Recently I was brought in to manage a data warehouse IT project for a global software giant (name withheld to protect the innocent…and my client). I did the usual stuff since the project had already been somewhat defined…I grabbed the statement of work and any pre-engagement documentation I could find, I talked to some of the stakeholders, got an idea of the resources I’d be working with, was able to get my hands on the estimate (hours and dollars) for the project, and then sat down with my project scheduling tool of choice. And I sat. And I sat. Where to start? I hadn’t managed a project just like this ever. And I hadn’t managed a project somewhat like this in a while. I hate this part…building the schedule from scratch or taking a recent schedule and starting from there only to dismantle it and end up with something far different…but still maybe not right. If only there was an interactive tool that could help me build a good schedule from the start that I could then tweak along the way. You know, something that would get me 80% there….and I do the rest.
Good news…there actually is such a product. It’s called The Project Butler. Designed and developed by adaQuest, this tool uses some interactive Q & A to get you on the path to a great project schedule. It will use the answers you give to build a framework of pre-defined tasks into your schedule. After a few minutes of interacting with the tool, you have a workable project schedule that is nearly complete – you put the finishing touches on it and you’re ready to kick off the project. No more headaches, no more wondering where to start, no more frustrations during the first month of the project as you work and re-work the schedule to get it to where you want it.
Don’t take my word for it…adaQuest is offering a free webinar on this new product on three different dates. It’s only one hour and it will be well worth your time to check it out. Times are 10-11am PDT on 3/26/12, 4/2/12, and 4/9/12. Go here to sign up for one of the three sessions…you won’t be sorry.
