Showing posts with label project management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label project management. Show all posts

9/25/2012

Franklin Covey Planning Software 8.0 Review

Franklin Covey Planning Software 8.0
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The most annoying bug in my experience of running this software under Windows 2000 is that every time I open it, the toolbars have each moved down to a separate line, and I must realign them all in one row. Frequently and inexplicably, the work panes have all shrunk, and I must resize them all manually (this is not simply done with one click of a Restore button). So, for a software package that advertises that it's going to help you organize your time, it fails from the start. The interface is clumsy--it's still operating in the Windows 3.1 days and struggling to keep up with the current Microsoft interface. Clearly, Franklin Covey has not invested in software design and maintenance. The product is loaded with bugs. There is no added advantage to using this product over Microsoft Outlook. Scheduling is a joke.

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Sync all your information and view it from virtually anywhere with FranklinCovey Planning Software 8.0. Whether you use a wireless phone, handheld, online calendar, corporate scheduling software, or FranklinCovey Planning Pages, FranklinCovey Planning Software 8.0 keeps all your information in one system and in sync. Simply enter your appointment schedule, address/phone lists, contacts, task list, notes, and more into one device, such as your handheld or wireless phone. You can then sync it to the rest of your productivity tools, like your desktop software applications, Web calendars, and more. FranklinCovey Planning Software 8.0 allows you to always have the most current information at your fingertips.
This quick process will allow you to sync your data with Microsoft Outlook 97, 98, or 2000; Lotus Notes; Lotus Organizer 4.1/5.0/6.0, 95, or 97; ACT!; Palm OS Handhelds; Pocket PC Devices; and more. Intuitive, customizable views provide a clean planning environment that puts everything at your fingertips and includes powerful new weekly task and appointment views. Switch easily between My Planner, Info Manager, and What Matters Most views and their associated applications. TrueSync technology provides users a one-click, multi-point synchronization of all the changes in information among every supported device and application simultaneously.

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9/16/2012

Microsoft Visio Professional 2007 Review

Microsoft Visio Professional 2007
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I been using Visio Enterprise 2003 for the last 3 years with Sql Server 2000. My only use of visio relates to database modeling. Once the drawing is been approved, I simply used "Update" option to update database. The update option is a time saving feature in a rapid application development environment for changing relationship, keys and constraints. Writing those changes back to Sql Server is a smooth process.
Recently i changed my development environment to SQL Server 2005 and figured out that Visio 2003 Enterprise does not work with SQL Server 2005. So I decided to buy visio professional 2007 to use the single feature of database modeling.
Upon installation, I figured that there is no option for writing changes back to SQL Server 2005 in either version of Visio (2003 Enterprise, 2007 Professional). In simple there is no "update" or "generate" command in visio professional 2007.
Put it simple. If you want to use database modeling and hoping to write those changes back to SQL Server 2005 with visio, DON'T BUT IT......IT WILL NOT WORK

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Visio Professional 2007

Office Visio 2007 makes it easy for IT and business professionals to visualize analyze and communicate complex information systems and processes. Using professional-looking Office Visio 2007 diagrams you can improve your understanding of systems and processes gain insight into complex information and use that knowledge to make better decisions for your business. Using Office Visio 2007 visually document design and fully understand the state of your business processes and systems with a wide range of diagrams business process flowcharts network diagrams workflow diagrams database models and software diagrams just to name a few. Make diagrams more useful by linking them with underlying data to provide a more complete picture. Office Visio Professional 2007 will make it easy for IT and business professionals to visualize analyze and communicate complex information systems and processes with clear compelling diagrams. By using Office Visio 2007 people will be able to easily visualize information from multiple data sources to better understand the current state of systems and processes analyze information visually to highlight key trends and exceptions and share diagrams broadly for effective and efficient decision-making.GeneralCategory:Office applicationsSubcategory:Office applications - projects / processLicense Type:Complete packageLicense Qty:1 userLicense Pricing:StandardDistribution Media:CD-ROMPackage Type:RetailPlatform:WINSystem Requirements / OS Required:Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or laterUNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code:43233004Product IDUPC:882224157476Manufacturer Part:D87-02785

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8/23/2012

Microsoft Visio Professional 2007 Version Upgrade Review

Microsoft Visio Professional 2007 Version Upgrade
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I upgraded from Visio 2000 Enterprise and was dismayed to discover that the ability to generate a database from a Visio diagram has been removed. It is now only available in the Visio version through an MSDN Subscription - expensive and unreasonable for individual purchasers. Buyer beware....if you want database management functionality get something else.

