Businesses Move Toward Project Management with the Help of KickStart Planning Software.

BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 1997--A growing business trend toward management by project, not process, has boosted the sights of Experience In Software, Inc., a Berkeley CA, based company which develops computer-aided thinking software to solve business problems.

The company is preparing to launch Project KickStart 2.0, a front-end project planning tool which helps managers with varying skill levels effectively structure projects, identify obstacles, allocate resources, and plan tasks in an easy and consistent manner. The release of Project KickStart 2.0 falls at a time when project management issues are on an upswing. According to data published by Microsoft Corporation, 70% of project management software buyers are new to the practice of formalized project management. Tom Peters suggested in the October 7, 1996 of Forbes ASAP that "everything is turned into a value-added project for a client, with measurable results -- quickly or else... Get everyone focused 100% on projects. THINK project. TALK project. LIVE/BREATHE project."

"Project KickStart was designed to aid a broad spectrum of project managers -- from neophyte to expert," said Roy Nierenberg, president of Experience In Software, Inc. "It is the missing link between a project's inception and its management via traditional project management software."

Developers of traditional project management software have recognized a knowledge gap exists between skilled project managers and newcomers to the craft. Primavera Systems has incorporated Project KickStart as a front-end "30-minute planning wizard" to aid users of its SureTrak Project Manager. "Project KickStart has made SureTrak Project Manager easier to use," said Joel Koppelman, president of Primavera Systems. "It not only simplifies new projects, but also will help our users conceptualize projects in the first place. It provides a framework for brainstorming projects and anticipating potential problems." Experience In Software is also working on deals to provide Project KickStart as a front-end tool for other project management software and business suite products. "Our goal is to establish Project KickStart as a project planning standard," said Nierenberg.

For most companies, Project KickStart solves a variety of project management problems. It provides an easy to use framework which allows even "incidental project planners" -- experts in their areas of specialty, to contribute to a larger project plan. Libraries of project or company specific information and sample projects provide a repository of value-added knowledge, reducing project management training and start-up time. In a group setting, Project KickStart helps clarify goals and renders a way to communicate task requirements and project needs to staff members.

Project KickStart Ver. 2 has Gantt chart and spell check capabilities, instructive sample projects, and "hot links" to such traditional project scheduling and tracking software as Microsoft Project, Time Line, Scitor's Project Scheduler 7, Primavera's SureTrak Project Manager, and Kidasa Software's Milestones, Etc., as well as to Excel and Word. It is year 2000 compliant and Office 97 compatible.

Instructive new sample projects include: "How to Plan and Prepare for Winning Presentations" by Thomas Leech, author and lecturer; and "How to Get Your First Web Site Up and Running" by Vince Emery, author. Project KickStart has minimal system requirements: 4 Meg RAM; 2.2 Meg hard disk space and is available directly from Experience In Software, Inc. by calling 800/678-7008. It sells for $129.95 plus shipping, with an introductory price of $99.95.

CONTACT: Experience In Software, Inc.

Carolyn Burd/Roy Nierenberg, 510/644-0694

[e-mail]

http://www.experienceware.com/press