PMPlan Enterprise PMPlan Enterprise is the project management tool that is strictly used concurrently with other users on a server based ‘MS SQL Server’ database platform. PMPlan Enterprise can also be used on a local or server based ‘MS SQL Server Express’ database platform with some user limitations, and will handle 5,000 resources within 32,000 work elements for a plan period of up-to 10 years (+/-,  and limited only by the amount of installed memory, and in some cases 32 bit vs. 64 bit processing). The PMPlan Enterprise tool does meet with the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) standards, and other Government standards for those projects requiring a fully mandated pricing support and EVM capability. The PMPlan Enterprise pricing and proposal supporting documentation is an integral component to the pricing process approved for use by a division of General Dynamics. PMPlanPro is a significant upgrade to PMPlan suite of tools in that it can be used as a stand-alone application, similar to PMPlan Standard, using a ‘SQL Server Express’ database, or it may be used in an Enterprise mode concurrently with other users as an additional user seat on a server based ‘MS SQL Server’ database platform. PMPlan Pro can be structured to be able to check-out an Enterprise project file from the server, work with the plan or negotiate with a client off-site, and then return the revised/negotiated project plan to the Enterprise server. PMPlanPro handles 5,000 resources within 32,000 work elements for a plan period of up-to 10 years (+/-, limited only by the amount of installed memory, and in some cases 32 bit vs. 64 bit processing). The PMPlanPro tool, when used in the Enterprise mode, can meet the standards of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), and meets other Government standards for those projects requiring a fully mandated pricing support and EVM capability PMPlan Enterprise Tools: support project management and line management teams in providing for concurrent and timely access to a centralized common project and workforce resource database by all project teams, for all projects, expediting and improving the processing of project and workforce financial and schedule forecast data. The project management tool, PMPlan Enterprise, an enhanced version of the stand-alone PMPlan standard, and with the exception of the resource pool, looks and works the same as PMPlan. However, PMPlan Enterprise contains additional features not available in PMPlan such as the ability to define project rules, develop Burden Rate tables, etc. PMPlan Enterprise can be customized to access specific project financial and forecasting data of other applications and organizational databases and/or other unique management processes, allowing for additional and more comprehensive Earned Value Management EVM) and other reporting requirements. The line management tool, LMPlan, is a workforce assignment and forecasting tool for billable and un-billable project and overhead applications. It provides for the set up its own project file for limited purposes, or may import project plans from the Enterprise project management tool, PMPlan Enterprise, or other in house project or pricing tools, either directly or indirectly. All sensitive information contained in the centralized database is managed, with controlled access, through another limited access Enterprise tool, anDBManager. A Management focused Revenue and Portfolio tool, PMFolio provides for the analysis of the project data stored within the centralized server database, and provides summary reports that determine the status and health of all of the projects within the database, or of selected projects of interest. The PMPlan Enterprise tools provide the project and line managers with compatible tools that, when jointly applied to the common data within the centralized database, provides for timely project status reports and summary data support for the administration and forecasting of the workload and workforce requirements on the total organizational human resource pool defined within the database. The 'PMPlanDatabase' contains all of the tables used by PMPlan Enterprise, PMPlanPro, LMPlan, and PMFolio. The 'PMPlanDatabase' is attached to an independently purchased and installed Microsoft SQL Server™ on the organization's network server, and is managed by anDBManager. anDBManager can be installed on any MS Windows® or Apple Intel based Mac® compatible computer. PMPlan Enterprise© - the PMPlan Enterprise server based version of the PMPlan EVM Project Management software tool. PMPlan Enterprise, with the exception of the resource pool, looks and works the same as PMPlan, but the application contains additional features not available in PMPlan such as a the ability to define project rules, develop Burden Rate Tables, use the common Resource Pool, and can define project specific holidays and override normal non-workdays. Resource loading, which is stored at daily level, is done from task level with automatic roll up to the cost center and the project. PMPlan Enterprise incorporates import/export capabilities for other applications