NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ - Craiova, Dolj, Romania, 2008/10/28 - Stand By Soft has released RationalPlan Multi Project 3.8.0, a strong project management software application developed to assist project managers in creating plans, tracking progress, allocating resources, managing budgets and analyzing workload.

RationalPlan is designed as an affordable alternative to Microsoft Project with some extra-features like multiproject management and it is covering project management area from WBS construction, project planning and scheduling to critical path management, over allocated resources detection, progress tracking, cost estimation, etc. Gantt chart support as well as various time line reports are also provided. It offers you the most important capabilities of a good project management software while being able to operate on various platforms starting with Windows, Mac, Linux and all other Java enabled platforms.

Here is a list with all the important changes of this version:

• Email notification for resources assignments;
• Clients/customers management;
• Import of MS Project .mpp files;
• Bug fixes.

Current version is adding powerful features to the project manager's toolbox like email notification for resources assignments, basic clients/customers management, import of MS Project .mpp files and bug fixes.

Any project manager needs a tool to keep its resources up to date with the assigned work. This improves efficiency and organization. And one of the easiest methods to accomplish all that is through email. Whether it is assigned/removed to/from a certain task or just its assigned tasks have changed a resource needs to be notified about its new work to be performed. With RationalPlan you can now start sending emails to resources directly from the application with a press of a button. You have the possibility to send emails to a list of resources with the assigned work on a given interval. The email uses a customizable template with a list of parameters like resource name, tasks, start/end date for the interval, etc.

Another feature added by version 3.8.0 is clients/customers management. A new view is specially added in the application that will allow you to keep track of your clients and their contacts. For each client you can set a list of contacts with data like name, email address, phone number and other information.

Projects created in MS Project can now be imported in RationalPlan also in .mpp format. Having old important projects created with MS Project and want to keep them in the current project pool in RationalPlan Multi Project? Just import them and here you are. This feature is more powerfull in the case of the other product RationalPlan Project Viewer where users of MS Project can import and view for free .mpp files.

Key reasons for using RationalPlan:
• provides a clean way to break down your project, build schedules, allocate resources, and manage budgets;
• manage your company's projects as a multiproject tree structure and share resources between them;
• a step by step project guide walks you through the project management process so you can lay down a project plan immediately;
• get resources and finances under control (realistic cost estimates mechanisms, screening cash-flow time distribution for tasks and resources);
• "what if" scenarios capability via multiple undo/redo levels allow to make changes and safely get back;
• track project evolution in terms of completion, time and costs;
• brings project's critical issues to your attention (over allocated resources, critical paths with configurable slack from which activities become critical).

Here are some key features of RationalPlan: Project Planning
• Define project and associate general information (name, notes, links, assumptions, constraints, risks);
• Create, edit and delete calendars;
• Build work breakdown structure;
• Create dependencies between tasks, set lead/lag time;
• Manage task properties such as constraints, fixed cost.

Resource Management
• Define human/equipment and material resources (equipment can be assimilated with human);
• Define specific working time for each resource;
• Assign resources to tasks;
• View over allocated resources and resources that work overtime.

Project Tracking
• View project critical tasks depending on a customizable slack;
• Mark the task progress by changing the task completion percent;
• View time phased information about tasks cost.

Miscellaneous
• Easy to use Gantt Graph;
• Project Guide assists you step-by-step;
• Icon Bar with specific commands for every view;
• Printable reports;
• No annoying dialog windows unless strictly necessary;
• Cross-platform (work on all major operating systems starting with Microsoft Windows, MacOSX, Linux and all other Java enabled platforms).

RationalPlan Multi Project costs $98 and it is available from rationalplan.com. You can download a fully-functional trial version online.

Agency / Source: Stand By Soft

Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)

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