As we were saying at the beginning of this paper, there a many software solution helping project managers in their work. We can mention: Microsoft Project from Microsoft, Artemis from Artemis International, CA-SuperProject from CA Computer Associates, Primavera Project Planner from Primavera, Openplan from Welcom, OPX2 from Planisware, Results Management 5 from ABTCORP.com, Time Line from TLsolutions, and others.
According to „Project Management for Business and Technology” the most important benefits that such a solution can provide are : speed of work, capabilities, effectiveness, economy, accuracy of data, and ability of working with complex data.
From another point of view, among the benefits brought by project management software can be specified budget calculation, cost control, scheduling capabilities, communication through e-mail, exhibits, data import and export, capacity of working with multiple projects and subprojects, reports, resource management, planning, project monitoring and control, security, data sorting and filtering, “what-if” analysis.
From these, the great benefit is provided by speed of work: once the data are collected and filled into the system, any operations (budget sheets, schedules, plans etc) can be done in minutes. And with intranet/internet technologies all these can be done from outside the decisional office. Another major benefit is economy: in most of the cases the computer is providing important advantages in terms of cost comparing with the manual system. Supposing that the data were filled in correctly, the possibility to make mistakes in processing them are reduced to minimum and updating them can be done with low cost.
There are also software solutions for project risk management: RiskID Pro from Accela Research – a tool for identifying and evaluating risks in IT projects, RiskRadar from Integrated Computer Engineering Directorate, American Systems Corporation, a tool used in quantification, categorization, prioritization, tracking, controlling and managing risks, Cobra (Consultative, Objective and Bi-functional Risk Analysis) from C&A Systems Security, tool for cost management, budget analysis and what if analysis.
Such a tool is @RISK for Project from Palisade Corporation, which uses a technique called “simulation” to combine all the uncertainties identified in a project. In is just as running hundred of “what if” scenarios all at once. @RISK allows defining uncertain values in Project as probability functions using standard @RISK distribution functions. In @RISK, uncertain variables are entered as probability distribution function.