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VISIO PRO 2007 WIN32 EN WIN32 VUP

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7/31/2012

Microsoft Visio Premium 2010 Review

Microsoft Visio Premium 2010
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I am a long time Visio user from way back. Rather than reviewing all the Visio features, I will just comment on the changes that make Visio more in sync with the latest Microsoft office suite.
Generally, I think it is best to purchase upgrades and continue to grow with the product rather than try to figure out if there are new features that are meaningful to me. In the end, a few bucks spend every so often mean that one keeps up to date and avoid unpleasant surprises later on when features and formats are entirely different. With this reasoning I purchased Visio 2010. I already had Office 2007 which introduced the new ribbon style menus and after some initial adjustment had no issues with the new way of working.
Visio 2010, however, is a different beast. The ribbon style menus are horrible. I keep trying to figure out where the most simplest functions are hidden or how they are grouped/renamed. In some cases you will need to go into configuration settings and select "developer mode" to get menus that are otherwise missing (non-developer menus btw). It is difficult to work in this package, it is very difficult to like it. It appears that no software engineer part of the development of Visio 2010 actually uses this for him/herself. After many hours working with it, I just want to smack someone on that development team! Oh well, venting mode off.
Visio 2010 is a very capable package and the ribbon menu style is probably here to stay (at least for a while) so one might better get used to it. However, if you have a previous version and are happy with it, perhaps wait till a later release to see if Microsoft improves the menus.
For total capabilities: 5 stars, for crappy menus: 1 star; average 3.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Visio Premium 2010

Visio Premium 2010, introduced this year, offers advanced diagramming capabilities for IT and Process management, including new templates for Business Process Management Notations (BPMN), The Microsoft Accelerator for Six Sigma and SharePoint Workflow; new process management tools such as subprocess to help with standardization and reuse; and rules and logic validation to ensure accuracy and consistency across the organization. In addition, SharePoint workflows developed in Visio 2010 Premium can be exported for execution and real-time monitoring on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.

Simplify Complexity With a Diverse Set of Intuitive, Professional Diagramming Tools
Jump-Start Diagramming Meet your diagramming needs for IT, business, process management, and more with modern pre-drawn shapes and intelligent templates.
Find and Access the Tools You Need Quickly Every step in creating a diagram is more intuitive, with logical groupings of features in Ribbon tabs, an enhanced Shapes window for easy access to shapes, and a new status bar that helps you move more efficiently within and between your diagrams.
Draw Diagrams Faster Whether you're creating a diagram from scratch or modifying an existing one, Visio 2010 helps you add and align shapes easily and accurately with features such as the Quick Shapes Mini Toolbar, Page Auto Size, and Auto Align & Space.
Simplify Large and Complex Diagrams Add clarity to diagrams using Subprocesses and Containers to group related shapes visually and logically.
Make Your Diagrams Professional-Looking and Appealing in Seconds Take advantage of a range of formatting tools and design options, including modern shapes and visuals, a rich gallery of themes, and Live Preview.
Model and Monitor Sharepoint Workflows Create and monitor SharePoint workflows more easily with a new, advanced template that contains SharePoint workflow rules, and supports exporting and importing workflows between Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 and Visio 2010.
Ensure Consistency and Accuracy With Diagram Validation Check for common errors and support diagramming standards across your organization using diagram validation. With one click, you can validate a diagram against a set of rules to make sure it's logical and properly constructed.
Bring Your Diagrams to Life With Dynamic, Data-Driven VisualsGaining a clear and complete view of information that matters to your business requires both a high-level perspective and detailed data. With just a few clicks, Visio 2010 helps you see the entire picture by showing meaningful information and data graphically in a single, always up-to-date diagram.
Easily connect your diagrams to one or more data sources including Microsoft Excel, SQL Server, and SharePoint Services, using the Data Selector and Automatic Link wizards.
Display real-time data right within diagram shapes, based on conditions you define, using expressive graphics such as color, icons, symbols, and data bars. Then, add a legend to explain the meaning of your data-linked graphics.
Keep the linked data in your diagrams up-to-date effortlessly using Automatic Refresh, which can refresh data automatically at specific time intervals you set.

