In working out your responses to the Discussion Question, you should choose examples from your own experience or find appropriate cases on the Web that you can discuss. Credit will be given for references that you make to relevant examples from real companies. Please make sure that you cite and reference all your outside sources properly, as per the Harvard Referencing System.
Two project management programs have been suggested for use in this module: Microsoft Project and OpenProj.
Microsoft offers a free 60-day trial of Microsoft Project 2007. The retail price for Microsoft Project (standard version) is $599.95. Microsoft Project runs on Microsoft Windows XP (with service pack 2), Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (with service pack 1), or a later operating system. Installation support is free, as is some support after installation. Further support can be purchased as a pay-per-use service or on an annual subscription. Documentation and tutorials are readily available. A server-based version is also available.
Log on using your user name and password.
OpenProj 1.4 is available as a free download from the Internet. OpenProj has fewer features than Project-ON-Demand, which is software that you can access for a monthly subscription fee of $20.00 per user. OpenProj runs on Linux, Unix, Mac, or Windows computers. Limited documentation exists regarding OpenProj, and support may be available only if newer versions are released.
You are a project manager in a newly established construction company. The company comprises 12 team members working under two project managers. The company's chief executive officer (CEO) is not keen on investing too much in a project management software tool without being convinced about the value of such an investment. Which project management software tool would you recommend to the CEO and why? Discuss the parameters that you would consider while making your choice.