I mean that we can say that desktop based software is dead and we move into new era of SAAS (PAAS) solutions like different web based project software
And the second question is “What do you use for PM tools in your company? I mean is it combining functionality software like collaboration, file storage, etc and PM or is it only PM functionality software?
The advantages I see in integrated PM tools is the ease of regular status reports without the cutting and pasting from Excel risk and issue registers into word status report etc. Shared common understanding of the project amongst the project team using the system and task management for them.
The timesheeting functionality to capture actuals for tracking progress. But the biggy for senior management is providing a portfolio view of all the active projects. It is this latter functionality that is missing from most PM tool offerings and it is the one that will help you get the cost of the tools over the line.
SAAS has some disadvantages in that your confidential corporate information is hosted on a 3rd party's system. You need to do due diligence on the current and ongoing security of the organisation you choose. The Satyam debacle was a prime example of poor ongoing due diligence by business using their services. Saving Changes...
Many organisations consider on premise as the way to go if they have complex integration requirements, want to keep their data on in-house servers, or have large numbers of users and trained IT staff in-house. As a PPM vendor, it makes sense to offer customers the choice of On Demand or On Premise. On Demand is very popular for new customers because they can bypass much of the setup process involving, server procurement, training IT administrators and getting approval for capital expenditures. I am happy to see Julie’s comment on the benefit of having a single source of truth for all project information, which forms the basis, in more mature organisations for portfolio management.
Saving Changes...
Andrew MakarProgram Manager| AMAKAR LLCOakland Township, Mi, United States
The answer to both questions depends on the project management maturity and the size of the organization. A small organization will not invest in large scale SAAS solutions or in large scale internally hosted PPM solutions. A small organization with a robust PM maturity may not need a complex project management system.
One example is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a company called Menlo Innovations (http://www.menloinnovations.com) runs their entire SDLC with little documentation, whiteboards and note cards for their project scheduling. The company manages multiple clients and produces new releases EVERY week.
In large scale organizations that have distributed teams, then a larger scale solution is an excellent idea. I personally favor ASPs and SAAS instead of a local installation. I'd much rather pay for a service and get started using the full solution than waiting months for a system deployment.
RallyDev is one example of software that is readily available with little configuration. The complexity of the PM process will drive the amount of customization and configuration required.
In terms of tools I've used in the past or currently use:
For PPM: Clarity and custom in-house tools leveraging a data warehouse and a transation layer
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Desktop software dead..? Perhaps if one's perspective emanates from the confines of a very narrow view the answer is yes. But while I am a SaaS enthusiast, I would be the first to "temper" the premise that desktop software (related to the PMO and project management) is dead. Regarding the second question about combining functionality of different tools or just using the functionality of the PM software, we see that most PMOs and most vendors that serve PMOs have long ago adopted an architecture approach (rather than a one tool does it all approach) to the infrastructure, applications, and tools that are used and needed by the PMO and by those managing projects and project related work. You can do a Google search on "pmo architecture" and find many examples of this. Also, you can have a look at the gantthead PMO Architecture example per the following link: PMO Architecture. Saving Changes...
Gabriel Blanc-LaineVP Sales & Marketing| Qtask Inc.Burbank, Ca, United States
I don’t think desktop based software is dead, but it’s not far from it. Working “in the cloud” has become the latest and greatest thing, but I think the main attractiveness is the flexibility that it brings.
I’ve used Qtask software and couldn’t be happier. Access from virtually anywhere, tools to help projects move along and to manage everyone and everything. I don’t think of PM software as purely functional software either, it’s opened up the doors for remote conferencing, file storage, ease in collaborating on digital data between team members, across the globe, at once, and more. Saving Changes...
> What do you think about modern approach to PM software?
> I mean that we can say that desktop based software is dead
> and we move into new era of SAAS (PAAS) solutions like
> different web based project software
Yes, to a certain extent PM software is moving from desktop based to server based for better collaboration.
SAAS/PAAS are just the model for software deployment. The service provider licenses an application to customers for use as a service on demand.
> And the second question is “What do you use for PM tools in
> your company? I mean is it combining functionality software
> like collaboration, file storage, etc and PM or is it only PM
> functionality software?
Yes, PM tools include tools for collaboration, file storage, PM, time tracking, etc.. I dont think there is a single software which offer all these features in a single packaged software.
Best Regards,
Vivekanandan M Saving Changes...
Vladimir LiberzonR&D Director| Spider Project TeamMoscow, Russian Federation
I don't think that serious organization will manage large program with many thousand activities and resources and with multi-billion budget in some cloud.
Modern Web based software has very restricted functionality and cannot compete with serious PM tools.
Project Management includes scheduling, budgeting, risk simulation and analysis and other tasks that may be covered by some PM software but there is a need for communication tools also. Web is good for communications and collaboration and not good for calculations. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Vladimir, well said! Saving Changes...
Gabriel Blanc-LaineVP Sales & Marketing| Qtask Inc.Burbank, Ca, United States
Desktop based software isnt’ dead, but it’s dying. This is partly due to the flawed way it’s priced, per computer. Also, not all companies have the resources to employ servers dedicated for powerful software to run on, much less install and maintain it. Cloud based PM tools are the wave of the future, and it’s happening now.
Are they for everyone? No, the budget at each company varies, but so does what each project manager needs / wants from software that helps them and the company remain productive. Personally, I look at more then just PM software to manage projects, I use it to connect, interact and communicate with people and better collaborate. For these needs we use www.Qtask.com. Saving Changes...
Laxmikanth KandiManager Sales-PPM Studio| SemanticSpace Technologies LtdHyderabad, India
I don't really agree to the point that desktop version is DEAD!!!,organisations still feel that desktop version are more relaible and consistent for maintaining critical projects,the reason why the concept is dying is,as the project teams are becoming more and more globally distributed,more virtual and teams want more collaboration and availability.
PPM Studio(www.ppmstudio.com) is a very good example of been able to use in both scenarios.
You can register for free trial @ www.ppmstudio.com
regards,
Laxmikanth
Understanding the market needs it's also coming up with hosting with cloud. Saving Changes...