Share Dynamic, Data-Linked Diagrams With Others Through Their Browser
Share Diagrams With Others on the Web Sharing your interactive, refreshable, data-linked diagrams with others is easier than ever. With just a few clicks, publish your diagram to SharePoint Server. Users can see your real-time information in their browsers at a high level, right on the diagram, or delve into the details--even if they don't own Visio.
They can pan and zoom in the online diagram, follow hyperlinks in shapes, and refresh the data. Diagrams can be rendered in Microsoft Silverlight (high-fidelity) or in PNG format for those who don't have Silverlight.
Create Visual Mashups Using Visio Services Create visually compelling, interactive dashboards for your audience by combining Visio diagrams, real-time data, and different applications in SharePoint Server. Visio Services and SharePoint Server 2010 integration support visual mashups of actionable data and diagrams for an information-rich visual experience.
Which Version of Microsoft Visio 2010 is Right for You?

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7/28/2012

SmartDraw 2009 Review

SmartDraw 2009
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I was lucky to stumble on Smart Draw. Once I discovered the richness and ease of use and its depth, plus (I guess) with 100 times as many templates as Visio plus really fine detailed clip art (I know its over at least 10,000 pieces,) I was hooked. I have been using Smart draw since I think 2000 or so.

I was/am sort of a Visio expert before it was purchased by Microsoft long ago. And I loved Visio - imperfections and all. But after discovering Smart Draw (the 1st true non Microsoft application that integrated itself into all the application in Microsoft Office)I did 90% of my work with it instead of Visio. It saved me time and gave me superior flexibility.

Yes I still use Visio (Smart Draw can even import VSS files) including vs. 2007, and I have upgraded Smart Draw to every new version since. They get better and better.
Unlike Visio, SD's training and examples are fantastic as is their really fine support. AND NO I DO NOT HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIP WHATSOEVER with Smart Draw.
When they branched out with their medical extension, I checked it out. Doctors should grab it! I have several great docs as clients and GAVE them gifts of the Smart Draw Medical version. Why? Many use it for training or customizing the incredible template/clip art collection for virtually any disease. Its great for showing patients custom pictures of procedures as well as an awesome adjunct for use (my orthpod does a lot of professional peer training) for training.
Unfortunately the one thing I don't like at all about Smart Draw is that it morphed when Office 2007 came out with that d__m ribbon! I hate that ribbon. But SD 2009 is still incredibly easy to use. You can even create your own Smart Draw library from your own art with its easy import tool.
If you are wise you will buy the packaged version, rather than download it. When you download it all of the templates do not come with it. Just images. if you use a new template, frequently it must be added by downloading. A real pain. SD used to offer the ability to download all the art, butt its hard to do now. But absent those two issues, Smart Draw rocks! I understand its legal version is as good as its medical one. Lawyers and police appear to really love it.


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7/01/2012

Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction Review

Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
It was a pleasure to find out that this book had been updated when I reads news of it. CC2 is a great one-stop 'place' to go to when you want a great excuse to apply Stephen Covey's 'Sharpen The Saw' principle. This updated version has some solid, fantastic, expert instruction on designing from scratch, whether it's OO, writing better routines, psuedocode, nested loops, or at the higher level: agile methods, etc..
McConnell's approach of talking to you, the programmer, is ideal: not too much humor, and an easy to read, but professional approach in the way he donates the contents of his brain: i.e. McConnell's lengthy experience in the field.
I read just a couple of paragraphs in a chapter before work one morning, and the advice I picked up saved so much time that same day. And it wasn't even specific to coding instruction. It was a piece of advice on a philosophy on how he personally determines how much upfront design he should settle on before coding.

Reading Software Construction material of this caliber, as compared to some, yet another, new book on a specific language that might look impressive to know, is what makes for a solid programmer.
Refreshing your overall S/W construction knowledge gives you so much more of your life back, because you will have way less bugs and a lot more fun maintaining the high-quality code you are now writing because of CC2.
I mentioned already that he covers OO, but I wanted to emphasize the excellent material he offers in this area. I am now seeing the benefit of measuring the quality of your classes by this guideline: are they true Abstract Data Types. ( rather than just trying to use the syntax that the language provides to its potential).
Great job on a rather thorough re-write of a S/W development staple.



