SAN MATEO (02/28/2000) - Managing projects effectively often requires project managers to go where the project work is being done, which is sometimes far away from their desks. If you need the ability to update your Microsoft Corp.
Project schedules at client sites or other remote locations and you don't want to lug around a bulky, expensive laptop, Casio Soft Inc. Project 2.0 could be your answer.
Casio Soft Project allows you to copy Microsoft Project schedules from your desktop PC to your Windows CE handheld. It operates in much the same way as Microsoft Project, and although it doesn't mimic every function of the desktop application, Casio Soft Project 2.0 does provide the chief functions you are likely to need in the field. For example, you can manipulate Gantt charts, edit projects and tasks, and view resource and budget reports.
Casio Soft Project offers solid functionality, and it is easy to learn.
Furthermore, the relatively low cost of entry-level Windows CE devices and the affordability of this package results in an economical solution for mobile project managers. The sum of these benefits earns it a score of Very Good.
I tested Casio Soft Project 2.0 on a Cassiopeia E-100 palm-size PC and a Hewlett-Packard Jornada 680 handheld. I didn't experience any operating problems or difficulties when exchanging files with Microsoft Project 98 or the beta version of Project 2000.
From the start, Casio Soft Project worked smoothly. During installation, the setup program automatically added a special Microsoft Project template to my desktop PC. I simply used this file, which contains predefined import and export file mapping, when creating a Microsoft Project schedule. The only extra step involved adding two dummy entries at the start of my project -- a very quick and easy job. You can also import existing project schedules by applying the template to them; it's not a difficult thing to do.
After synchronizing my test project file and opening it in Casio Soft Project, I immediately liked what I saw. Even on the small screen of a palm-size PC, the interface is very functional, closely mirroring Microsoft Project. For instance, Casio Soft Project's task-viewing area presented my project in outline format (up to 10 indent levels are supported). As a result, for anyone familiar with Microsoft Project -- and even for new users -- Casio Soft Project requires hardly any training.
Just as important, it doesn't skimp on project management features. For example, I could change the duration, percentage of completion, and start and end dates of a task simply by highlighting the task on the Gantt chart's interactive time-line bar and entering new values in a properties dialog box.
By tapping on icons, I could also link or unlink tasks at different levels in the outline hierarchy.
Similarly, double-tapping on tasks in the outline tree let me promote or demote them. This import management technique enabled me to group related activities and then summarize their total duration using one time-line bar. Conversely, I could create milestones (tasks with no duration) to mark critical checkpoints within my schedule. Another nice touch is error-checking. When I tried to enter a date outside of the acceptable range, for example, I received a warning.
Furthermore, I found no serious limitations when exercising other more advanced project management features. For instance, I was able to manipulate task duration by clicking and dragging my handheld's stylus over the Gantt chart.
This interactivity extends to changing how much of a task is finished (percentage complete) and establishing or deleting links between tasks. As I made these changes, Casio Soft Project quickly recalculated the schedule so that I could see how the changes affected the schedule's end date. It was also easy to assign a person to work on a task, enter his or her hourly rate, and change a budget figure.
On the reporting side, the search function helped me locate particular tasks or information contained in a Notes field. A Project Summary window lists items such as total days or hours for the project -- but detailed reports must be run after you export the schedule back to Microsoft Project.
Few downsides
The other shortcomings of Casio Soft Project are relatively few. For instance, Project 2.0 doesn't accept task durations shorter than one day (smaller task increments in the original desktop file were rounded up when importing into Project 2.0). This could introduce small schedule inconsistencies between the handheld and desktop versions of your projects. And if you still use the older Microsoft Project 4.1, import and export requires a few extra steps to handle notes and resource names.
More precise scheduling, better compatibility with Microsoft Project 2000 features, and more extensive reporting capabilities would have helped boost Casio Soft Project 2.0's score from Very Good to Excellent. Nevertheless, Casio Soft Project 2.0 gives you much the same control over projects as you get from Microsoft Project on your desktop. Scaling down something as complex as project management to run on Windows CE is a notable feat, and Casio Soft Project 2.0 makes the most of the Windows CE operating system. It's a compelling tool for any mobile project manager.
Mike Heck (mike_heck@infoworld.com) is a contributing editor at the InfoWorld Test Center and manager of electronic promotions at Unisys Corp., in Blue Bell, Pa.
THE BOTTOM LINE: VERY GOOD
Casio Soft Project 2.0
Business Case: Casio Soft Project allows project managers to access and update project schedules in the field without traveling with heavy, expensive laptops or unwieldy printouts. Managers become more effective while reducing equipment costs.
Technology Case: This Windows CE application lets you work with Microsoft Project schedules on your handheld. It provides the main functions of the Microsoft application, including interactive Gantt charts and resource and budget reports.
Pros:
+ Compatible with Microsoft Project 2000, Project 98, and Project 4.1+ Interactive Gantt charting+ Project and task editing+ 10 levels of task hierarchies, with summaries+ Customizable viewsCons:
- Transferring data from Microsoft Project 4.1 requires extra stepsCost: $79.95; free upgrade to registered users of prior versionPlatform(s): Windows CE 2.0 or laterCasio Soft Inc.; San Jose, Calif. (408) 441-2000 www.casiosoft.com.