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Fow chart software or other sytem for planning complex projects?
When you embark on a very difficult and complex project (like building your first house for example), I guess it's helpful to have some graphical system like a flow chart to plan the smooth progression and coordination of the work. Can anyone recommend a shareware or freeware software for this purpose? Or do you prefer to use pencil an paper? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. PG |
On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 02:50:45 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote: PG wrote: When you embark on a very difficult and complex project (like building your first house for example), I guess it's helpful to have some graphical system like a flow chart to plan the smooth progression and coordination of the work. Can anyone recommend a shareware or freeware software for this purpose? Or do you prefer to use pencil an paper? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. PG Frankly, this is one case where the job is not sufficiently complex to make the tool a time saver. Pencil and paper I reckon. Fair comment; thanks. However, one thing attracts me to the software route: (1) space will presumably be virtually unlimited and (b) erasing and re-drawing will be much easier - and I anticipate doing an awful lot of erasing and re-drafting. Having said that, I don;t want spend an age having to learn the software. Indeed, some of the project-planning programs I tried years ago wee way too complicated for my needs, with too many bells and whistles built in, etc. Also, be aware that managing for shortest time and mimimum cost are two very different exercises. Critocal ptahs are more about the simple order in which things are dne, than about complex interdependencies. I'll bear that in mind - thanks. PG |
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:16:19 +0000, Andy Burns
wrote: I'm sure M$ project has lots more bells and whistles, it's been years since I used it and don't remember using them all even then, just the basic stuff like dependencies and fixed milestones to give a nice Gantt chart for the PHB ;-) Yes; I used M$ Project once, years ago, mid-1990s, on loan, but at the time, couldn't; justify the cost of buying it. I can't remember much about it now, axcept that it seemed quite easy to get the hang of. Thanks a lot for the GanttPV suggestion; I'm just about to take a look.. PG |
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:20:46 +0000, Andy Burns
wrote: Andy Burns wrote: http://www.simpleprojectmanagement.c...nner/home.html Actually linked from there is http://www.pureviolet.net/ganttpv/index.html which *is* available for Windows and (cough)Mac(cough) instead of Linux. Couldn't get HanttPV to work on my Win98 PC. I've identified now that what I think I need is a critical path analysis program, rather than gantt chart software, though, the latter might just prove useful too. Just about to download "Planner" via the fist link above. PG |
On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 22:27:02 +0000, Andy Burns
wrote: PG wrote: Couldn't get GanttPV to work on my Win98 PC. I had a quick play with GanttPV too, installed OK on winXP but looked fairly primitive :-( I've identified now that what I think I need is a critical path analysis program, rather than gantt chart software, M$project and PMW handle that, it's part of handling the dependencies, resources and earliest start/latest finish dates, a Gantt chart is as good a way as any to view it. On small projects the Gantt chart has a tendency to boil down to a diagonal line with only a few minor items not on the critical path :-( |---+ +---+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-------| Just about to download "Planner" via the fist link above. Did you find a win32 version, or are you OK with a linux version? The one I downloaded turned out not to be win32, so I'll look for a win32 version. Meanwhile, I've just found one or two others that might do. I'm passing over the ones that cost $3,999 to register! $39 is more like my price range. Freeware better still, if it's worth using. I'd like something that will draw me an instant flow chart based on my list of tasks, durations and dependencies - and perhaps offer some suggestions that I wouldn't have thought of, using pen, paper and dopey human brain. PG |
On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 23:18:43 +0000, Andy Burns
wrote: PG wrote: The one I downloaded turned out not to be win32, so I'll look for a win32 version. I couldn't see one, plenty of other gnome (well actually gtk) based software ports OK(ish) to win32 Meanwhile, I've just found one or two others that might do. I'm passing over the ones that cost $3,999 to register! Sounds like Hoskyns PMW price from over a decade ago :-( $39 is more like my price range. Freeware better still, if it's worth using. Had another search http://ganttproject.sourceforge.net/ looks much more promising ... Thanks. I'm currently trying another one I found that looks like it might suit me. It seems to do all the things I think I need it to do: http://www.guysoftware.com/planbee.htm If you look at it, I'd be glad to hear your comments. PG |
PG wrote:
When you embark on a very difficult and complex project (like building your first house for example), I guess it's helpful to have some graphical system like a flow chart to plan the smooth progression and coordination of the work. Can anyone recommend a shareware or freeware software for this purpose? Or do you prefer to use pencil an paper? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. The opensource "Mr Project" is available for Gnome, not seen a win32 port but should be feasible, actually I remember it went a bit quiet then came back with a new name /me goes off to play with google for a while ... Aha, it mutated into this http://www.simpleprojectmanagement.c...nner/home.html I'm sure M$ project has lots more bells and whistles, it's been years since I used it and don't remember using them all even then, just the basic stuff like dependencies and fixed milestones to give a nice Gantt chart for the PHB ;-) |
Andy Burns wrote:
http://www.simpleprojectmanagement.c...nner/home.html Actually linked from there is http://www.pureviolet.net/ganttpv/index.html which *is* available for Windows and (cough)Mac(cough) instead of Linux. |
