HARVARD PROJECT MANAGER 3.0 TRIAL SIZE Thank you for your interest in Harvard Project Manager 3.0! The state of the art in project management software, Harvard Project Manager 3.0 (HPM) adds speed and simplicity to powerful and sophisticated project management techniques. HPM is a comprehensive business software tool for managers who want to implement project management techniques quickly, accurately, and easily. HPM includes a new planning feature--Fast track--a simple scheduling tool that puts you in the driver's seat immediately, regardless of your project management skill level. You can begin planning a project in only 15 minutes. Fast track also gives you immediate access to the other HPM project planning windows: PERT chart, Gantt chart, Task list, and Work breakdown (outline and structure). HPM's many new features include: * a smooth and responsive interface * faster entry and calculation methods * resource calendars * template reports and batch report printing * scaled graphic reports * import/export capabilities between HPM and Lotus 1-2-3 (Versions 1A and 2), dBASE II & III, dBASE III PLUS, or text (delimited ASCII) programs * EGA and VGA compatibility * numerous learning paths with guided tours, and an on-line tutorial (included in this package) A large-group workshop training package is also available. This Trial Size diskette is designed to help you evaluate Harvard Project Manager 3.0. By using the Trial Size version of HPM, you can experience most of the features offered in the actual product. The features not available on the Trial Size are: * Saving projects. You can't save or archive projects. * Multiple-project reports. You can't print reports that include information about more than one project. * Subprojects. You can't save or create subprojects, and you can't expand, visit, or return to subprojects. * Update. You can't update project files from Time Line or Harvard Total Project Manager II. We've put together a scenario that demonstrates HPM's ease of use and versatility for all your project management needs. Follow these instructions to complete your introduction to HPM. You're managing director of Software Shopper, Inc., a company that markets software by direct mail to personal computer users. You're using HPM to plan the launch of a new product--The Fitness Factor--that customers can use to draw up an exercise and nutrition plan. Instructions for following this introduction to HPM are indented and marked by arrows, like this: ==> Press a key Here's your first one, to display HPM's Main Menu: ==> Type HPM and press Enter CREATE YOUR PROJECT PLAN Two major activities occur at the same time in the Fitness Factor introduction: developing the product (Develop), and preparing a mailing for personal computer users (Mailing). When you put in all the tasks that make up your project, HPM will tell you when you can send out the mailing, how much the project will cost, and what resources you'll need. Select Create a project. ==> Type 1 START IN THE FAST TRACK You start in the Fast track, HPM's default project creation window. (Later, you try other project creation windows in this introduction.) The Fast track is a schedule-type window that requires no experience in project management. You use a timescale to schedule your tasks, in the same way you might use an appointment calendar to mark your meetings. Plotting your tasks on a timescale helps you see when tasks begin and end, and which tasks overlap. Once the window appears, you simply start typing. The timescale across the top shows what date the cursor is on. There's a Notes column at the left margin where you can type comments about the tasks in that row. The status line at the bottom of the window gives you helpful prompts and task information. First, add your project's two main activities, Develop and Mailing: ==> Type Develop A fill-in appears on the screen for the duration (how long the task will take). For now, let's assume each task in our project will take 4 days. ==> Press Tab, type 4, and press F10 to confirm it. Now, move down a row and add the second main activity. ==> Press Enter and type Mailing A fill-in appears for the duration. ==> Press Tab, type 4, and press F10 to confirm it. Let's add a task after Mailing--Artwork. ==> Type Artwork A fill-in appears for the duration. ==> Press Tab, type 4, and press F10 to confirm it. Fast track lets you quickly increase or decrease the duration of each task--just press the Plus and Minus keys. ==> Press the Plus (+) key The task Artwork increases by one day. Now decrease it. ==> Press the Minus (-) key You can type notes about the tasks in each row. The Fast track Notes column scrolls as you type. Let's enter some information about the task Mailing in the Notes column. Display the Edit menu and select Notes. ==> Press F4 and type 7 ==> Type Find new distribution center You can change the width of the Notes column to 10, 20, or 30 characters with HPM's Zoom. ==> Press Ctrl-Z three times You can also change your view of the tasks in the Fast track with the Zoom. Now, let's return to the Fast track task area. You can bypass the Edit menu by using the speed key. ==> Press Ctrl-N Moving a task or row of tasks is easy in the Fast track. For example, suppose you decide that Mailing should start the day after the task Develop is finished. Let's move the task Mailing to the same row as Develop. With the cursor on Mailing, display the Edit menu and select Move task. ==> Press Left Arrow key 5 times ==> Press F4 and type 3 HPM displays the Moving