including PMPlan, MS Project®, Microframe's MPM® and ProPricer®. PMPlan Enterprise can be customized to interface with additional modules (not included with this application), custom designed to access specific project and forecasting data of other applications and/or organizational databases allowing for additional and more comprehensive Earned Value Management (EVM) reporting. This application can be installed on any of the site’s Windows® compatible computers, and includes twenty (20) licensed user seats that can be concurrently connected to the database (Note: additional licensed concurrent seats can be purchased). Some example PMPlan “Input Forms” are: 1 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Work Plan 2 - PMPlanEnterprise Project Logic Network 3 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Schedule 4 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Resources 5 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Total Effort 6 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Resource Effort 7 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Activity Effort   8 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Tracking 9 – PMPlan Enterprise Project Status   Contract Performance Report (CPR), five formats CPR Format 1 CPR Format 2 CPR Format 3 CPR Format 4 CPR Format 5   Services: AlNik Solutions offers Consulting Support for systems interfacing, integration, software Training and SQL Server and ’PMPlanDatabase’ support. In addition, AlNik Solutions offers an Annual Service & Maintenance Contract. PMPlan Enterprise tools are powerful project and resource management tools right out of the box, however, experience has shown that most customers have unique requirements for interfacing with, or exchanging data with, internal financial and HR data, and/or other corporate directed commercial applications (i.e. Deltek®, Microframe®, Microsoft®, ProPricer®, etc.). AlNik Solutions recognizes these requirements, and is in a position to provide customization of the PMPlan Enterprise application modules to address them. Comparison of the Features of PMPlan©, PMPlanPro© and PMPlan Enterprise© Features PMPlan & PMPlanPro as Standalone's PMPlanPro in Enterprise Mode PMPlan Enterprise Interactive Master Work Breakdown Structure (MWBS) view development Yes Yes Yes Interactive Functional Work Breakdown Structure (FWBS) view development Yes Yes Yes Activities per Project 5,000 32,000 32,000 Milestones per Project 10,000 100,000 100,000 Can insert Intermediate Milestones Yes Yes Yes Can input narrative Objective/Scope per activity/task 32,000 characters 32,000 characters 32,000 characters Can input Notes per activity/task 32,000 characters 32,000 characters 32,000 characters Can input Basis of Estimate (BOE) per activity/task 32,000 characters 32,000 characters 32,000 characters Tracks Deliverables Yes Yes Yes Generate a rich text file of the WBS with objectives, notes, and other information in Outline form for import into most word processors. Yes Yes Yes Custom Fields including Calculations Yes Yes Yes Schedule Risk Assessment Yes Yes Yes Cost Risk Assessment Yes Yes Yes Integrated Master Schedule (Graphic Gantt) view with project outline Yes Yes Yes Customizable Gantt Format Yes Yes Yes Smallest Scheduling Unit 1 day 1 day 1 day Number of Auto-Formatted Levels in Gantt View 6 6 6 Customizable Calendars 5,000 32,000 32,000 Multiple Tasks on one row Yes Yes Yes Interactive Graphic Logic Network view Yes Yes Yes Logic Relationships with lead or lag Yes Yes Yes Logic Tracing Guide Yes Yes Yes Indirect Burden Rate Tables (O-head, G&A) No Yes Yes Salary Actions Yes Yes Yes Multi-Year Resource Rates Yes Yes Yes Works with Single Rate Factor Yes Yes Yes Define Pricing Types No Yes Yes Time and Material Rates No Yes Yes Resources (Labor and other Direct Costs) Yes Yes Yes Handle Job Categories and track cost variance between actual resource and job category rates Yes Yes Yes Multi-Level Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) No Yes Yes Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) No Yes Yes Flat Auto-Spread of Resources Yes Yes Yes Front-End, Back-End etc. Auto Spreading No Yes Yes Custom Assign of Resources Yes Yes Yes Interactive Resource Total Loading Table (Row – WBS elements / Columns – Resources). This feature allows rapid initial costing of project) Yes Yes Yes Costs and Resource Rollup to upper levels Yes Yes Yes Always see Total Project Cost when resource loading Yes Yes Yes Prevents Resource Loading at upper levels Yes Yes Yes Interactive Resource Loading by Individual Table resource (Rows – WBS elements / Columns – Periods (daily, weekly, or monthly) Yes Yes Yes Auto-leveling of resources Intentionally No! * Intentionally No! * Intentionally No! * Resource Driven Activity Duration Yes Yes Yes Level (move) Resource over-allocation from one resource to other resources Yes Yes Yes Number of colors displayed for allocation levels 6 6 6 Loading views can display Full Time Equivalents Yes Yes Yes Material Details per activity with Description, Vendor, Part Id, Unit Type, Cost per unit, Basis, and Quantity by Period. Yes Yes Yes Travel