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Widely considered one of the best practical guides to programming, Steve McConnell's original CODE COMPLETE has been helping developers write better software for more than a decade. Now this classic book has been fully updated and revised with leading-edge practices—and hundreds of new code samples—illustrating the art and science of software construction. Capturing the body of knowledge available from research, academia, and everyday commercial practice, McConnell synthesizes the most effective techniques and must-know principles into clear, pragmatic guidance. No matter what your experience level, development environment, or project size, this book will inform and stimulate your thinking—and help you build the highest quality code.

Discover the timeless techniques and strategies that help you:

Design for minimum complexity and maximum creativity
Reap the benefits of collaborative development
Apply defensive programming techniques to reduce and flush out errors
Exploit opportunities to refactor—or evolve—code, and do it safely
Use construction practices that are right-weight for your project
Debug problems quickly and effectively
Resolve critical construction issues early and correctly
Build quality into the beginning, middle, and end of your project


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6/30/2012

Microsoft Visio Standard 2007 Review

Microsoft Visio Standard 2007
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Good for drawing flowcharts for software. The standard version has the templates used for firmware. Able to export to Visio 2002. 1 month trial can be downloaded from Microsoft. Not as easy to use as Smart Draw, but Visio does not have problems staying on grid and will go full screen on large monitors, so I switched. Only program I have that wont print to Adobe Acrobat writer 5.0.

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Office Visio 2007 makes it easy for IT and business professionals to visualize analyze and communicate complex information systems and processes. Using professional-looking Office Visio 2007 diagrams you can improve your understanding of systems and processes gain insight into complex information and use that knowledge to make better decisions for your business. Using Office Visio 2007 visually document design and fully understand the state of your business processes and systems with a wide range of diagrams business process flowcharts network diagrams workflow diagrams database models and software diagrams just to name a few. Make diagrams more useful by linking them with underlying data to provide a more complete picture. Office Visio Standard 2007 will make it easy for business professionals to visualize and communicate complex information processes and ideas with professional-looking diagrams. By using Office Visio 2007 people will be able to easily create diagrams to visualize complex information present them professionally and share them broadly for effective and efficient decision-making.GeneralCategory:Office applicationsSubcategory:Office applications - projects / processLicense Type:Complete packageLicense Qty:1 userLicense Pricing:StandardDistribution Media:CD-ROMPackage Type:RetailHeader / Localization:EnglishPlatform:WINSystem Requirements / OS Required:Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or laterUNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code:43233004Product IDUPC:882224157841Manufacturer Part:D86-02751

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5/15/2012

Franklincovey Address/Phone Review

Franklincovey Address/Phone
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I'm uninstalling this thing - it's useless.
I found the layout confusing. It's got some pretty serious errors where, for example, the buttons don't appear in a dialog box so the application is effectively hung. By default, it doesn't print the 'Company Name' of your contacts. Huh? That's kind of important information! How could they think we didn't want the 'Company Name' printed?
I can't find any way to fix this silly state of affairs without buying their 'form designer' software, so I'm uninstalling it and going back to using my cellphone as an address book.


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5/13/2012

Mindjet MindManager Pro 7 Review

Mindjet MindManager Pro 7
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
MindManager is one of the most useful software tools that I have. I use it constantly. It is very intuitive to use. It has a property that I really love about some software; if I'm not sure how to do a certain thing, I do what seems like it should work and most of the time it does. It's very friendly and obvious despite its sophistication. It's the kind of software that you can open up and just get to work with easily, but it also has a lot of depth and functionality to explore. I've been using MindManager for about seven years, including the various flavors of Microsoft Office integration and I have always been pleased with every new version of the software. You can output maps to many formats for sharing, collaborate on mind maps, and there's a really beautiful presentation mode that animates map navigation in an intelligent way for reviewing the information with others. The new version 7 has many improvements and enhancements over version 6, which I also loved. The implementation of the Microsoft Office styled ribbon tool bar is really well done, and the enhancements to mind map navigation and viewing are very helpful. I can very highly recommend this tool to anyone that needs to organize their thinking and planning.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mindjet MindManager Pro 7

