fastworks
Fast-Time-to-Market (FTTM) Tools designed to accelerate projects
Track record on hundreds of projects…
Since 1988, lateralworks has been continuously developing a series of software tools and business processes to support its management consulting practice. They have been refined through thousands of client experiences around the world.
lateralworks uses these tools in consulting assignments and our clients continue to use them long after engagements have concluded. They provide clients with vehicles to continue deployment of best practices. Tools are necessary, but not sufficient in themselves. To make them effective, lateralworks provides deployment tactics (i.e. adaptation to culture/environment), process methodologies, and skills development.
Our tools are built on Microsoft's Office platform in order to provide cost effective industry standard interfaces
Best practices implementor…
Unique Methods + fastworks form an integrated system designed to enable speed. The methods are based on best practices from a groundbreaking and ongoing study of Silicon Valley tech companies. fastworks is presently in use/has been used by hundreds of clients on thousands of projects around the world.
The system…
The tools in the integrated system consist of fastProject, fastDecision, and fastROI which sit as add-ins to Microsoft Office. They are designed to be easy to use and in the case of fastProject, greatly enhance the functionality of MSProject.
Use cases…
fastworks can be used on single projects, multiple projects (a portfolio), and on massive billion dollar programs using advanced fastProject “macro-micro” features that enable multiple schedules and multiple users to integrate into a single program information system, all with client-based MSProject.
fastworks / Modules
fastProject
Critical Path Modeling
fastProject is an add-in application to Microsoft Office (Project and Excel). fastProject enables users to easily plan and track projects using our fast-time-to-market management methodology. It's functionality is derived from extensive best practice research and through our consulting practice with hundreds of new product development teams around the world.
fastProject has constantly evolved since its introduction in 1989 as a result of continuous client input and through our own experiences using it on client projects as consultants.
fastDecision
Decision Modeling
fastDecision is a decision modeling methodology and tool that enables groups to reach agreement faster and more effectively.
It is based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and is implemented by lateralworks as an add-in to Microsoft Excel, a ubiquitous engine that many already use for various business applications, which reduces the learning curve and the need for expensive proprietary software.
fastROI
Business Case Modeling
The economics of delay are critical to fast teams. They know when they are late and what that costs them in terms of lost profit, each day. They called this the “cost of delay.” lateralworks developed a way to quantify and then model trade-offs to determine the cost of delay and how decisions such as increasing resources and decreasing schedule could impact the business case for the new product. The model was developed on Excel to make it flexible and adaptive to different environments and problems.