Details per activity with Travel between, Persons per trip, Days per trip, Airfare per person, Per Diem per person, Ground costs per trip (car rental, taxi, etc.), Basis, and Quantity by Period Yes Yes Yes Easy to Schedule Multi-Resources per activity Yes Yes Yes Can define Cost Accounts/Work Packages Yes Yes Yes Can flag Deliverables and provide report Yes Yes Yes Can add Custom Fields Yes Yes Yes Co-actions, or Hammock Tasks No Yes Yes Graphic Spend Plan Yes Yes Yes Define weekly workdays Yes Yes Yes Generate a Work Authorization Statement for each Work Package Subaccount with objective, deliverables, schedule, and budget, which becomes an internal contract between the Project Manager and the Work Package Leader Yes Yes Yes Provides Earned Value Methodology Yes Yes Yes Can insert Earned Value Milestones Yes Yes Yes Contract Performance Report (CPR – 5 Formats) - DoD-I-5000.2 Formats 1&5 All All Generates Graphic Performance Report that plots Planned, Earned, and Actual Costs versus time. Also, plots Cost and Schedule Performance Indices Yes Yes Yes Estimate-At Completion (EAC) Snapshots No Yes Yes EAC History Chart No Yes Yes Historical Baselines No Yes Yes Proposal Pricing and Documentation per DCAA Standards No Yes Yes Auto-Creation of Slide Set Presentation Yes Yes Yes Auto-Creation of Report Sets into one Report Yes Yes Yes Create Invoicing Plan No Yes Yes Cash Flow Report No Yes Yes Customizable Reports Yes Yes Yes Can independently Summarize Multiple-Projects No Yes Yes Can Merge Project Files No Yes Yes Transfer table text to spreadsheet application Yes Yes Yes Multiple User Access to shared projects No Yes Yes Operates Stand Alone Yes Yes No Server Database (i.e. SQL Server) No Yes Yes Update of Schedule Status Via E-mail Future Future Future E-mail Distribution of project information Future Future Future OLE Automation Yes Yes Yes User-Definable Forms Limited Yes Yes User-Definable Toolbars Yes Yes Yes ODBC Connectivity Yes Yes Yes Import MS Project files (*.mpx ,*.mdb, and *.xml) Yes Yes Yes * AlNik considers this activity to be the responsibility of the project manager, not the software!   PMPlan “Enterprise” Purchasing and Pricing PMPlan Enterprise products (PMPlan Enterprise©, anDBManager©, LMPlan© and PMFolio©) require a database interfaced with the independently purchased (customer supplied) organizational network installation of Microsoft’s SQL Server™, in order to function for multi user requirements. The organizations IT or database professional may need to be consulted to coordinate the use of, and/or the installation the MS SQL Server™, as well as the installation and maintenance of PMPlan Enterprise, anDBManager, LMPlan, and the associated ‘PMPlanDatabase’. Information for the use and purchase of MS SQL Server™ may be obtained at: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/default.mspx The PMPlan Enterprise tools may be installed and operated as is, on a non-integrated, manually supported ‘PMPlanDatabase’. Our experience has been however, that as an Enterprise System, most of our client organizations look to the integration of the PMPlan Enterprise system into the organizations processes including accessing data, either directly or in-directly, from their HR and financial databases and providing feedback to their other processes. Some of these organizations require integration with already in-house pricing and analysis databases, and most customers already have procedural requirements in place for unique reporting process’ that may further require integration into the PMPlan Enterprise system. Given all of the above, and noting that each customer’s unique integration, installation and customization requirements at installation, would rarely match that of others, the purchase of a PMPlan Enterprise System would not normally be an off-the-shelf process. Integration of a new system of process tools into organizations current processes and procedures, or a subset of these, would normally be the customers preferred approach. As a result, an analysis of the integration, and customization requirements of each individual customer would be pre-requisite to our making a formal quote to any customer. PMPlan Enterprise is only available through processing a Request for Quote “RFQ”! To initiate the process of developing a quote for the installation, integration and customization of PMPlan Enterprise for your organization, please visit our “AlNik Solutions Store” for your request for quote (RFQ). We will then contact you, and begin the process. PMPlan Enterprise’s Potential Competition and the Comparisons: AlNik Solutions has not yet developed a detailed feature/function comparison chart for its potential competitors such as, Deltek’s Open Plan/Cobra, Oracle’s Primavera P6/Cost Manager, and Microsoft’s Project and its add-on applications, as well as many others; but we can however offer some comparison thoughts on the VALUE of PMPlan Enterprise. We CAN tell you that PMPlan Enterprise has competed against the competition and has won primarily based on PMPlan’s intuitive processes and ease of use, its rich set of features and ability to do more in less