Mindjet MindManager Pro 7 is software that helps to engage and align people to work smarter, think creatively and save time by visually capturing, organizing and communicating ideas and information effectively.Designed to facilitate the rapid development of ideas, capture complex issues, inspire creativity and identify next steps, MindManager is the mapping software of choice for businesses and individual users today.With a simple graphical user interface, users can immediately begin to realize productivity gains by quickly engaging in brainstorming sessions and improve the communication between individuals and teams. MindManager software enhances the quality of strategic thinking, accelerates project and process planning and increases productivity. MindManager software enables people to work smarter and faster, improving not only individual results but also the output of teams. The visual interface sparks creativity and collaboration so teams can easily capture knowledge, evaluate options and pursue the most promising strategy. MindManager software facilitates project and process planning, as well as communication and organization throughout the project. It helps to set the project on the right course, consolidate key project and process information and accelerates completion. The result is a more productive workforce making more informed decisions that yield optimal results. MindManager software combines core mapping capabilities with sophisticated application integration to provide a flexible information creation and management solution. MindManager maps can be linked to variety of data sources, such as Microsoft Office and Salesforce.com, enabling users to capture, organize and visualize complex information. Integration with leading productivity applications and enterprise solutions saves users time and ensures quick data exchange for report and presentation creation, contact management, project management, data management and more.

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4/12/2012

People Manager v 3.4.12 Review

People Manager v 3.4.12
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I read another review on this product with a low rating and am wondering if they had a previous version. This product is very easy to use. We got it in the Ultimate Employer bundle. We use it to track our employee information (name, SS#, I9, hm address, ...), benefits, positions/salaries, time worked, vacation time, etc. It is very easy for anyone to jump on the system and find the information they want, or enter additional information. We have been very satisfied. Although the 50 standard reports meet our needs, we have looked at using the export feature to Microsoft Access to create a report for our payroll service.

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People Manager helps save you time by maintaining accurate personnel records. The software centralizes employee information, alerts you to the legal significance of employee-management issues, and provides expert human resource advice. Keep track of records and document actions like hiring, promotions, reviews, or terminations.
The software can also remind you about important events like benefits eligibility dates, and it provides flexible options for tracking attendance and interfaces with your payroll service, including formats for Paychex Paylink, ADP, and Ceridian. People Manager enables anyone to have access to many of the key skills of a full-time HR expert. Use this program to get prepared, stay organized, protect your company from litigation, and build employee confidence by keeping accurate records of the time they have worked.

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11/04/2011

Primavera SureTrak Project Manager 3.0 Review

Primavera SureTrak Project Manager 3.0
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
SureTrak was designed with features that practicing project managers need, not glitzy fluff. Although the two previous reviewers have made strong cases for SureTrak there are a few details that I'd like to add.
(1) Multiple calendars - you can have up to 31 base calanders per project, giving you absolute control that is not possible with other PM applications in this price range. This feature allows you to model different resource baselines, which is powerful. Also, unlike MS Project, SureTrak does not assume it knows better than you and change the project in strange and mysterious ways after you've made an adjustment. This alone makes SureTrak worth using.
(2) Earned Value project management is built in and works correctly. If you're a PMP you'll not only appreciate the solid implementation of earned value, but should also know that the earned value portions of the PMBOK were developed by members of the Primavera team--Quentin Fleming and Joel Koppelman--who also authored Earned Value Project Management, second edition. This adds a high level of trust in the way SureTrak works.
(3) Project resource leveling works (it's somewhat 'challenged' in MS Project), and the ability to automatically forecast resource shortages, trace PERT logic, use precedence diagramming method if you so choose, and the ability to jump from WBS, resource, activity or PERT views with a mouse click shows your project from any perspective. Another nice feature is the 'cosmic' view of the PERT view that shows the entire network in one window and details in another.
(4) The reports, profiling and analysis options are too many to list. Suffice it to say that if there is a view or report that isn't shipped with SureTrak (and I cannot think of any), you can easily create one.
Although it has serious features, it also has glitz: publish in HTML, add graphics to your schedule and customize bar legends. It also has team features, such as email management, the ability to manage multiple related projects simultaneously, and the ability to exchange files with MS Project via MPX files. Note that there are some losses when you exchange MPX files because SureTrak has features that Project doesn't have and they will not import correctly into MS Project.
If you make the leap from MS Project to SureTrak I strongly recommend investing in Planning Using Primavera SureTrak Project Manager Version 3.0 by Paul E. Harris, which will get you quickly started.

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Communicate with professional-quality reports and graphics. SureTrak Project Manager combines ease of use, power, and affordability. With SureTrak, you can create schedules graphically, as well as point and click to create relationships between activities. It is ideal for resource planning and control on small- to medium-sized projects.