task fill-in with the name of the task the cursor is on: Mailing. Use the arrow keys to move Mailing to the day after Develop is finished. ==> Press Right Arrow key 5 times ==> Press Up Arrow key once For now, let's keep the tasks in their original positions, so cancel the move. ==> Press Esc The task information you entered in the Fast track is immediately transferred to HPM's other project creation windows--the PERT chart, Gantt chart, Work breakdown outline, Work breakdown structure, and Task list. You can enter project data in any of HPM's project creation windows--it's automatically transferred to the other windows. As you will see, each window offers a distinct view of your project. SWITCH TO THE PERT CHART The PERT chart displays the tasks in your project as a network of relationships, much like a flowchart. HPM lets you create a project in the PERT chart, but it also uses information you've entered in other HPM windows to automatically create a PERT chart. Let's look at the PERT chart HPM has created from the information you've entered so far. Display the Graphs menu and select PERT chart. ==> Press F2 and type 2 Boxes on the PERT chart represent tasks. Single lines connect the tasks to show the flow of the tasks. Since Mailing and Develop occur at the same time, HPM has placed them in parallel paths. When it creates a PERT chart, HPM adds two checkpoints called the Start and End milestones. We'll return to the PERT chart later when our project contains more information. SWITCH TO THE GANTT CHART A Gantt chart is a timescale graph with horizontal bars representing the times of tasks and milestones. It's one of the most widely used techniques for displaying schedule information. You can create your project in the Gantt chart, or let HPM create one automatically from information you've entered in other HPM windows. Let's see how your project information translates to a Gantt chart. Display the Graphs menu and select Gantt chart. ==> Press F2 and type 3 To see a list of Gantt chart symbols and their meanings, get Help. ==> Press F1 You can display context-sensitive Help at any time. There's even a Help message to show what key functions are currently available (Ctrl-F1). And if these two don't answer your question, there's a complete index of Help topics. Take a look at it now. ==> Press Shift-F1 Now return to the Gantt chart. ==> Press Esc SWITCH TO THE WORK BREAKDOWN OUTLINE Another new feature of HPM is the Work breakdown outline--a project view that helps you plan a project by breaking it down into its main parts, and viewing it in an outline format. A Work breakdown doesn't show the order of activities or any dependencies. You use it to document all the activities that must be done to reach a project goal, by breaking activities down into their component parts. To switch to the Work breakdown outline, display the Data menu and select Work breakdown outline. ==> Press F3 and type 4 When the outline appears, you see the tasks you've already entered. Let's break down the task Develop into its component parts, or subtasks. To add a subtask, move the cursor to the task, display the Edit menu, and select Add task. ==> Press Down Arrow key twice ==> Press F4 and type 2 HPM opens a blank line beneath Develop and displays a four-way arrow--meaning it's movable. You can move this blank until you type a letter. Move it right one space to indent the subtask. ==> Press Right Arrow Now type the name of your subtask. ==> Type Design HPM lets you add up to 99 levels of subtasks. It displays levels 1 through 10 in the Lvl column. Notice that the task is on a new level. You could continue along the columns adding more information, but for now tell HPM you're done. ==> Press Enter The Work breakdown outline now displays a fill-in. HPM creates a PERT chart automatically from the Work breakdown information. The tasks will be arranged differently if they're parallel (occurring at the same time) or sequential. You expect the subtasks at this level to occur in sequence: first the program is designed, then program code is written, and finally the program is tested. ==> Press Right Arrow Confirm your answer. ==> Press F10 A new blank opens automatically--at the same level. Now add the next subtask. ==> Type Code and press Enter You could continue to add more tasks and build your project in the Work breakdown outline, but for now let's switch to the Work breakdown structure. ==> Press Esc SWITCH TO THE WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE To switch to HPM's Work breakdown structure, display the Graphs menu and select Work breakdown. ==> Press F2 and type 4 HPM displays a tree structure of all the information you've entered so far. The level beneath Goal contains the two main activities, Develop and Mailing. Below Develop, you see the Design and Code subtasks you added in the outline. Let's add a task at the same level as Design and Code. First, move the cursor to Develop. ==> Press Up Arrow To bypass the Edit menu, use the speed key, Ctrl-A, to add a task. ==> Press Ctrl-A A fill-in appears. In the name blank, type the name of the task. ==> Type Test For now, skip the Responsible field. Just confirm the fill-in. ==> Press F10 HPM adds Test to the Work breakdown structure. SWITCH TO THE PERT CHART Let's take another look at the PERT chart HPM has created from the information you've entered. To bypass the Graphs menu, use the speed key, Ctrl-P. ==> Press Ctrl-P When we broke down the task of Develop into more tasks, HPM created a special task called a