PST Newsletter

1. ManagePro 9.1 - Releases with Features to Help you be more Efficient

We've got several new developments in the works, including an all new program that automatically pulls information in from other programs - the ManagePro Integrator.  We'll probably release that next month, but for now we have also been listening hard to a number of "must have" requests coming in from you, and so we offer you 9.1.  As you'll see we are trying very hard to give you the tools you need and the advantages ManagePro extends to help you stand out and be successful in 2009.

For those of you on the annual upgrade plan, you'll be receiving a link tomorrow that you can use to upgrade yourself and/or your organization.  Call us if you haven't received it. 

Here's a quick review of the new features in 9.1 and how they can help you:

1. Added the display of job title and amount of hours accrued on timecards to the Resource Allocation display for easier tracking of who's assigned to what job and how many hours have been allocated and used todate.



2. Added a Resource Allocation printout option in the Quick Print feature, to print out the people assigned to each task, their level of allocation, the number of hours commited and the number of hours accrued todate in time card entries.


3. Added Import for TimeCards to import in one step an entire time card spreadsheet (ex. from QuickBooks) addressing multiple time card entries across multiple people and projects.



4. Improved time card functionality and added a daily time card entry form.  First select the projects worked on during the day (control left mouse click), then select Multi-Edit/Time card and enter the time spent on each project for that day.

5. Added new printer & plotter support for Gantt Chart print output.

6. Added new Gantt chart toggle options to turn on or off the display of the Original Due Date, and the display of each person assigned to a task along with the % they are allocated, just to the left of the task's duration bar.



7. We've added Search and Find function to the Todo and Event lists to make task management in that area much easier.  Search by title or by word (in either the title or comments field).

8. Customized Todos and Event views are now pushed to MProLite users.

9. Created the option for db admins, by which they can remove all access to Utility functions for all non-administrator access users.

10. Created an extra security layer, addin an encryption option by which db admins can set all user passwords and all records marked private as encrypted and non-searchable by any database query programs. 

11. Added the capability to transfer the formatting of columns (including color globes) created in ManagePro to MProLite.

12. Added formatting to field values displayed in the Gantt Chart view (ex. $, % and ,)

13. Added a purge function for administrators (not visible to non-admins). This function removes all deleted items from all tables then "shrinks" the database (removes free-space).



14. Improved refresh action in ManagePro Smart, now the program only notifies the user when a databased has been updated by a synchronization from another user, instead of automatically (potentially a disruption) refreshing the view.

If you haven't upgraded since the initial release of 9.0 (we provided an interim release to some users), here's a list of additional features and fixes you'll find in 9.1:

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
11	Fixed crash when attempting to filter on Multi-Pick field.
12	Fixed bug that caused a record's progress updates or todos not to display when dragging and dropping emails.




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2. ManagePro beats Cognos, Microsoft and SAP for Value Delivered in Aberdeen review

It's always nice to get some confirmation that you've selected a good product, isn't it.  Any information that helps confirm your choices reduces cognitive dissonance and feels pretty good.  Well, Aberdeen Group just released a comparative evaluation of 17 performance management products, including Hyperion (Oracle), Corda Tech, Cognos (IBM), Business Objects (SAP), and Microsoft. 

And we beat all of the big companies (!) in the Delivered Value category, placing 2nd only to Qlick Tech, a reporting program that sits on top of SAP.  Yes we are very pleased, especially when comparing the sizes of the relative organizations - we're like the busy ants compared with elephants when you look at who's who on the list. 

Yes we deliver a lot of value in both the performance management and project management areas, here's one of our secrets.  We deliver primary core features, like one click access to progress updates, details, todos, and scorecards, at a very simple, immediate level.  All the additional powerful features are there if you need them, but we don't want them to get in your way... when you don't need them.

We know that nothing is simple at work, and yet the best solutions deal with complexity through simple basics, which we keep striving to deliver to you via ManagePro.  I think a recent quote from Apple's Steve Jobs says it very well,

"...when you start looking at a problem and it seems really simple with all these simple solutions, you don't really understand the complexity of the problem. And your solutions are way too oversimplified, and they don't work. Then you get into the problem, and you see it's really complicated. And then you come up with all these convoluted solutions. That's sort of the middle, and that's where most people stop, and the solutions tend to work for awhile. But the really great person will keep on going and find, sort of, the key, underlying principle of the problem. And come up with a beautiful elegant solution that works."

Or as Mark Rafter coined it - Jobs is striving for the simplicity on the otherside of complexity.   So are we.

Bottom Line:

Make sure you are taking advantage of the tremendous capability under the hood of ManagePro, starting with the poweful basics of having:

1. Clear descriptions of each of your projects and tasks in the Details - keep everyone clear about expectations
2. Current Progress Updates - latest updates at your finger tips
3. Action Items tracked in your Todos - no details slip through the cracks
4. Key documents attached - for no hassel searching

 

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3.  ManagePro, ReviewWriter & The Big Give-Away

We were working this past month on laying out a training series for how to do reviews in ManagePro, and then stopped and thought better about it.  What we decided, was to do something special for all of you, our customers. 

Here it is.  Why not just give you a free license of ReviewWriter?  

It's good for completing reviews from now to forever on 8 employees.  It would be quicker then teaching you how to do it in ManagePro, which won't do as good a job.  It's a great way to say "Thank you for being our customers" as we start the year, and it's very timely for many of you facing completing reviews in the next couple of months.

Check your email next Tuesday.  We'll be sending you a link to download a free copy of ReviewWriter 2009.  Our only request is that you attend a 30 minute webinar on how to use ReviewWriter to do your annual performance reviews.  There's a $30 fee for the seminar, but... if you don't feel it was valuable, just tell us and we'll cancel the fee.

Have a strong February, and stay tuned as we provide you with several new tools over the next couple of months.

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

PS. Remember to be looking for the announcement next week for a free ReviewWriter give-away to any current ManagePro user, and check out my recent blogs on completing performance reviews at
http://www.managepro.com/blog/index.php/category/performance-review