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10/09/2011

Microsoft Visio Professional 2010 Review

Microsoft Visio Professional 2010
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I used previous versions of Visio Pro to build ER diagrams and create databases. It was a good tool. However, the 2010 version abandons any attempt to be useful in actual software development. You cannot generate databases from this product, as you can for others. If you just want flowcharts, stick with the standard version. If you want this for other functions, read other reviews. But if you want to use Visio as part of serious software development, do yourself a favor and don't try. Use Erwin instead.

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Visio Professional 2010 takes diagramming to a bold new level with dynamic, data-driven visualization tools and templates, and advanced sharing through the Web. Bring the big-picture and real-time data from multiple sources, including Excel, Microsoft SQL Server, and SharePoint lists, together in one powerful diagram. Then see real-time changes to data right within your diagram, displayed through vibrant graphics such as icons, colors and data bars. Using SharePoint integration, you can now easily share your diagrams in real time with anyone, even those who don't own Visio.

Simplify Complexity With a Diverse Set of Intuitive, Professional Diagramming Tools
Jump-Start Diagramming Meet your diagramming needs for IT, business, process management, and more with modern pre-drawn shapes and intelligent templates.
Find and Access the Tools You Need Quickly Every step in creating a diagram is more intuitive, with logical groupings of features in Ribbon tabs, an enhanced Shapes window for easy access to shapes, and a new status bar that helps you move more efficiently within and between your diagrams.
Draw Diagrams Faster Whether you're creating a diagram from scratch or modifying an existing one, Visio 2010 helps you add and align shapes easily and accurately with features such as the Quick Shapes Mini Toolbar, Page Auto Size, and Auto Align & Space.
Simplify Large and Complex Diagrams Add clarity to diagrams using Subprocesses and Containers to group related shapes visually and logically.
Make Your Diagrams Professional-Looking and Appealing in Seconds Take advantage of a range of formatting tools and design options, including modern shapes and visuals, a rich gallery of themes, and Live Preview.
Model and Monitor Sharepoint Workflows Create and monitor SharePoint workflows more easily with a new, advanced template that contains SharePoint workflow rules, and supports exporting and importing workflows between Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 and Visio 2010.
Ensure Consistency and Accuracy With Diagram Validation Check for common errors and support diagramming standards across your organization using diagram validation. With one click, you can validate a diagram against a set of rules to make sure it's logical and properly constructed.
Bring Your Diagrams to Life With Dynamic, Data-Driven VisualsGaining a clear and complete view of information that matters to your business requires both a high-level perspective and detailed data. With just a few clicks, Visio 2010 helps you see the entire picture by showing meaningful information and data graphically in a single, always up-to-date diagram.
Easily connect your diagrams to one or more data sources including Microsoft Excel, SQL Server, and SharePoint Services, using the Data Selector and Automatic Link wizards.
Display real-time data right within diagram shapes, based on conditions you define, using expressive graphics such as color, icons, symbols, and data bars. Then, add a legend to explain the meaning of your data-linked graphics.
Keep the linked data in your diagrams up-to-date effortlessly using Automatic Refresh, which can refresh data automatically at specific time intervals you set.

Share Dynamic, Data-Linked Diagrams With Others Through Their Browser
Share Diagrams With Others on the Web Sharing your interactive, refreshable, data-linked diagrams with others is easier than ever. With just a few clicks, publish your diagram to SharePoint Server. Users can see your real-time information in their browsers at a high level, right on the diagram, or delve into the details--even if they don't own Visio.
They can pan and zoom in the online diagram, follow hyperlinks in shapes, and refresh the data. Diagrams can be rendered in Microsoft Silverlight (high-fidelity) or in PNG format for those who don't have Silverlight.
Create Visual Mashups Using Visio Services Create visually compelling, interactive dashboards for your audience by combining Visio diagrams, real-time data, and different applications in SharePoint Server. Visio Services and SharePoint Server 2010 integration support visual mashups of actionable data and diagrams for an information-rich visual experience.
Which Version of Microsoft Visio 2010 is Right for You?

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10/06/2011

Microsoft Project 2000 Review

Microsoft Project 2000
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
It's a shame Microsoft doesn't trust it's customers. This product requires one to eMail, call, or connect to Microsoft through the Internet to register. If you don't, you can't use the product after starting it 49 more times. If that's not bad enough, I wasn't able to register this product because the software key was outside the range Microsoft had in their database and because "I purchased it through an Internet store" (I purchased it from Amazon), they refused to assist me in any way. This is a new directive from Microsoft I confirmed after escillation. Apparently Microsoft doesn't trust any internet store as well as it's customers.