milestone at the beginning and end of Develop. ==> Press the End key The ending milestone for all the development tasks is called Develop End. Since the development tasks (Design, Code, and Test) are sequential, HPM has placed one after the other from left to right on the PERT chart. Let's return to the Main Menu. ==> Press Esc twice GET A PROJECT FILE To save time, we've completed the project plan for you. You can get the complete plan now. Select Get/Save/Remove from the Main Menu. ==> Type 5 HPM displays the Project list, including FITNESS.PRJ. The Project list shows the names of all project files in HPM, their descriptions, the name of the calendar attached to each, and the status of the project (whether it's up-to-date or needs to be recalculated, for example). In an actual Project list, indented file names represent subprojects. Subprojects are complete projects you can link to your larger projects. * Whenever you make a change to one project, HPM updates the calculations for all the projects linked to it. * As you're working with subprojects, you can "visit" and "leave" the subprojects without having to save and get files. The cursor is already on the Fitness project. To get the project: ==> Press Enter You're back in the PERT chart, but now you see more detail. The two parallel paths, Develop and Mailing, branch off from the Start milestone. USING COLOR If you have a color monitor, you see different colors used for some of the tasks and milestones. These colors help you identify the status of tasks. INTERPRET THE CRITICAL PATH Notice the double lines that connect the tasks following the Develop and Mailing milestones. HPM uses double lines to indicate the project's critical path. Tasks on the critical path have zero slack--if there's a delay in a task on the critical path, there's a delay in the whole project. Since there is slack in some of the tasks in the Fitness project, the critical path does not extend through the entire PERT chart. Let's examine some other features of the PERT chart. ==> Press Right Arrow five times DEFINE LINKS AND LAGS The tasks in a complicated project don't always line up neatly, one after the other. HPM includes two ways of showing real- word task dependencies: links and lags. Look at the task Write Copy. The writer has to prepare the copy for the brochure about Fitness Factor. She can't begin until the product design is finished and the plans for the mailing are complete. Lines representing a link (a dependency) connect Write Copy to the two previous tasks. Now look at the task Document. The bar between Code and Document shows a lag. The writer can't begin the manual until five days after coding has begun, so she has some idea of what the user will see on the screens. The lag is marked SS (Start-Start) because the start of Document lags the start of Code by five days. ZOOM THE PERT CHART The PERT chart is larger than one screen. To get the big picture of the project, use HPM's Zoom feature. Use the speed key to bypass the Format menu and the PERT chart display fill-in. ==> Press Home ==> Press Ctrl-Z You see more of your project in one window as you zoom in. There are three levels of zoom. At the highest level, the tasks and milestones are too small to identify, but you can see the relationships clearly. ==> Press Ctrl-Z again. Return to the full-size PERT chart by using the speed key again. ==> Press Ctrl-Z to return to normal size. ADDING INFORMATION TO THE TASK LIST The Task list is a tabular view of information about tasks and milestones. It's helpful when you want to enter information about more than one task at a time (for example, if you wanted to change all task durations). Display the Data menu and select Task list. ==> Press F3 and press Enter Information about project tasks appears in table form. The first column displays task names. The next column displays the task type (M if the task is a milestone), the next column shows task planned duration, and so on. The Task list allows you to list special categories of data quickly. By selecting Task list display from the Format menu, you can display your choice of columns in any order you wish. TURN CALCULATIONS ON AND OFF Each time you make a change to the project, HPM makes calculations immediately. To speed data entry, you can turn off the calculations. ==> Press F6 and press Enter Turn automatic recalculation off for now. ==> Press Right Arrow key and press F10 Whenever calculations are needed, HPM displays the Needs Calc prompt at the bottom of the screen to remind you that calculation is off. Any time you need to recalculate, use the speed key, Ctrl-C. USING THE TASK FORM Use the Task form to view or add details about a task, change a task name, or change the task's duration type. The information in the fields is the same as that in the Task list columns. Having several formats for entering data about tasks gives you versatility--when you want to enter one category of information (costs, for example) about a lot of tasks quickly, you can use the Task list or Work breakdown outline. But when you want to focus on the individual task, and enter more complete information about it, use the Task form. Let's return to the PERT chart. To bypass the Graphs menu, use the speed key, Ctrl-P. ==> Press Ctrl-P Let's examine the Task form for the task Artwork. Display the Edit menu and select Find task: ==> Press F4 and press Enter HPM displays a fill-in for the task name. Clear the information in the field. ==> Press Ctrl-E ==> Type Artwork and press F10 Now display the Data