05/16/2013 by James Gordon Tags: FastTrack Schedule Go, iPad project management, Reporting Projects on iPad
Just because we are out of the office doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have access to our full project plan. When using FastTrack Go, we can easily view all of the data that’s built into our schedule, even data stored in customized columns. Much like in FastTrack Schedule 10, FastTrack Go allows us to utilize existing and customization layouts based on the type of project data that we would like to see.
First, let’s take a look at some of the data that we see in our schedule while using FastTrack Schedule 10.
Here we see some “standard” data such as Activity Name, Start Date, and Finish Date but we also see some additional columns for items such as Department, Budget, and project Notes. Continue reading “Creating Layouts in FastTrack Go”
05/14/2013 by Brad Egeland Tags: lessons learned session, project brainstorm session, project management troubleshooting, restart kickoff meeting
Do you remember that panic-ridden moment possibly early in your project management career when you came to the realization that a project you were managing was in serious trouble? Heck, maybe it was even yesterday on whatever project you’re managing right now. It can certainly happen to us at any time and it will happen to you again before you leave this project management life.
Maybe a project you were managing before had experienced problems – maybe even this one – but not the type where you felt you couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel… where you felt nearly all hope was lost.
If you reached this point – the point where it almost seems that all hope is lost, then it’s likely that you’re going to need to take some immediate and possibly drastic action.
I’ve found when this has happened – and yes, it’s happened to me a couple of times – I usually need to take a few steps in order to do my best to get the project back on track. It won’t always work, but these steps will give you your best chance of a successful outcome for your efforts. And it may not involve all these steps, but they can all help if they are absolutely necessary….
Continue reading “My Project is in Trouble”
05/03/2013 by James Gordon Tags: FastTrack Schedule Go, ipad project management app, sharing fasttrack schedule go files, sharing projects on ipad
So far, we’ve taken a look into FastTrack Schedule Go’s different views to display project details. What do we do when we are in the field and we need to send somebody the details we are currently viewing on our iPad? If they also utilize FastTrack Schedule Go, we can easily send them the same file, so that they can fully manipulate it. However, if they don’t have FastTrack Schedule Go, or you’d like to present them with a non-editable version of your schedule, there are several other options.
The first and best way to send our schedules will be as a FastTrack Go file, which can then be opened and viewed by any other FastTrack Go users. There are actually two locations in FastTrack Schedule Go where we can share an entire document. The first location is the Project Gallery. To share a file from the Project Gallery, go to Edit – your files will then “Dance” to indicate that you can select them. When we select a file, it will show a Yellow highlight around it.
We can then select the Share icon, which will give us 3 different options for sending our file to additional users. Our options to send are via Email, or copy to iTunes or Dropbox. When sharing with others, the best method to select is typically Email.
Continue reading “Sharing Schedules with FastTrack Schedule Go”
05/01/2013 by Brad Egeland Tags: project budget, project management methodology, project management process, statement of work
You know the drill. You get a new project by whatever means – usually assigned to you by someone you report to – and then you go about your normal business of preparation, kickoff, and execution. But are you a shoot from the hip type of project manager or are you extremely rigid…following the same very set protocol on each and every project you manage? Do you do everything ‘by the book’ so to speak, or do you follow some sort loose project management process that varies enormously from project to project? Or are you somewhere in between these two ‘extremes’ with your own hybrid methodology that works for you?
I do realize that how we manage projects, the detail and formality involved, and the exact methodology we follow is often dictated by the organization we are working in, but most of us have a tendency to add our own ‘flair’ to the process…however good or bad that might be.
Assuming you have some say in how formal or informal each individual project is run, what’s your process for deciding? What ingredients go into laying the groundwork for how strictly you follow a prescribed methodology for each project engagement that you manage? Please share your thoughts and experiences. As for me, I get handed a project and I generally go through these items to decide exactly how the project schedule will look and how much detail is going to be needed:
Continue reading “How Formal Should I Run the Project?”
04/26/2013 by James Gordon Tags: FastTrack Schedule Go, fasttrack schedule go overview, ipad project management app, project dashboards
Many users of FastTrack Schedule 10 often find themselves in situations where they don’t have access to a PC, Mac, or laptop to view their project. For example, if you’re on-site at a construction job, or meeting with a client, you may not always have your laptop with you. When these situations arise, how are you going to easily show your client the project without making dozens of different printouts? The answer put simply, FastTrack Schedule Go.
FastTrack Schedule Go is an on-the-go “companion” app to the Windows and Mac versions of FastTrack Schedule 10. What this really means is that it’s an easy to use, mobile project reporting tool. At any point in time, we can load an existing schedule into Go and view all of our project data. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at the different features built into the app and some of the best ways to utilize its true power.
Continue reading “Getting to Know FastTrack Schedule Go”
04/24/2013 by Brad Egeland Tags: pm profession, project management communication, project management leader, project management leadership skills
Basically, I’m just thinking out loud here though I do indeed have an opinion, and I’ll eventually get to that. But the question I’m posing is this…are project managers born or trained? Are we born with the inherent leadership traits that make us good project managers, or do we learn these along the way? And what are these leadership traits? What makes a project manager a good project manager – or even equipped to think about becoming a project manager at all?
I would be very interested in hearing what our readers consider to be the key traits of a good project manager. For me, there are three that specifically come to mind….