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Project 2000 allows users to create a database of easilysortable information about a group undertaking. It's become an invaluable application, and the 2000 edition provides a level of Web interactivity users have been clamoring for. A strong product with a great series of tools, Project 2000 should quickly become a standard product in the business person's library. Technically, there weren't too many surprises. While we did have to restart more than once in order to make it through the full installation, in the end, it wasn't too problematic. (In typical heavy-handed fashion, though, the installation resulted in having Internet Explorer reinstalled as a desktopshortcut.) The interface is the same as any product in the MicrosoftOffice suite--a boon to new users. As an added plus, the accompanyinguser's guide is topnotch, presenting beginning- to advanced-level documentation on how to get the most from this product (and in turn, become a truly skilled project manager). For those unfamiliar with Project, here's the general course of events in using the application: in working with the software, you--as the user--have to thoroughly think through the consequences of your priorities. This can have myriad benefits to the people working under you, as you're asked to quantify resources, deadlines, tasks, and costs. At a critical juncture--if, for example, the project just won'tbe finished according to schedule--Project 2000 will provide resourcesand data to decide between tradeoffs: Do you limit the scope? Add moreresources? Push the timeline back? Most importantly, you can cutthrough the veil of darkness surrounding some projects by publicizingyour progress on company intranet space. You can even create circles ofe-mail correspondence with the help of the brand-new Microsoft ProjectCentral.

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9/30/2011

Franklincovey Planplus Version 5 For Outlook Review

Franklincovey Planplus Version 5 For Outlook
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I am completely dependent on Outlook and I use a number of the 7 habits tools as well as a modified Franklin Covey planner format so trying to merge them all together would be very valuable for me.
Unfortunately, Franklin Covey has yet to provide such a solution for me. I tried the outlook add-on a few years ago and while I was impressed with the system it had some short comings - especially as far as the stability of the program itself. I recently stumbled across a link to a trial for the most recent version (5.0) of the Outlook product so I thought I'd give it another try.
In short:
I love how easy it is to scheduling task and setup projects. It's nice to be able to easily code and then drag and drop tasks onto a daily or weekly schedule. Viewing tasks and projects is also nice.
I like being reminded to set and keep goals as well as missions and compass headings. While I'm not fanatical about these things, just seeing them on the tool bar seems to help me keep myself focused on the bigger picture and things are are really important.
I like the general format of the dashboard - it's pretty good at cramming a bunch of information in one screen.
However:
I hate how unstable the software is. It CONSTANTLY crashes my Outlook. In many cases I actually have to restart my computer to get Outlook back up. I had this problem with the last version I bought and the crashes are what made me abandon the program - what waste of $100 that was. I thought the new version may have solved that but I guess not - it is WORSE.
I hate how SLOW this add-on makes Outlook. It really bogs my system down. Business Contact Manager is a little slow to bring up but once your in it it runs pretty well - not PlanPlus. It's painful.
I hate that you can't customize the dashboard.
I hate that it doesn't play well with Business Contact Manager.
I hate the fact that when you set estimate times for tasks that those time estimates don't come with the task when you drag it to your calendar - wouldn't that make sense?
Bottom line - great concept, pretty good tool - absolutely awful software coding. Looks pretty - functions poorly. And it's backed up by very poor customer support.
I have one day left on my trial and I will, regrettably, have to uninstall it today. As much as I like what I cad do with it - I simply can not put up with the crashes.

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9/15/2011

Time & Bill Professional Review

Time and Bill Professional
Average Reviews:

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For some reason, I can not find decent billing software for any price. I am not looking for anything complex. I want to send out 10-20 bills a month, and track and bill receivables. I think this is an easy task. So I was excited to get this program.
I spent 2 hours, 1 telephone call and 3 emails just to get the program installed and put my name and address in the system. I wanted to add 1 client and send a prior balance bill out. After 2 more hours I was unable to do this.
Frustration took over and I quit. I saw a lot of screens, but none of them were helpful. I continue my quest for reasonable billing software.


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Time & Bill Professional™ Deluxe Edition is a first-of-a-kind retail software for professional service businesses to track time, expenses, provide billing and invoicing, job costing, estimating, and project management tools.

