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General Questions
"I am used to being sold a lot of features.
Some product features seem to be missing – automated email, integration
with Microsoft Project, etc.”
We designed the product using lean thinking.
We included critical functionality often missing from Lean implementation
environments; deployment functionality that helps your team execute your
Lean implementation plan. We have included functionality to enhance:
- Prioritization of work
- Connecting action plans to strategies and other key characteristics
- Accountability for results
- Easy sharing of information
- Efficient document management and information
Lean implementations are a very special type of collaborative effort.
We have removed typical project management functionality that actually
leads to waste in this specific lean environment. We left out:
- Task and timing functionality that emphasizes timeliness above quality work
and effective communication
- Automated functionality that cannot replace high value activities
like group review and discussion, coaching and mentoring
- Functionality you already own and your people actually prefer
to use – email and appointment scheduling, web conferencing, etc.
"I don’t have time to train people to use software.”
Our design takes advantage of what your team already understands about how to
use the internet and how to use spreadsheets. This results in training times that are very low.
Our easy-to-use, easy-to-understand interface results in high adoption rates which means you
don’t have the risk, or the high cost, of management enforcement likely to be present with
other alternatives – even your own internal organizational tools like difficult to maintain
spreadsheets and network shared drives.
"How big is your company? Can you provide what we need if you are small?”
We are a small specialty firm dedicated to the needs found in the Lean niche.
Our size and focus works to your advantage. You don’t need complex software and we don’t need to
be all things to all people.
"Some people on my team, engineers for instance, like Microsoft Project.”
For those projects that are complex, we encourage the use of Microsoft Project.
Microsoft project files (*.mpp) can be stored in LPM project folders under a placeholder/summary
description of the project. In this way, you use the right tool for the right part of the job.
"We have a fairly large number of projects, how do I know your
software will be able to handle the job.”
We have been selling our product since 2003. The product has been used to manage
thousands of projects in a wide variety of environments with great success. The database tables will
hold thousands of projects. The product is very robust.
"Your technical information indicates the database tables are Microsoft
Access. Will Access do the job?”
Yes. Because we only use the table structure and the rest of the software uses
proven technology, our product is highly reliable with much lower maintenance costs than your
alternatives.
"The security functionality is light.
Will that work for my needs?”
While you can establish one level of security with individual usernames and
passwords, our customers usually use one blanket username and password or none at all.
Why? Because few things are more irritating to everyday users than difficult to remember user
names and passwords. Your data and information can be backed up according to your company
policy – usually daily. And the software and your information are always as secure as your web
server firewall.
“How can I schedule a Live Web Conference Demo?”
Click here to schedule a live web conference demo or call (866) 434-2040. "How can I get the software?”
Please call us at (866) 434-2040 toll free or fill out our contact form today.
Technical Questions
"Are my projects
stored on my computer?”
The projects are stored on your company's web server. The LPM
software is accessible from any computer that has access to your company
network (as long as that computer has the appropriate permissions).
"Can I backup my project data?”
Yes. Your projects are stored in a database that can be backed
up. All the uploaded document files are stored in a document directory that can be backed
up also. If you don't have appropriate file sharing permissions on the computer on which the
LPM software is installed, you can contact your network administrator to back up the database
and documents directory.
"Will we lose all our project
data if we move the LPM software to a different server?”
No, the projects are stored in a database that can be moved to the new server. All
the uploaded project documents can be copied and moved to the new server also.
"Can I use this software
if I don't have a webserver?”
No, but any computer running Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000, or Windows
Server 2003 can run this software by activating the webserver that comes with the Windows
Operating system (IIS). Give us a call to learn more.
"How many computers
can use one license of the LPM software?”
It depends on the type of license you purchase. To keep things
simple, many of our software packages are sold with a license that allows all of
the computers on your company network to use the software via a web browser. This makes it easy
to access your project information when you are away from the office.
"Do I need to install
the software on each of the computers in our office?”
The software is only installed once, on the server, and is then
accessible to all the computers on the network via a web browser.
"Are there periodic software
updates?”
LPM software updates are free for the first six months from the original
purchase date.
Software Functionality Questions
"Why
is it that the actual finish date I’ve entered
gets changed automatically when the project
status is changed to Closed?”
When project status is changed to Closed the
software automatically fills in the actual completed
date overwriting any date that may have been previously
entered. It is recommended that projects always be
closed in front of a group to ensure that all relevant
stakeholders agree that the project is complete.
"Why
does the word more appear next to the estimated
completion date on some viewed projects and not
others?”
If the estimated completed date is changed,
the word "more" will appear next to the
new date indicating that a revision record is being
kept. Click on "more" to view the revision
record.
"What
does the Manage Project Documents section of Lean
Project Manager do?”
The "Manage Project Documents" allows
the user to upload documents associated with the
project so they are easy to find for future reference.
"What
does the term Strategic mean as a type of project
and how does it affect my rankings?”
“Strategic” is a project type that is
preloaded. When you create a project, and select project type “Strategic”,
the software will force the project priority criteria ranking to the highest
priority level. This functionality allows managers to set the priority for
an urgent project to the highest level so the project shows up at the top
of the list.
"What
is the purpose of the Global Settings portion of
the Table Maintenance section?”
The Global Settings allow the top header of the form to
be personalized for your team or organization by entering the name of your
group, organization or initiative.
"What is the Department drop-down list used for?”
You can enter the names of the departments, groups,
teams, or value streams that you expect to use the software. This entry
is done in the Department maintenance table in the Administration portion
of the software. The names will then appear in the dropdown list used to
filter the project lists. This enables each group to quickly filter the
project lists so they only see the projects associated with their group.
"What
do resources represent?”
Resources are the employees who may be assigned to manage
a project through to completion (a “project owner”), or assigned as a person
that may be asked to complete a project task. The resource names populate the
Resource dropdown list so that a particular person can quickly filter the
project list to show only their projects (projects where they are the project
owner). The reports section also makes use of the resource dropdown to
create a report where any resource can quickly list all of the tasks
they have been assigned by various project owners.
"What
does the word “type” mean in terms of
project management?”
Project “Types” are entered into the Project Type Maintenance Table.
A project “Type” is most often used to associate projects with a particular
company strategy, top level metric, or a category of work such as a Kaizen
event, a SMED project, a TPM project, etc. They populate the “Type” dropdown
list that can be used to filter the project lists to show only those projects
associated with a particular “Type” of project.
"How
does the number of projects section of the Resources
table affect the number of projects I can assign
to a resource?”
When inserting or updating a resource,
it is important to note that the number of projects
entered into the text box will manage the break
on the project view for each person between what
should be active projects and non-active projects.
The key is to focus on finishes not work in process.
This number does not actually limit the number of
assigned projects.
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