Best Project Log/Scheduling Software?

[Brian Hochstein]

I am looking for recommendations for inexpensive or free project management software that focuses on scheduling and creating a log of activities. The overall goal is to better manage projects and keep a log of activities that is accessible to the entire design team in case one of the team members is not available to answer questions. Ideas? Thanks!

[Les Ballard]

i was gonna say xl which lots of folk have anyway and here in uk anyway, along with lotus notes, is spread sheet sytem used for recording tree work in boroughs or local authority areas as far as i know. The problem with this is you have to use it right. What i mean is you can have a bunch of xl experts using linked sheets, hidden columns of notes and so on. I would prefer to simply cross reference simple workbooks with a reference you can do a find for in another workbook. Even using lots of sheets is only good for master documents since you can let some folk access one sheet but not want them to see others and to email them you have to copy the workbook then delete all the sheets they may not see and errors can occur. One sheet to one workbook is more manageable and, by the way, suffers less by a single error. If you have linked sheets/workbooks you can really foul up. Also, some sheets can be like address books with quote prices and so on with medium info and others may have lengthy notes. Workers accessing some sheets may build to an A4 sheet per tree or remedied errors as time passes and it should not be their choice to delete or archive information from the past. Finally, you can simply protect any sheet so that it cannot be changed or fouled up by someone reading it only, or on a network system save their version of a sheet they have played with to your master thereby changing the master. You remain in control if you accept the drain on time having to administer the system demands with just basic xl knowledge. On an accounting or PR basis, of course, you can programme number crunching and charts at any time from any sheet.

Way back, projects had a plan, schedule and journal with snagging lists or whatever in between. The black arts of your particular discipline can still be followed with xl. Contributing persons, say seeking tenders for contracts, can chip in to the programme with their own info. Eventually, to contradict myself and perhaps for publication, the various sheets can be assembled and juggled in a single workbook and.or incorporated into any word or similar document, say a report, along with photos, scanned documents, etc. Back up and keep hold of master disks especially for projects that may survive your system. It is so quick these days this can be done every night there has been a change to the master files.

Luv n Lite

Les Ballard

[Fiona O’Leary]

What you mean exactly by scheduling?

[Bria Sativa Aguayo]

Hi Brian,

In case you haven’t found something yet I know someone who uses Intuitive Time Tracking http://www.officetime.net/ for keeping track of activities and clients. I am not sure if ITT is what you are looking for, otherwise I vote for Excel too.

Bria Sativa Aguayo
http://www.briadesigns.net

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