I actually think MS Project is probably a great tool... unfortunately, it doesn't work the way my brain (or our projects) do so I spend more time frustrated with it than it being helpful. *sighs* Either that or I just need to be a project wizard!
Once I use it to get the task list and the dependencies, I've gotten as far as I can. I can't use it for load balancing or shifting work. I have to do that myself. That's probably me not working the way the tool works.
Where I run into trouble is that I expect people to work on multiple things at the same time, so I have trouble using it for load balancing without doing a lot of translations. I want to be able to say things like "this project takes 80 man hours, has two people, one of whom can devote 25% of his time and the other can devote 50% of his time -- thus, when is it coming due?" and do my load balancing with that... I spend a lot of time either crunching numbers or just going with my gut and trusting that it'll work when I crunch the numbers *afterwards*.
When I look at it objectively, I'm prob not a very good PM. But the job gets done, and done right, and it all works. I just have odd methodology. *smiles*
Now if someone really did make a project management system that works the way my brain does, I'd be SO happy!!
I think that's Jason's projemizer, which also is designed to take into account that it takes Conrad at least 3x as long to do any given task than Jason.
I don't think Jason ever did anything with it after he developed the algorith, though.
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Date: 2004-08-09 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-09 06:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-09 06:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-09 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-09 06:55 am (UTC)When I look at it objectively, I'm prob not a very good PM. But the job gets done, and done right, and it all works. I just have odd methodology. *smiles*
Now if someone really did make a project management system that works the way my brain does, I'd be SO happy!!
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Date: 2004-08-09 08:23 am (UTC)I don't think Jason ever did anything with it after he developed the algorith, though.
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Date: 2004-08-09 06:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-09 10:10 am (UTC)I love your ferrets. :)