Need "Project Management" software, any recommendations

[Carolina Cummins1]

I'm starting a new Project Management position and I need a software to keep me organized. It has to be compatible with Excel and Word.



I've been reading about Microsoft Project and like it so far. What are your thoughts.

 

[BarryG]

I dont use it currently but I have used it in the past and it worked pretty darn well. I really liked it. However it has been a while since I used it, have no idea how many versions have come and gone since then.

 

[Rman]

I use MS Project. I like it, but it's all I've used. It's become kind of a standard in the industry. Obviously being Microshaft, it's compatible with all there other products.

 

[Carolina Cummins1]

Yeah, Microshaft has a monopoly and feels free to charge $700 bucks for it. I think it stinks to pay that much, but have to have it.

 

[mgonske]

I use MS Project a lot, but don't feel like I'm taking advantage of even 10% of its capabilities. It's very complex, and there seem to be a lot of 'tricks' to getting the most out of it, that aren't well-documented in the built-in Help. OTOH, I'm not aware of anything else out there that even comes close, in spite of the fact that our official schedules are created in AMS Realtime. I don't know that one, so give 'em inputs in Project, and make 'em import 'em.

 

[FATCAT]

I use MS Project. I like it, but it's all I've used. It's become kind of a standard in the industry. Obviously being Microshaft, it's compatible with all there other products.

I'll 2nd that ... about the only thing out there that compatible with the whole MS Suite.

 

[nps]

If you want it to be compatible with Excel and Word, then Project is about the only game in town.



Like mgonske said, it does a lot more than most people use. Usually it's to put together some Gantt charts and pretty schedule pictures, but if you put the energy into setting up a project correctly, and are able to properly characterize all of the outside influences to the project that the software must know about, then it can keep you out of trouble down the road.



For small projects, just stick to the pretty pictures and charts. Not worth the extra effort IMO.



A way to save $ is to find an old copy laying around, and buy an upgrade copy instead of a new copy.

 

[Carolina Cummins1]

Good idea, a used 2000 version is a lot cheaper.