Looking to Purchase MP2007

[Matt99]

I am looking for some advice and guidance out there. I run a small business
that designs and installs residential custom electronic integrated systems.
We currently are using a product called Quickbase by Intuit to manage our
projects. It is obvious to me that for the most part Project 2003/2007 is
the industry standard for project management for many people. I am trying to
decide if I should switch to MP2007 from what I am currently using. My
question - How do you all use the program to assign tasks to resources and
follow up on progress. My current program is an online program, all the
information resides in the cloud. And everyday my resources get an
automatically generated email with a report showing their tasks organized
nice and neat per project. This list is generated from the information in
the program that I manage and provides each resource their list of "to dos"
that they can then log into and supply feedback as to their progress.

How do you all use this program to communicate with your resources on the
tasks that they need to complete each day, and how do they report back their
progress? Besides having to coordiante a million meetings each day, or read
through a milliion emails back and forth, of which I don't need anymore
meetings or emails to have to sift through than I already do, I'm looking for
a way for them to report back the information into the program which would
then allow me to schedule regular brief meetings to make sure we are all on
the same page and address any issues/delays, etc.

Is this what the Project Server and Project Professional allow you to do
versus the Standard version? Or are you all using another third party
program to do this.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Rob Schneider]

Microsoft Project (Standard and Professional) is probably best thought
of as a "project cost and schedule" database and calculation engine. It
is not an engine for team collaboration.

There are team collaboration tools available (Microsoft Project Server)
that are designed and offered for that purpose. There are also other 3rd
party services and products out there that integrates with the
cost/schedule that was compute and tracked in Project but provide the
team services you see.

Project Professional is exactly the same as Project Standard with the
exception that it has the capability to connect to and be integrated
with Project Server.

Before picking a new tool ... consider what problem(s) you are trying to
fix, or what opportunities are you seeking? From your description, to me
it sounds like you are seeking an improvement in how your team
collaborates and works together. There are many tools to contribute to
solutions for that are out there.

--rms

I am looking for some advice and guidance out there. I run a small business
that designs and installs residential custom electronic inte

grated systems.

 

[Dave]

I am looking for some advice and guidance out there. I run a small business
that designs and installs residential custom electronic integrated systems.
We currently are using a product called Quickbase by Intuit to manage our
projects. It is obvious to me that for the most part Project 2003/2007 is
the industry standard for project management for many people. I am trying to
decide if I should switch to MP2007 from what I am currently using. My
question - How do you all use the program to assign tasks to resources and
follow up on progress. My current program is an online program, all the
information resides in the cloud. And everyday my resources get an
automatically generated email with a report showing their tasks organized
nice and neat per project. This list is generated from the information in
the program that I manage and provides each resource their list of "to dos"
that they can then log into and supply feedback as to their progress.

How do you all use this program to communicate with your resources on the
tasks that they need to complete each day, and how do they report back their
progress? Besides having to coordiante a million meetings each day, or read
through a milliion emails back and forth, of which I don't need anymore
meetings or emails to have to sift through than I already do, I'm looking for
a way for them to report back the information into the program which would
then allow me to schedule regular brief meetings to make sure we are all on
the same page and address any issues/delays, etc.

Is this what the Project Server and Project Professional allow you to do
versus the Standard version? Or are you all using another third party
program to do this.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Is there anything currently inadequate in the tool you have?
- Cost
- Functionality
- Ability to share schedules
- Resource notifications

Don't forget that introducing Project has its own cost of course.