menu and select Task form. ==> Press F3 and type 5 The top of the form shows information you can edit; the lower part of the form shows information HPM has calculated. Now return to the PERT chart. ==> Press Esc LIST YOUR RESOURCES Before you begin your plan, you need to list all the resources available for all your projects. A resource is something you use to complete a project--but you don't use up (a hammer is a resource, but nails aren't). The people who work on the project are resources. HPM can track resources across projects--for example, if you've allocated the same resource to be used in two projects at once, HPM will warn you about the overallocation. We've already listed the resources you'll need to complete the Fitness project. To see the Resource list, display the Data menu and select Resource list. ==> Press F3 and type 2 The Resource list displays columns for quantity, cost per unit, overtime rates, resource calendar name, and so forth. Press Tab to move from column to column. Now, let's return to the PERT chart. ==> Press Esc ALLOCATE RESOURCES The Allocations list is a list of all resources you'll use for a particular task. HPM calculates the loading and cost of resources. Let's see what resource is allocated to the task Write Copy. Use the speed keys to display and clear the Find task fill-in: ==> Press Ctrl-F and press Ctrl-E Find the task Write Copy. ==> Type Write Copy and press F10 Now display the Allocations list for this task. Display the Data menu and select Allocations list. ==> Press F3 and type 3 The resource Writer is already allocated to this task. In the Planned work column, you allocated five days of her time to writing copy. HPM provides two graphs that show how much of each resource's time is used. Let's look at the Resource loading graph first. ==> Press F2 and type 8 The horizontal line extending to the right from the number 1 shows that there's one writer. Where the bars extend up to the 1, the resource is fully allocated. In the places where the bars dip below the 1, the resource has free time and could take on another task. You're concerned about testing the product adequately. Maybe the Writer could help. Try allocating her to the task Test. Display the PERT chart, using the speed key, Ctrl-P. ==> Press Ctrl-P Now move to the task Test. ==> Press Up Arrow twice Display the Allocations list for Test. Use the speed key, Ctrl-R. ==> Press Ctrl-R If you just type the resource, HPM allocates it to the full duration of the task. ==> Type Writer and press Enter Now recalculate with the new information. ==> Press Ctrl-C HPM displays the letter R beside Writer, and the word Resource in the left corner of the screen to show there's an overallocation. Now check the loading graph again. ==> Press F2 and type 8 Note the place (between May 30 and June 6) where the bar rises above the line. That's where the Writer's overallocation lies. Let's see what other tasks the Writer is allocated to. ==> Press F2 and type 9 The Allocations graph shows each project and task the Writer is allocated to, and the times she's working on each task. She's working on Test and Layout at the same time. LEVEL RESOURCES HPM can level resources automatically and resolve the resource conflict. To level resources, display the Compute menu and select Level resources. ==> Press F6 and type 4 HPM warns you that it's about to start leveling. ==> Press F10 If you watch the Allocations graph, you might see the bar beside Test move. To see how HPM resolved the conflict, let's check the Task form. To bypass the Data menu, use the speed key. ==> Press Ctrl-T Note the symbol beside the Pln start field. HPM changed the planned start date to eliminate the resource conflict. Remove the Task form. ==> Press Esc TRACK COSTS HPM tracks three kinds of project costs: * Overhead - the fixed costs of the project as a whole * Resource - the variable cost of people and equipment used in the project * Other - fixed costs associated with individual tasks HPM provides a Cost graph so you can read cost information quickly. Let's look at it now. ==> Press F2 and type 5 The graph shows all three costs, with different columns for planned and actual costs. The graph now displays cost per unit time, but you can change it to show cumulative costs, projected actuals, and earned value. To format the Cost graph, display the Format menu and select Cost graph display. ==> Press F5 and type 8 HPM displays a fill-in. Change Per unit time to Cumulative. ==> Press Left Arrow and press F10 HPM now adds each week's costs to the sum of the previous weeks' costs. Let's return to the Main Menu. ==> Press Esc twice PRINT REPORTS As a project manager, you need to develop professional quality reports and communicate accurate project plans quickly. HPM features 26 preformatted reports you can customize for your special needs. You can also save the templates of those reports- -or create fresh templates--for repeated use. This trial size product allows you to print reports. To do so, set up HPM to run with your printer first. From the Main Menu, select Setup. ==> Type S Display the Print/Plot menu. ==> Press F2 Set up a printer for your text and graphic reports. Start with a text printer. ==> Type 1 Using the arrow keys, move the cursor to the name of your printer. ==> Select the name of your printer and press F10 HPM displays the Set up text printer fill-in. Press Tab to move from field to field, making sure the information is correct for the printer you're using. ==> Press F10 When you see the Setup window