PG wrote:
When you embark on a very difficult and complex project (like building your first house for example), I guess it's helpful to have some graphical system like a flow chart to plan the smooth progression and coordination of the work. Can anyone recommend a shareware or freeware software for this purpose? Or do you prefer to use pencil an paper? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. PG Frankly, this is one case where the job is not sufficiently complex to make the tool a time saver. Pencil and paper I reckon. Also, be aware that managing for shortest time and mimimum cost are two very different exercises. Critocal ptahs are more about the simple order in which things are dne, than about complex interdependencies. I.e. I never appreciated fully (though I had a rough idea) how amazingly difficult it would be to mocve a toilet from planned position once building work commenced. |
PG wrote:
Couldn't get GanttPV to work on my Win98 PC. I had a quick play with GanttPV too, installed OK on winXP but looked fairly primitive :-( I've identified now that what I think I need is a critical path analysis program, rather than gantt chart software, M$project and PMW handle that, it's part of handling the dependencies, resources and earliest start/latest finish dates, a Gantt chart is as good a way as any to view it. On small projects the Gantt chart has a tendency to boil down to a diagonal line with only a few minor items not on the critical path :-( |---+ +---+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-------| Just about to download "Planner" via the fist link above. Did you find a win32 version, or are you OK with a linux version? |
PG wrote:
The one I downloaded turned out not to be win32, so I'll look for a win32 version. I couldn't see one, plenty of other gnome (well actually gtk) based software ports OK(ish) to win32 Meanwhile, I've just found one or two others that might do. I'm passing over the ones that cost $3,999 to register! Sounds like Hoskyns PMW price from over a decade ago :-( $39 is more like my price range. Freeware better still, if it's worth using. Had another search http://ganttproject.sourceforge.net/ looks much more promising ... |
PG wrote:
Thanks. I'm currently trying another one I found that looks like it might suit me. It seems to do all the things I think I need it to do: http://www.guysoftware.com/planbee.htm If you look at it, I'd be glad to hear your comments. I liked the look of the Java one better, obviously intended to be familiar to anyone who's used M$project before, it has fixed/movable dates, subtasks, finish/start to start/finish dependencies, milestones and resource allocation, with completion tracking. However you can't set calendars for resources, so it likes 24x7 work schedules, also it doesn't seem to redraw the gantt chart when you make changes, until you select the affected items. it does identify over allocated resource, but not the critical path, but as I memtioned before on a "simple" chart the diagonal is fairly obviously the critical path, anything dangling isn't Not run the planBee one, it looks a bit garish/win3.1 style, from feature list has all the functionaility of Java one and more, including your critical path analysis with float times and lead/lag, and does have a resource calandar so you can have weekends off ;-) |
PG wrote:
When you embark on a very difficult and complex project (like building your first house for example), I guess it's helpful to have some graphical system like a flow chart to plan the smooth progression and coordination of the work. Can anyone recommend a shareware or freeware software for this purpose? Or do you prefer to use pencil an paper? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. PG maybe drifting a bit ot here but Excel is very good for project managing software (apparently it's what all the ms coders use and so is somewhat built for that task) - I reckon it could be adapted to a building job esp. if your main concern is time management. http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articl...000000245.html |
On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 02:50:45 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote: Pencil and paper I reckon. This is getting worrying cos I am agreeing with NP twice in two days What you don't want to do is turn into someone who starred on one of the Property Ladder programs who had the whole project down to a T on their computer but failed to note that writing complex lists on interdependencies is not the same as actually doing the work. I'm sure its heresy but I reckon that unless each stage is straightforward enough to put on a sheet of paper then it will be ignored by the builders Building work is notorious for throwing up problems which hadn't been scheduled for so allow lots of slack time in your plan Anna ~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642 |
In message , Anna Kettle
managed to combine nouns and verbs in a pleasing form to communicate the following; What you don't want to do is turn into someone who starred on one of the Property Ladder programs who had the whole project down to a T on their computer but failed to note that writing complex lists on interdependencies is not the same as actually doing the work. I'm sure its heresy but I reckon that unless each stage is straightforward enough to put on a sheet of paper then it will be ignored by the builders Planning projects is not just about producing pretty Gantt charts (but they do impress the management!), a thorough understanding of the whole job is needed before one even puts pen to paper (or fingers to keys). My entry for free/open source is http://www.openworkbench.org/ which is effectively Project Managers Workbench, very powerful if you can put the time into learning. Sadly (but luckily for folks who make a living running training courses on these things), project planning software is just about as complex a thing you are likely to find on a PC these days and you can't just sit down and bumble your way around discovering features as you can say with a word processor. MS Project is successful because it is relatively easy to learn but compared with some of the pro packages (like Primavera) it is a toy. HTH, Andy -- Andrew Sinclair http://www.smellycat.org |
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