Project KickStart (updated).

Project KickStart (updated), CD-ROM, 2007, Experience In Software, Inc., $159.95.

Update:

Project KickStart is now up to version 4. What remains unique to the application, says Roy Nierenberg, president of Experience In Software, Inc., is the project-planning wizard. The six-step wizard incorporates widely accepted principles for managing projects.

Version 4 makes the creation of Gantt charts for project scheduling simple to execute, even for beginners. For more details, click here. A free trial can be downloaded by using the demo link in the left column of this page.

Original review:

We live in a world of projects, like it or not. Yet, the editorial in a recent issue of Computing Canada says:

  Almost two-thirds of people surveyed in a recent IT Business poll said
  their company's approach to managing tech projects is ad hoc. This
  modus operandi might explain why the success rates for projects are
  still alarmingly low after years of warnings from industry analysts on
  the root causes of project failure.

A recent Chaos Report, published by industry analyst Standish Group, estimates that one-third of projects can be deemed "a pass," while two-thirds are either "challenged"' or "outright failures." If company success is driven by the need to stay ahead of the competition, why are these statistics so dismal?

A friend of mine works for a company whose ERP implementation went over budget by $100 million--and the cost is still rising. She has thought of quitting, although she is one of those individuals who can take almost anything. In her company, the sense of urgency to learn from mistakes is lacking.

Planning allows you to decrease the level of stress and increase your level of confidence by giving you the flexibility and maneuverability to:

* Mobilize and energize the commitment and energy of your customer base, team members, executives, and stakeholders to work towards a common objective.

* Achieve a higher standard of excellence by delivering results on time and within budget.

* Tolerate uncertainty by allowing more risks and seeking out more opportunities.

* Gain credibility by communicating strategy through purpose, understanding, and direction.

* Improve relationships throughout the organization.

* Simplify complex information into a "teachable point of view" (see Noel Tichy, The Cycle of Leadership: How Great Leaders Teach their Organizations to Win, HarperBusiness, 2002).

* And have fun and enjoy the process.

  "It's a myth to think we need complicated tools to organize a
  project."
  Tom Peters (paraphrased from an online seminar)

Project KickStart

The thought of another project management tool can make our eyes glaze. I know it does mine. However, you might want to take a look at great little tool that is easy to learn and use: Project KickStart by Experience In Software Inc.

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It is an interactive software program that assists in the most important part of the project cycle--planning. The software integrates seamlessly with a number of software programs such as Microsoft Outlook and Project and Mindjet's MindManager. It is primarily intended for small to medium-size projects.

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When you open Project KickStart, a box appears with three choices: (1) Open a project to review or revise a project, (2) Open your last project you used most recently, or (3) Start a new project. If you are not sure how to start, you can click on "Introduction" and the Help menu offers you assistance in organizing your project.

On the top of the screen is the familiar Windows menu bar. On the left of the screen are the steps Project KickStart suggests in creating a solid plan:

* Naming the project

* Listing the phases of the project

* Goals or tasks required

* Similar project you could review that might help you in this project

* People involved

* Obstacles or constraints 

* Assigning people tasks

Every screen includes a library of phrases that provide ideas for each planning step. You can also add your own suggestions. The Advisor button can help you on the terminology of the step, tips to think about, and other features that support the step.

Some of the steps have some interesting features that make Project KickStart a useful tool to have:

* The Similar icon allows you to choose previous projects that might be similar to the one you are now working on, giving you the opportunity to borrow tasks from past projects and import them into your current project, saving you time and aggravation.

* The People icon allows you to choose the people who will be involved in the project. If you keep a contact list in MS Outlook, you can simply import names from the list into your project.

* The Task screen, gives you an overview of a project. In addition to editing tasks, you can interactively make assignments, add follow-up notes to individual tasks, and switch to the Gantt Chart view where you can schedule tasks and log completed tasks.

* Project KickStart's Gantt chart gives you a quick graphical look at tasks and timelines. The window includes two side-by-side displays: a list of tasks on the left and the graphical Gantt chart display on the right.

You can also transfer tasks, assignments, and notes to other project management software. I linked to MS Outlook and launched it from Project KickStart. I see tasks in the Outlook Tasks view, grouped under a category named for each project. Better still, I can track and email tasks to team members. Linking to MindManager 2002 affords me better visuals and mindmapping opportunities. The Link-to feature allows me to import my plan into Microsoft Project 2002, providing better Gantt chart functionality.

Recommendation

Project KickStart is a low-cost, easy-to-use solution for everyone involved in project planning, even novices.

Review by Mireille Massue

Product Ratings

Project KickStart (updated)

Overall rating  *** 1/2