Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Last week, I was on the short end of a group disagreement. My contention was that there are a number of open source, free, project management tools that can be used as a cost effective alternative to Microsoft Project. My colleagues suggested that free really isn't free citing the lack of available support, instructional materials, and other such things that (often but not always) result in any amount of time invested in a free, non de facto standard, tool being more expensive and time consuming over the long haul.
Can anyone join me in defending the use of "free" alternatives to Microsoft Project or join my colleagues in defending further their point of view? Saving Changes...
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Hans RobbersSenior Director| SalesforceVlissingen, Netherlands
Mark
I use often open workbench which is available for free. However if I want to do interproject resource planning and project depency a tool like Clarity will help which does not come at free.
In all I do think open workbench is a very good alternative for MSProject
I would say that it depends on each individual's needs and the nature of the free tool. If you really need, use, and benefit from a majority of MS Project's features, then shelling out the money for Project probably makes sense. Also, I'm sure there are free tools for which the learning curve argument holds true because no support is provided.
However, I also know there are companies like mine, Artifact Software. We've built an entire SaaS workspace for IT projects that combines traditional MS Project like features such as planning, gantt charts, resource leveling, etc. with requirements, tests, defects, change requests, timesheets, issues and more. Our product, Lighthouse is free for five users.
There are many benefits of having all your project data in one place, but we understand that the workspace concept is new to many people. We actively encourage our users to participate in free demos tailored to their unique needs. We frequently add features requested by users on short notice and work hard to respond to support queries ASAP. In short, we can't succeed unless our users succeed.
So, I have to side with you, Mark, and I'm sure there are other companies that offer well supported free products.
All depends on how big your company is, and how many PMs are willing to work with management tool. If you are "the big one" I don't think, that anything beside MS Project is good for you. But if you are "startup" maybe you should consider something free (Open Workbench looks not so bad and I would like to evaluate Lighthouse Derek mentioned before). Saving Changes...
Richard HowProgramme Management Consultant| How Associates LtdHarthill, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
The arguements against the free systems are fairly poor as most of them have a very good community forum where all the help and support you need is available and often you can get modifications to these free systems, you try getting a modification to a microsoft system and see how easy that isnt. Saving Changes...
Peter WrightProgramme Manager| BAE SystemsSouthport, Merseyside, United Kingdom
I have used a few of the open source tools and they are as easy / or as hard to get to grips with as MS Project. The draw back I have found mainly with the open source tools such as Open Workbench and Gantt PV are that when you look to utilise them across the business in the enterprise model they are more difficult to adapt and for others to "want" to understand.
Most Managers and directors have heard of MS Project and as such will normallly stear a solution towards that package, I believe it is due to this type of scenario that such statements as you have raised against Open source tools come about.
I have had training on and used MS Project for over 10 years in one way or another and I still find myself having to look up answers and Search for blogs/discussions etc on how to do certain tasks. As Richard has pointed out Identifying a good change to a tool can be put forward and implemented easier in the open source than in MS Project, in my opinion also.
I find people are afraid of what they do not know and will therefore create reasons as to why it should not be used, I have never been given a quantified answer to this dilema, and until I do Open Source remains a viable alternative it is only in the last month I have actually installled MS Project onto my personal laptop, I have most of the open source tools on there since purchase.
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Stuart DixonProject Office Manager| Xl CatlinCrowbrough, United Kingdom
I use Open Workbench as an alternative to MS Project, however as a PMO in a large company I use this as part of the Clarity suite, which isn't free.
I have used MS Project in the past, and find that most contract PMs in the UK have some basic knowledge of the product giving as it appears to be the 'de facto' standard.
I do keep hearing the argument that MS Project is a 'better' tool, and Open Workbench is too technical. However what I find is both allow you to plan, and being an expert in use of a particular planning tool does not make you a great planner, in the same way being an expert MS Word user, does not make you a great letter writer or author.
I expect that most large companies have their own standard they enforce for tool usage, and you have no option but to use the tool they suggest. For smaller companies which don't have a standard (and maybe no PMO either) then MS Project will be the default.
If we keep worrying about which tool we are using then we lose sight of why we are using the tool (to plan, to help us deliver projects). Let's focus on what we are using the tool to help us do, and not get caught up on which tool.
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Martyn PrettyDirector| Bowler Hat ConsultingFranklin, Act, Australia
Yes there are many Free tolls out there now, and they are free yes. I would say that the Free tools are great for small comapnies or individuals that require tools ad-hoc, conducing projects that are less complex and less mission critical (i do not like saying simple projects).
I have always stood by the statement "Use the right tool, for the right job". I would not manage a programme to build a battleship or a helicopter with a copy of Open workbench, but managing a small CRM migration would be fine and I would say that is free. Saving Changes...