Professional Service Firms choose Time & Bill Professional for their job management and billing needs. Smart, intuitive, and easy-to-use, Time & Bill Professional will help your company increase revenues, boost cash flow, decrease costs, and save time.
Create charts and reports automatically with your information.

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9/12/2011

Microsoft Project Server 2003 (5-Client) Review

Microsoft Project Server 2003 (5-Client)
Average Reviews:

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Project schedules for teams are most useful if the whole team feels ownership and uses the plan as a tool to get their work done. This can only happen if a master schedule is made widely available, and users or planners can filter and massage the tasks, due dates, etc. so each person sees only what is relevant to them. The alternative - firehosing a 500 line plan at 50 people - just results in user overload and rejection of the entire project management activity.
Microsoft Project Server does solve the above problem. It manages to do so in a way that is unbelievably clunky. They created a "Project Web Access" user interface that breaks all the UI ease of use rules known to man, and requires multiple days of training. Essential functions are tucked away in obscure places with ambiguous labels. Even superusers need a cheat sheet. Occasional users often just reject the system.
The complexity of the installation process is annoying. Even experienced IT people end up hip deep in IIS, credentials, inexplicably failed logons, MSDE, and a raft of turgid Microsoft documentation that doesn't actually explain how to install this system. Prepare for a multi-day trial and error torture session and give your IT tech some time off after the nightmare is over.
The only thing worse than using Microsoft Project Server to manage a project is not using anything at all. I don't know of any competitive solution that solves the problem of managing dynamic shedules over geographically distributed teams.

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Project Server 2003 is an extensible platform for project portfolio and resource management. Along with Project Professional 2003 and Project Web Access, it forms the Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management Solution. Project Server 2003 provides centralization and standardization of project and resource information to enable: enterprise resource management; Web-based time and status reporting; Web-based views of portfolio and project performance and health; portfolio analysis and modeling; customization and integration with line-of-business systems. The key features of the Project Server 2003 allow to: - Monitor progress and make informed decisions. A central repository of project portfolio and resource information can evaluate and model schedule, resource, and cost data over time and across projects. - Customize and exchange data with other programs. Use open architecture (featuring XML messaging and SOAP) and extensive API connectors to exchange information with other business programs and databases. - Increase participation and maintain up-to-date data. Microsoft Office Outlook integration lets your team members submit project task progress in Outlook Calendar for greater participation in projects. - Enable information sharing and collaboration. Improve coordination across teams through Project Web Access. Centrally store, link, and share related project details such as documents, issues, and risks. Scalable design allows you to distribute database load across separate database servers.

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9/11/2011

Microsoft Project 2002 Review

Microsoft Project 2002
Average Reviews:

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I got a trial by fire, or rather, immersion, in this software. I got a copy at work and had to immediately set up a project. Oh, the pain, the pain.
This software has just about everything you could ever need to set up a project, including GANTT charts, PERT charts and schedules. Project set-up parameters such as identifing objectives, scope, stakeholders, costs, resources, risks, etc. are available.
What this software won't teach you is how to use MS Project 2002 to fullest advantage. For that, there are text books, courses, computer-based trainings. If you intend to reap the full benefits of this powerful package, you need some kind of intensive tutorial. The good news is that there is so much power here that you will be likely to grow into the software and find more and more things you can do with it. But the beginning can be rough going.
In summary, a lot of software power for the money, but to fully use that power, you'll need some kind of guide or course.

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Microsoft Project Standard makes it easier than ever to manage schedules and resources, communicate project status, and report project information. With more intuitive tools and built-in project management assistance, you'll get productive quickly; even novices can start project planning and reporting immediately. Microsoft Project has the fundamental project management features that you need to stay informed, so projects stay on track and within budget.
Quickly and easily create and manage project plans with the new Project Guide. Step-by-step interactive instructions walk users through the key areas of their projects--tasks, resources, tracking, and reporting--so they can be productive immediately. In addition, the Project Guide can be customized to effectively promote an organization's best practices from within the application.
New wizards have been added to reduce time and complexity in setting up projects, while smart tag indicators give users feedback when they make certain changes to their project plans, especially those that may affect scheduling. In addition, the familiar Microsoft Office XP interface--complete with informative task panes and adaptive pull-down menus--makes learning and using Microsoft Project more intuitive than ever.

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