Compare Calendars to Task-based Schedules in Project Management Software

There are two general approaches in project management software to planning and managing tasks and projects. 

1. One is a calendar based approach. 
2. The second is a task based approach. 

As a quick rule-of-thumb, a calendar based approach is best suited to planning and managing small projects with a relatively few number of resources.  Web based calendars and software offer a quick and intuitive way to see tasks over a period of time in a familiar format.  Calendars themselves are so common that people generally have an easy time in using web based calendars to schedule projects, tasks and resources.  Think of programs like Microsoft Outlook or BaseCamp.

Task-based schedules are generally better suited to managing and planning larger projects in departments or companies that compete for resources and whose projects fit into larger corporate project portfolios or goal-based initiatives. Web project management software that offers task-based schedules allow users to attach multiple attributes to the tasks themselves then plan their projects or get reports on projects or portfolios based on those attributes.  Think project management software like MS Project or Vertabase Pro.

These project management attributes can include task duration, resource allocation needs on the task, documents or digital assets that need to be managed or produced to complete the task. They can also include budgets, budgetary plans or constraints for resource allocation that can be measured, controlled and compared in a baseline. 

Besides seeing tasks or projects in a task-list or task-based schedule format, these project attributes can be represented in Gantt charts or other graphic representations, as well as shown on a calendar view. But once a project reaches a certain level of complexity, calendar views can get pretty messy, losing value as a tools to provide visibility on schedules, projects or project plans.

          

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 26th, 2006 at 4:33 pm and is filed under Project Management Software, Project Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.