PST Newsletter

1. ManagePro 9.0 - Unlocking the Power built into the new Performance Metrics

You have a tremendous amount of power at your finger tips to apply performance metrics to key projects, processes, or an entire department.  While I have your attention, let me go over a quick explanation of the configuration options, as that allows you to target or apply the performance metrics to only the issues you wish to focus metrics on.

First of all you access the performance metrics configuration options, by right clicking (if you have admin rights) on a Scorecard view such as Production, selecting View Configuration, then highlight the performance metric of interest and select Configure, then the Edit button to launch the Wizard.

Here's a quick review of the Wizard features:

1. For most performance metrics you will use the Outcomes, not Internal, metrics option.
2. The offer to apply the performance metrics against just certain GAPR record Types is very helpful.  For instance you might only want to track task records that get completed on time, or just action items, etc.
3.  The GAPR Root option, allows you to select, in effect, a seperate outline for each person.  That means you could track all the IT outline projects for Sam, and all the HR projects for Bill, and all the the Marketing outline projects for Harriet, while not scoring all the other records they may be assigned to.
4.  The GAPR Status filter, allows you to only select, and or exclude certain records.  Most of the time you will just want records with a status of Done.
5.  The GAPR Category or List option, again just provides a tremendous capability.  You could decide to only score tasks that were identified as part of your ISO 9000 project, or only projects assigned to a customer, or a business unit... the options keep expanding.
6. The GAPR Assignment option enables you to selectively include performance metrics for each person based upon whether they are just assigned to the record, or assigned as lead, or assigned as lead and the record is marked for performance review.
7. The GAPR Priority and Risk options, allow you to selectively target and score (based upon those two criteria) as an example only those items that have a priority or 1 or are rated high risk
8. The Date Range allows you to select either all records, records within a specific time period, or a rolling average, e.g. within last 30 days
9. The Percentage or Variance options, allows you to either measure the % of records that meet a criteria you establish, ex. completed by or before the Original Due date, or to measure the Variance from a target point, e.g. instead of what % does an individual complete tasks on time, how many days on the average are they over or under the Original Due Date when a task or project is completed.
10. Next, the wizard allows you to select from many different fields within ManagePro to construct the mathematics behind your performance metric, starting with the denominator value and then the numerator.
11. Finally, the wizard concludes with Scorecard display color options, enabling you to specify what % or variance should be displayed in green, versus yellow or red.

Click here to check out the summary video on the new performance metrics, (http://www.screencast.com/t/MkmaC6Qk) and give us a call if you would like assistance setting up your performance metrics.




---




2. Patch Available for ManagePro 9.0 - Build 534

Based upon initial feedback from the first two weeks, we added a few features and made several fixes to 9.0.  If the fixes are relevant for you as 9.0 license holder, please upgrade to this build by simply reinstalling the program from the link you used to first install ManagePro 9.0 or call us at (707) 487-3000 if you have a question or need an .msi version.  

The build at the top of your ManagePro program screen will be 534, e.g. your copy of ManagePro will display "ManagePro 9.0 (b534)"

Here's what's been added and fixed:

1	Corrected the default calculation and graph of any of the % based performance metrics, such as % of tasks completed on time or % Priority 1 Records with Progress Updates within 7 days"
2	Updated the GAPR screen display for easier viewing by setting the grid rows to a light grey in default display
3	Fixed a crash that was occuring when attempting to Edit or Create New Custom Reports
4	Add support for GUID field to the export/import process
5	Added the option in Preferences/General Preferences/Todos to pull "Common" values for new Todo items for easier task management, specifically when creating a new Todo item, the Common number 1, Common List 1, Common List 2, Common Date 1 and Common Text 1 fields are all automatically populated from the values in the related GAPR record.
6	Fixed a crash in ManagePro Smart when pasting copied goals with attached Todos, Events, Progress and Documents
7	Fixed a miscalculation that was causing the Performance metric variable "within last" date range to generate a negative number and not graph correctly, this was also effecting the calculation of "% of records with current progress updates".
8	Added an Outlook synchronization option checkbox, to allow users the choice of whether or not they synchronize the priority values to Outlook.  Note that Outlook only supports 3 priority settings, and deletes any values above that range.
9	Fixed a crash in the Performance Metric Scorecard view.
10	Modified the Performance metric variable "Filtering by Root record" to include records attached to "root" or parent goal, not just downstream goals

 

---

 

3.  Upcoming Manager and Executive Workshop on February 24-25th

We will be having our annual workshop for managers and executives here at our location on the northern California coast on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb 24-25th.  Space is very limited, and the focus is much more personalized than a general workshop covering features and mechanics.

We're still formulating the content for this workshop, and that will depend on you if you decide to attend, as in part this is a "design your own workshop" format.  But I can tell you two things about the workshop.

1.  We will be covering 3 topics in depth:

1. Using the layout and list fields in ManagePro to improve tracking of customers, critical success factors, strategic plan & performance. 
2. Taking all the mystery out of software adoption across groups and departments, knowing exactly how people will respond, what you need to do and say, and removing the obstacles you place on yourself. 
3. Making sure you have your primary drivers for success in 2009 setup on scorecards before you leave.

2.  The workshop is limited to 10 individuals, it will sell out early...   if you are at all interested you should call Patti today to reserve a spot (707) 487-3000.

 

I'm looking forward to Christmas and hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season.

 

 
Rodney Brim,  Ph.D.
CEO Performance Solutions Technology
www.ManagePro.com/Blog

PS. Be on the look out for our special Silver Bullet video series coming out in late January, It is a video series in which I walk you through, step by step, how I:
1. Lay out a business, department, and/or series of projects in the database,
2. How I put together a strategy for software adoption across a group, and
3. How I set up performance metrics. 
Be watching for more details in January.