again, you'll see the name of your printer. Next select a printer for your graphic reports (it can be the same printer you selected for your text reports). ==> Press F2 and type 2 Using the arrow keys, move the cursor to the name of your printer. ==> Select the name of your printer and press F10 HPM displays the Set up graphics printer fill-in. Press Tab to move from field to field, making sure the information is correct for the printer you're using. ==> Press F10 Return to the Main Menu and select Reports. ==> Press Esc and type 7 HPM displays the Reports window, a list of all the reports available. Move the cursor to Task and Milestone List. ==> Press Down Arrow twice You can print the report as is, or create a template for your report. Once you create a template, you can use it over and over for different projects. Display the Templates menu and select Create template. ==> Press F4 and press Enter HPM displays a fill-in appears for the report type. Confirm that you want a template for the Task and Milestone List. ==> Press F10 Decide what information you want, and in what order. You can eliminate any columns shown, or add ones that don't have numbers beside them. Leave the defaults for now. ==> Press F10 twice Note the Text report options available. You can add a header or footer, or create a disk file for printing the report later. ==> Press F10 Save your template with the name FITNESS. ==> Type FITNESS and press F10 You see the Templates list, with the name of your new template. Now return to the Reports window. ==> Press Esc Display the Print Options menu and select Run using template. ==> Press F2 and type 2 Confirm that you want to print the FITNESS template. ==> Press F10 When HPM is finished printing, it displays the Templates list. Let's return to the Reports window. ==> Press Esc Now print a graphic report: the PERT chart. It's located directly across in the Graphic reports list. ==> Press Right Arrow Select Run report. ==> Press F2 and press Enter Notice the many options for your report. For example, you could print a grid behind a Gantt chart or Allocations graph, or print a draft or high quality report. Print the PERT chart sideways (horizontally). ==> Press Tab 4 times Select Sideways. ==> Press Right Arrow and press Tab For a sideways report, you don't want HPM to break between pages. ==> Press Right Arrow and press F10 When the report is finished, you can save the report's format as a template for use at a later time. For now, cancel the report. ==> Press Esc Now return to the Main Menu. ==> Press Esc twice IMPORT/EXPORT DATA The final item on the Main Menu is Import/Export. HPM lets you import from or export to spreadsheet, database, or other programs. You can move task and resource allocation information between HPM and Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE II/III, and programs that use ASCII-delimited text files. MANY LEARNING PATHS HPM offers many paths to learning. Now that you've tried this demonstration, you might want to try the on-line tutorial that comes with this Trial Size disk. The tutorial offers lessons on HPM calendars, subprojects, resources, costs and project monitoring, as well as more exercises with the Fast track, PERT chart, Work breakdown, Gantt chart, and Task list windows. First, exit from HPM and return to the DOS prompt. At the Main Menu: ==> Type E ==> Type tutorial and press Enter UPDATE OR CONVERT PROJECTS If you have projects from earlier versions of Harvard Project Manager (1.1) or Harvard Total Project Manager (2.0/2.1), you can update them for HPM 3.0. You can also move Time Line projects over to HPM 3.0. CONCLUSION The HPM 3.0 Trial Size has determined for you when you can mail out the brochure, what the Fitness Factor will cost, and how many people you'll need to complete the project. And you've monitored the project, making adjustments and printing reports for others. You've seen only part of the information HPM can help you calculate and evaluate. With a wide range of specialized features, sophisticated calculation capabilities, and flexibility for your convenience, HPM is the most complete project manager you can buy. If you're new to project management--or want to use HPM for quick and easy scheduling--use the simple, 5-minute tour of Fast track that's included when you buy the program. For a fast but fairly complete introduction to HPM's powerful project management options, you'll enjoy the Quick Tour (Chapter 2 in the manual). In addition, there's a chapter on project management principles (Chapter 3 of the manual). Finally, for corporations or businesses with many employees wanting to use HPM, there are instructor-led workshop training materials available in an optional package, the HPM 3.0 Workshop Master Pack. SHARE WITH ASSOCIATES The HPM Trial Size diskettes are not copy-protected. You're free to copy them as many times as you like, to share them with friends and associates. FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about Harvard Project Manager 3.0 or to purchase the product, see your local software dealer or distributor. For answers to your technical questions that aren't addressed by this Guide or the sales literature, call: Software Publishing Product Support (415) 962-9564 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Pacific Time Monday through Friday. Software Publishing Corporation 1901 Landings Drive P.O. Box 7210 Mountain View, CA 94039-7210 USA Software Publishing Europe The Barn House High Street Yiewsley, Middlesex UB7 7RX Tel: 011-44-895-442658