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TRAINING 33

plex. They will not be as easy-to-learn or easy-to-use as word processing or
spreadsheet tools because the typical user will have to learn many new things
about planning and control in addition to learning the new tool itself.

The Four Key Categories

If we are to look more at what we need to accomplish with the software, rather
than at the feature set, we should consider these four important areas:

1. The User Interface.
2. Data Management.
3. The Scheduling Engine.
4. Multi-user Access and Communication.

If we can satisfy all four categories, we are likely to have a product that we can
use effectively as part of a computer-based project management system. If any
one of these areas is unduly weak, we can expect failure of the entire system.

For a detailed discussion of these four key areas of PM Software Selection,
please read Chapter 12.1.

Training

Now that we have taken care of the first two phases, Methods and Tools, we can
move on to the third key element preceding the implementation itself. This is
personnel training. There are two distinct training categories:

• Project Management Training.
• PM Software Training.

General PM training is the most important. You can be certain that the re-
sults from use of the tools by unknowledgeable individuals will be detrimental
to your success. Everyone involved in contributing to project success should be
trained in the basic concepts of project management. It is an error to assume
that everyone inherently understands project management, and it is unfair to
expect these people to perform successfully in this area without the benefit of
such training.

A formal program should be made available to a wide audience, encompass-
ing a wide scope of topics and skills of value to both project and functional per-
formers participating in projects. This program should define the firm’s policies
and expectations for the management of projects. It should also make it clear