There are normally 4 steps to a project management life cycle:
Start
Planning
Execution
Closure
Each of these steps involve certain tasks in order to move on to the next, the first step which is start is
where the business case is created for example all the objectives and goals of the project are defined,
this may also be where project managers look for potential problems that may arise and look for
solutions early on. The funding of the project also is looked into to see if the project has enough money
to reach the end of its course and also to see if the project is worth carrying out for example do the
advantages out way the disadvantages.
The next phase is planning which involves calculating a budget and agenda for the project, once this is
done the resources needed are to be determined.
Execution
http://2020projectmanagement.com/2013/04/what-is-the-project-life-cycle/
http://www.method123.com/project-lifecycle.php
Project management software
Microsoft Project
Microsoft project is one of the options available for project tools, it is a very costly project
management tool created by Microsoft which includes both Gantt charts and project lifecycle, some of
the advantages of using this software are that it can be combined with share point which for a group
can be an advantage as it allows users to use project online. The majority of tasks on Microsoft project
are done automatically, which would normally require the project manager to enter in manually,
therefore can save time. This software is one of the most reliable ones out there in terms of project
management, as it created by Microsoft a very respectable software company making MS project very
consistent and dependable.
How would this help my project?
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Project management tools
Microsoft project is one of the best project management tools out there; it could benefit a project in
many ways for example organisation, with new features involved with the Gantt chart such as task path
highlighting showing which tasks are most critical. This could determine our projects success.
Another feature of Microsoft project is integration, Microsoft has allowed there software to be
integrated with many other software for example Lync online, this would allow quick real time chat
with members of the project.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage with Microsoft project is the cost, for a student it may not be worth investing
such money for a project management tool when there are free or much cheaper products in the market.
Another disadvantage is that it is a single user piece of software, although it can be integrated with
Lync online for communication without that there is no communication. This could lead to members
making adjustments before discussing with team. Another disadvantage is a learning curve; many
people in business would receive training for this kind of software.
As MS project is required to be installed on the computer before used, this can lead to compatibility
issues, if a client or any stake holder needs to see a copy of MS project then they must be able to run
MS project first for example by having it installed and having the software saved in the right format.
Project Libre
The second project management software is Project Libre, project Libre is a free open source
alternative to Microsoft project that includes some major features for project management such as
Gantt charts and tasks and resources. Some of the advantages of project Libre is it’s free yet it’s still
constantly being updated and bug fixed. It does also do the majority of things that Microsoft project
does including Gantt charts and project lifecycle, responsibility lists.
How can this software help my project?
Its open source meaning that the design of the software can be modified by any user, which makes its
more customizable which can be an advantage as it can tweaked to suit the needs of my project, unlike
MS project which isn’t focused any kind of project management. Another benefit of project Libre is its
flexibility, as it is open source there is no need to keep upgrading the software, open source is a lot less
resource exhaustive, meaning it will run smoothly even on old hardware, it’s up to the user when an
upgrade is required not the dealer.
Disadvantages
A big disadvantage to project Libre is the difficultly of performing quick tasks such as adding notes
and changing dates etc. to do small changes such as these project Libre has to be installed on the
current computer where as an online project software you would only need the internet on any device.
Also Project Libre requires some kind of learning curve like MS project, so new users like myself may
be limited from certain functions.
Gantt project
Gantt project is another project management tool available; it is written in Java and runs on any
platform. As it is java it doesn’t have to be downloaded to be used. This can be extremely useful for
making quick changes. Another feature of Gantt project is its simplicity, it is known for being simple to
work with which can be advantage for people who are not familiar with project management software,
although if a user has used MS project they may feel at home as the two are very similar.
How will this software support my project?
This software would make my project much easier by allowing me to make quick changes without a
required learning curve like MS project and project Libre, also in comparison to MS project and project
Libre it is designed for smaller sized project which is more beneficial for my project as it is smaller.
Conclusion
Bibliography
1. Susan Harkins. (2013). Microsoft project alternatives. Available: 1.
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-microsoft-project-alternatives/ . Last
accessed 29/09/2014.
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Project management tools
N/a. (N/A). Project management tools . Available: http://projectmanagement.com/software/project-tracking/. Last accessed 29/09/2014.
Microsoft . (2014). MS project top features . Available: http://office.microsoft.com/engb/project/microsoft-project-top-features-what-s-new-in-project-try-or-buyFX103802304.aspx. Last accessed 01/10/2014.
http://www.vsoftconsulting.com/2014/02/open-source/
http://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source
http://www.projectmanagementlearning.com/what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-ofmicrosoft-project.html
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