Microsoft Project (or MSP) is project management software developed and sold by Microsoft.
Microsoft Project is designed to assist project managers in developing plans, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing budgets and analyzing workloads.
Microsoft Project creates critical path schedules, although a critical chain third-party add-on is available from ProChain . Schedules can be resource leveled . The chain is visualized in a gantt chart.
Resource definitions (people, equipment and materials) can be shared between projects using a shared resource pool. Each resource can have it own calendar which defines what days and shifts a resource can work. Resource rates are used to calculate resource assignment costs which are rolled summarized the resource level.
Each resource can be assigned to multiple tasks in multiple plans and each task can be assigned multiple resources. Microsoft Project schedules task work based on the resource availability as defined in the resource calendars. All resources can be defined in a enterprise resource pool.
Microsoft Project creates budgets based on assignment work and resource rates. As resources are assigned to tasks and assignment work estimated, Microsoft Project calculates the cost equals the work times the rate. This rolls up to the task level, then to any summary tasks and finally to the project level.
Microsoft Project has been extended with Microsoft Project Server and Microsoft Project Web Access . Project server stores Project data in a central database.
Project Web Access allows user to display and update this data over the internet. Web Access allows authorized users to access a Project Server database across the internet. Web Access includes timesheets, graphical analysis of resource workloads, administrative tools.
Microsoft recognizes different classes of users. These different classes of users can have differing access levels to projects, views, and other data.
Custom objects such as Calendars, views, tables, filters and fields are stored in an enterprise global which is shared by all users.
Third party viewers exist (Microsoft doesn't make their own viewer), including Steelray and others.
MSP shares problems with other project management software.
For a free, open source industrial strength replacement, see http://www.openworkbench.org
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