time, versus the non-intuitive products of the competitors. The current mix of users of the PMPlan Enterprise products include Project Manager’s and Project Staff, PMO Managers and Staff, Line Managers and Administrators, Marketing, Contracting, and Financial Management and Staff, and Executive Management Staff. Currently, no additional fulltime staff have been required by our customers for operating the PMPlan software applications for project workload and workforce control, but some staff have been assigned to sensitive (HR, Financial and other) database administrative responsibilities. With the government/industrial standards in mind, PMPlan tools are fully integrated applications, and are first, WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) focused, and resource based planning tools, using Integrated Scheduling with Precedence Logic Diagramming Method to identify and define the critical path of the project schedule, and to assess any risk developed as a result of the planned cost and schedule; whereas most of the competitive products, are not fully-integrated Scheduling and planning tools. Once the information is developed in some competitive applications, it is extracted from them and imported into other functional applications, such as pricing tools, and EVM tools for EVMS cost and performance analysis and reporting. The PMPlan Enterprise pricing and proposal supporting documentation is an integral component to the pricing process approved for use by a customer of AlNik Solutions.  Some elements we would suggest to be included in a comparison: A fully functional pricing tool to DCAA Standards, with the capability of having all DCAA approved supporting documentation filed within the PMPlan database and integrated with the project plan, including a full Basis of Estimate capability; or, if required, the full project resource loading details may be exported to a separate pricing tool with separate, non-integrated, pricing support documentation (i.e. ProPricer, MPM, etc.). Flexibility in interfacing with other client associated applications and systems (i.e. financial costing, pricing, HR resources, and other policies and processes, etc.). Ease of use (only gained through demonstration & reference checks). In many cases, competitive applications may require full-time project control staff, as reports indicate they may not be for the casual user. Affordability without reducing value. One significant difference between PMPlan Enterprise tools and most of the competition is that there is no limit as to how many user computers the PMPlan Enterprise tools may be installed on. The only limit when using PMPlan Enterprise is the number of user seats that may access, and use the PMPlan database concurrently. 20 concurrent user seats are in the base price of PMPlan Enterprise which is normally adequate for about 100 total users. Additional concurrent user seats are available. Workforce resource assignment and proactively controlled leveling. Workforce resource forecasting of staff-time availability for current and future; billable work, proposal preparation, IR&D, other responsibilities for overhead activities, staff vacation, etc. Executive / Management summary reporting (Portfolio) of all, or preferred workload requirements and performance, and the workload’s impact on billing and cash flow. We are quite confident that through a web-demo and a hands-on evaluation and other discussions, we can convey the overall increased VALUE that PMPlan might bring to your organization, as compared to the competition. Our price is based on the concurrent user licensing method versus the competitions annual per user seat licensing method. The greatest comparison of our product to the competition that we hear about, is that the PMPlan application is more intuitive to use, is the easiest to get information into and to obtain immediate results from, and has a wider range of desired features, especially when applied to tightly budgeted projects that require the lesser qualified resources to be involved with the project management software without the use of dedicated professional project management systems specialists. What AlNik Solutions PMPlan Product Users Say! "...I've reviewed dozens of PM software packages and yours is one of the easiest to get information into and has a wider range of desired features than most." "...as a program manager, the application is so intuitive that I was able to develop my first plan without reference to help...!" "...the budget screens can impart the global or detailed perspective with the superior features built into the user interface selections. This flexibility during time sensitive negotiations has been critical to proposal closure." "...this program provides the complete package, and is not dependent on any other software investment, making PMPlan relative inexpensive when considering the cost associated with buying multiple packages to achieve the same result...!" "...at last, a fully integrated project planning and management tool that is easy to assimilate without having to hire full-time project management systems specialists to support it....! "