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 Enterprise Software Tools
For Project Management, and
Workforce Planning and Forecasting!
"Designed for Project Managers by Project
Managers"
Aligned with the Principles of the ANSI/EIA-748-A-1998 Standard
for
Earned Value Management (EVM)
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Who is AlNik Solutions?
It all started in 1981 when, (other than
using matchbook covers, note pads, slide rules and four function calculators,
along with spread sheet forms and graph paper), existing tools then were
not an adequate option for project managers having the responsibility of
managing "Smaller/Iintermediate" sized projects, given the stricter
requirements for planning, executing and performance reporting sought by
government agencies. The main-frame "Big Project" management
systems then were out of the question because they were too burdensome,
costly and required more dedicated staff than the smaller/intermediate
size projects could afford. Other options for desktop tools were limited,
as IBM had yet to gain a foothold with it's desktop PC, and Microsoft its
disk operating system (DOS). In addition, the software producers had yet
to provide adaquate tools for that environment.
As a result, the future founders of AlNik Solutions',
began developing project management and resource forecasting tools to support
those efforts within their workplace. In 1998, the organization that the
developers worked for during that time, released all rights and title of
the resulting software product which were then assigned, by agreement, to
the developers for the purpose of commercialization. This software product,
after four years of intensive re-writes and testing, is now represented as "PMPlan",
the project management software product. Since the inception of AlNik Solutions,
in 2003, AlNik Solutions has been offering the software product, that included,
and still advances many new features and enhancements, to the general public
primarily through its web site, http://www.pmplan.com, and
through word of mouth of its satisfied users. AlNik
Solutions invites you to review this web site, and investigate the capabilities
of the PMPlan products, and their potential fit within your needs.
What Users Say About PMPlan!
"...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 wihtout reference
to help...!"
"...The best feature always has been that
the program starts with the WBS and is oriented around the WBS...!"
"...a Superior negotiation tool, PMPlan
dramatically illustrates to the client the cost, schedule and staff impacts
in real time. Quickly and visually illustrates the answers for typical
questions ...!"
"...what went well during negotiations
at the clients facility-- ...it was our contracting officers first experience
with the client's intensive look at technical activities, capabilities
and cost basis. Again the star of the show, in addition to the project
manager, was PMPlan. As our contracting officer stated more than once,
without it there would have been no way to illustrate the technical objectives
and then cut capability in an efficient manner with an instant re-cost."
"...our complete disclosure during negotiation
of activity listing down to the 6 levels, and again the team doing exhaustive
pre-planning using PMPlan made the basis of estimate in-disputable."
"...the project managers succinct technical
prowess during negotiation and at illustrating to the client, using PMPlan,
the effects of budget cuts and capability degradation or elimination."
"...illustrates the project phases and
resource implications of milestones as well as the horizontal schedule
and the fiscal relationships among them. ...this planning tool can articulate
those 3 dimensions quickly to planners, clients and management."
"...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...!"
What is PMPlan?
PMPlan is an integrated earned value project management tool that is based on the fundamental concepts of project management, planning and control, and has been structured consistent with the requirements of Government and Industry.
PMPlan adheres to the Principles of Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) as outlined in the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) Standard, EIA-748-A, adopted by EIA in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) patent policy.
PMPlan is a powerful suite of professional tools for interactive WBS structured Project Planning, integrated project scheduling, detailed Resource Management, and Earned Value Management.
PMPlan provides the means to meet objectives of standardization and to enable the project manager to plan and report performance, addressing the value earned of project activities against a baseline plan.
PMPlan is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) oriented development tool, and a Resource focused planning tool, with integrated Precedence Logic Network Diagramming linking the WBS element schedule and integrated Milestones defining the projects critical path.
PMPlan's tools provide enhanced resource management, and detail control of project budgeting and tracking, including accurate variance analysis and earned value reporting methodologies.
Why PMPlan?
For Project Management Systems, the development of the Earned Value Managemant System (EVMS) has been a reflection of the need for the development of standardized methods for cost and schedule performance reporting on projects where project managers had been expected to establish cost/schedule information requirements as they saw fit. This resulted in inconsistent data outputs in the management of these projects.
The lack of standard formats for cost and schedule status reporting has led to a proliferation of project unique reports, where the application of more complicated systems and reporting requirements were developed to be operated, and administered, with or within larger automated accounting systems. PMPlan is a full service PC based application enabling the project manager to plan, revise or update, status, and generate the data for simular projects, consistently.
PMPlan is an integrated cost and schedule
project control system that deals with internal management needs, and contractual
data items, that should also require Earned Value Management Analysis and
Reporting on both cost and schedule. PMPlan provides for the integration
of the WBS and resources in a manner that permits identification of responsibilities,
cost account selection, work authorization, scheduling with precedence
logic networking, resource management, budgeting, cost accumulation, cost
and schedule performance measurement, variance analysis, and reporting
and change control for WBS and Organizational elements.
PMPlan Attributes
PMPlan:
Provides an interactive Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) of the project during its construction.
Provides for the inclusion of unique objectives and notes for each WBS element.
Generates a rich text file (RTF) of the WBS, including objectives, notes, and other information in outline form for import to a word processor.
Treats Milestones as major or critical events, and not Work Packages for planning costs. Milestones are separately developed scheduled events that depict major project moments in time, and may be linked logically to WBS Elements.
Generates an integrated project schedule by text entry of start and finish, drag and stretch in the schedule view, and Activity-Sequencing using the Precedence Dependency Method (PDM) Logic Network, linking the WBS Elements and Milestones.
Provides for Resource Loading by scheduled use of selected Staff using hours or a percentage of a full-time equivalent (FTE), by period (Monthly, Weekly, or Daily) for each WBS Work Package; by loading an Individual Resource across all WBS Work Packages; or by entering the total use of all Resources across all WBS Work Packages.
Staff Resources may be loaded by an Individual Resource, or by Categories of Labor with rate cost variances tracked between an Individual Resource and the Labor Category.
Material, equipment, travel, services
and consultants may be entered by the dollar value, or through an
itemized detail
of the Resource that's unique to each Work Package, and is summarized
at the upper levels of the WBS.
Provides for the identification of Work Packages as Deliverables, and tracks planned, actual, and approval dates.
Provides an ease-of-use Earned Value Management Analysis and Tracking System that meets the Standards for cost and schedule status reporting, and will generate earned value CPR, C/SSR, Schedule and Graphic Performance Reports.
Generates Work Package accounts, and a Work Authorization for each Work Package account, that includes the objective of the Work Package, the deliverables, schedule, and an agreed upon budget which could serve as an internal contract between the Project Manager and Work Package Leaders.
Imports and/or Exports the schedule and PDM information to or from an MS Project File.
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