How to Find Overallocated Resources

First you need and IntelliGantt solution!

We've just put the finishing touches on two new features. I'll profile our new 'Local Workgroup' in a couple days. Today I want to show you how easy it is to identify overallocated resources in one project AND across many projects.

Here's a pretty picture of several projects with their overbooked tasks highlighted.



Better yet, here is a screencast.

What it shows is a simple filter that can be applied to a project, or any group of projects. IntelliGantt has two filters that can work in conjunction. One filter is for things task related like 'ToDo' or 'This week's tasks'. To this filter we have added 'Show Overbooked Tasks'. The algorithm takes all resources and all tasks in the working set and computes which resources have been overallocated. These tasks are then listed in the task grid and gantt chart.

The other nice thing about how this feature is implemented is the highlights don't go away when you select another filter. For example, if you wanted to see the overbooked tasks in relation to all tasks, select the 'Show all tasks' filter. The overbooked tasks will retain their markings and will be easy to spot-- even with all the other tasks in view. Overbooked tasks can run, but they can't hide :)

Finally, we upgraded the resources filter so that instead of only one resource to filter against, you can have many. This means you can see two or three people's overbooked tasks at once. Or, for that matter, two or three people's ToDo lists, or their tasks next week.

Check out the screencast, and if you're impressed, download IntelliGantt Plus for a 15-day free trial. There's lots more to impress you.

It's Been Quiet.... Too Quiet...

But that will change soon.

Just in case you haven't noticed the pattern yet, this blog usually goes quiet right before we announce cool new stuff. Well, the cool new stuff is coming. I have to work on the screencast now and show the world.

What will it be?

An even easier way to share tasks and a great way to find resources accidentally overallocated-- both within a project and across many projects.

Screencasts coming soon!

Vicarious Travel

What's it like to be single, no kids and able to work online? A friend of mine is taking the opportunity to find out. He decided the other week that he wants to work in Peru. Not changing jobs, mind you, just physically be in Peru while he continues his day job. What's that? Running his company TriLeet.

I don't match the profile he has, but I can (and am quite happy to) read his 'working' blog and vicariously enjoy the scene.

I guess he got a little Stir Crazy (his blog).

It's a travelogue, so its best to start with his first post and work backwards.

Flexible Pricing Model

Consultants have been keenly interested in IntelliGantt project management because it makes it so easy to share tasks with colleagues and customers. Often they would like to leverage a client's SharePoint installation in order to share project schedules and status. Other times they just need a way to keep everyone update to date.

One common feature consultants need is a flexible pricing plan. In truth, this applies to companies that hire consultants as well. What we've heard again and again leads us to believe a project that spans people and companies is most likely an ad-hoc project. As a result, time and again we've heard the purchasing manager ask if they can re-use licenses.

For example, say project A started last January and is just wrapping up. As the project manager starts planning the next project, perhaps he/she will use several consultants or contractors again, and one or two consultants for the first time. What about the consultant they bought a license for back in January? Wouldn't it be nice to re-use that license for the new people?

We think it would too!

Therefore we've implemented time-limited licenses: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and Unlimited. Now you can purchase a 3 month license for the project starting this month (and outfit everyone very reasonably, I might add). When the project is done, your licenses are done too. If you need another project, buy a few more short-term licenses.

If you have a consistent group through the year, buy a longer term license for them, and a shorter term license of others. You can mix and match licenses just as you can mix and match IntelliGantt, IntelliGantt Plus and the IntelliGantt MS Project Add In.

It's the same product with the same features. Basically you decide how long you want it to run. It's our job to make project management as easy, rich and elegant as possible so IntelliGantt is always your best choice for running a virtual team.

Check out the pricing on our purchase page.