Ability to make unwavering decisions
This is a tough one because out of the gate as a new project manager it’s next to impossible to make those tough decisions and stand by them when you know you might be wrong. The key always is to rely as much as possible on your experienced team to help you with those decisions and any key stakeholders who are available to discuss options with. The project manager that always acts like an island is bound to make a terrible decision – a career defining…or ending…terrible decision and isn’t likely to be in the profession long.
Continue reading “Is a Project Manager Born or Trained?”
04/18/2013 by James Gordon Tags: Custom Schedules, FastTrack Schedule 10, project templates
Throughout many of our Tip blog posts, we have looked at the different options we have for adding features and functionality to a schedule. But, what happens to all those great Layouts, Filters, and Summary Graphs you’ve added to your schedule once your project is completed? Are you going to have to create them again for your next project? The answer to this question, is no.
In FastTrack Schedule 10, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when scheduling a new project. You can easily create template files that transfer all of the customized features you’ve built into our schedules. You can even transfer the Activity Data from old projects as well. Using templates to create new projects is quick, easy, and greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to get up and running. The other benefit is that your schedule will have a familiar look and feel, which can make your next project easier to work with.
The first step in creating a template file is to add all of the features that you would like to use in your file. In the image below, we have built in features such as Customized Columns, Layouts, Filters, Resources, and Summary Graphs.
Once you’ve added all of the desired features to the file, go to File > Save as Template. When we save the file as a template, it will be saved into a “Templates” folder that will allow FastTrack Schedule 10 to add it to an easy-to-use Template menu.
Continue reading “Using Templates to Create New Schedules”
04/16/2013 by Brad Egeland Tags: project customer satisfaction, project information flow, project management best practices, project scope
As project managers, we have many responsibilities and much accountability. In other words, there are a lot of things expected of us and those expectations come from different levels of the organization, from our project team members, and from the customer. They say you can please all of the people some of the time, and you can please some of the people all of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time. I would have to say that the role of project manager is probably as close as you’ll ever get to having someone expect you to actually please all of the people all of the time. I’m not whining, it’s just fact.
So how do we do that? Well, of course, in reality we can’t. But we have to keep trying. And in our fervent efforts to do so we need to stay focused on the end goals of the project and the overall satisfaction of our project customer. We need to continually assess… “Am I doing the right things at the right time?” Am I meeting the needs of the project? Am I meeting the needs of my organization? What about my team…am I doing the right things for them and making sure they are still focused on the end goals of the project and the tasks they are supposed to be completing? Am I managing all things properly and to the best of my ability?
For me, I do my best to stay on the track of doing the right things at the right time by staying focused on these three project areas:
Continue reading “Am I Doing the Right Things at the Right Time?”
04/12/2013 by James Gordon Tags: Baselines, FastTrack Schedule 10, Progress Tracking, Version Tracking
In many projects, we are required to track significant changes in our projects. These changes can include items such as status approvals or points of completion in a project. One way of managing these changes is by using Baselines. Baselines, allow us to capture key data, at any point throughout the project. There are, however, other uses for Baselines in our projects as well.
One key use of Baselines is the ability to create “What-If” scenarios, where one can plan multiple versions of a project to find which will be the most effective in the actual implementation. In FastTrack Schedule 10, users have the ability to capture up to 10 unique Baselines in any file. Baselines capture data stored in several “Scheduled” columns including; Duration, Start Date, Finish Date, Total Cost, and Work.
Our first step is to enter all schedule data for our project. In the image below, we have a simple file that has multiple tasks with resources assigned to tasks in order to track work and costs.
In the method we are using Baselines for, the idea is to build several versions of our project, typically by changing Dates/Durations or Resource Assignments. As we do this, we can save baselines in order to compare which versions of the project may be the best fit based on items such as Total Project Duration, Total Resource Work, or Total Project Cost.
Once we have entered our schedule data, we are ready to save our first Baseline. To do this, go to Tools > Progress Tracking > Save Baseline. When we select to save the baseline, we can choose where to save it, from Baseline 1 -10. Here, we will select Baseline 1 and then select OK.
Continue reading “Using Baselines to Create “What-If” Scenarios”
04/11/2013 by Brad Egeland Tags: end of project sessions, lessons learned sessions, project schedule, smart project management
So far we’ve covered four of my five topics on smart project management…the idea of working smarter – but not necessarily harder – on the projects we manage. In parts 1 through 4, we’ve covered:
In this final Part 5, we’ll consider the idea of learning along the way on our projects as a way to improve our overall project delivery while it can still make a difference on the current project.
No one does everything perfect on a project – no amount of project management experience is going to allow you deliver a completely trouble-free end solution. There are going to be bumps in the road and there are going to be mistakes made. By the project team, by the customer team, and yes – even by the project manager (*collective gasp*). Everyone should – but few project managers actually do – conduct end of project sessions known as ‘lessons learned’ sessions. These are designed to do exactly what they say…help everyone on both teams share the good and the bad of the project. The idea, of course, is that we take this information away and use it on future projects and share it with our PM colleagues back at the office. That way, going forward we know what made our projects go well and what caused problem. Thus, we can repeat – even improve on – the good and figure out how to eliminate and never repeat the bad. Great concept…but….
Continue reading “Smart Project Management – Part 5 – Learn Along the Way”
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