113 documents. Release notes, guides, and how-tos.

Compile error in hidden module: Sheet3 when running the Wigglechart

Microsoft’s recent update to Excel disables all ActiveX controls with notification.

Error Creating a Wigglechart on Sharepoint

When you open your schedule via Sharepoint and run Wigglechart to create your first Wigglechart, fastProjectAI will crash with an error something like

Debugging fastProjectAI Installation and Activation

If you are having problems activating fastProjectAI after installation because the fastProjectAI items are not under File, please check the following.

fastProjectAI 4.12.0 Released

Added ability to add a note, action or cause of delay to multiple tasks at the same time.

fastProjectAI 4.11.7 Released

Can now select one of 5 different highlights colors (Yellow, Blue, Gray, Orange & Green) and the ability to name them.

Re-instaling the fastProjectAI Global

Occasionally, the fastProjectAI functionality (tabs in the ribbon) will disappear. This is usually due to the Global file getting corrupted.

fastProjectAI 4.11.6 Released

Cleaned up button names on the Toolbar (thanks Marianne!)

fastProjectAI 4.11.2 Released

Target Scroller - minor refinements around the positioning of the text in the dropdown (now always left justified) and the notes (don’t move when you

fastProjectAI 4.11.3 Released

General UI improvements on the ribbon

fastProjectAI 4.11.4 Released

New feature where the gap to a Target is now displayed next to the name of the Wiggle milestone. Only displayed when the Critical Path IDs are displayed.

fastProjectAI 4.11.5 Released

Date format for Start/Finis dates now set to only dd/mm/yy (depends on country)

Doneness Generator

“Doneness” is a word we created, i.e. When is something done?

Third major release of fastProjectAI Analyzer

The percentage rating is gone, because it didn't really mean much. For the core tests, it now binary, you either pass them (all) or fail if you fail one

fastProjectAI 4.10.10 Released

Added ability to add any of the custom Text fields to the Gantt bars (currently restricted to the Left of the bar)

fastProjectAI 4.10.6 Released

Speed improvements with “Link to last task” and “Link from first task”

fastProjectAI 4.10.7 Released

Fixed problem where a milestone couldn’t be set as a Checkpoint or Deliverable if it has it’s Roll-up/Down flag set

fastProjectAI 4.10.8 Released

Max number of tasks in the PreFresh report now 3000

fastProjectAI 4.10.9 Released

New “countdown” timer added to the time, which displays the number of days remaining to Target

fastProjectAI 4.11.0 Released

A milestone with negative float now displays the arrow head (same as the task)

fastProjectAI 4.11.1 Released

NEW FEATURE: You can now Breakdown a task using the tasks that were stored in the notes from an “Undo breakdown”.

Updated fastProjectAI Reporting

We have increased reporting capability with the release of fastProjectAI 4.10.x .

fastProjectAI 4.10.5 Released

Fixed screen “flashing” when breaking dow a task

fastProjectAI 4.10.4 Released

Fixed problem where a date stamp for the Notes was not being recorded when an existing file was opened.

fastProjectAI 4.10.3 Released

Date problem fixed where in some instances, when selecting a date, the date did not appear in the correct format for the region

fastProjectAI crashes every time I click on a fastProjectAI tab

In a few of instances, we’ve found after installing fastProjectAI, fastProjectAI crashes every time you click on any of the fastProjectAI tabs in the

fastProjectAI 4.10.2 Released

Moved the Open all (+) and Close all (-) buttons on the toolbar over to the far left, next to the Incomplete tasks button.

fastProjectAI Fix Due To Recent Microsoft Project Update

On July 14th, 2020, Microsoft released an update for Microsoft Project for 2010, 2013 and 2016.

fastProjectAI 4.10.1 Released

Fixed setting a Target Date problem when dates are in UK date format (dd/mm/yyyy), where a Target date would default to today if was an invalid US date (e.

fastDecisionAI 4.2.1 Released

Fixed a critical bug where the judgements could switch position when deleting an objective

fastDecisionAI 4.3 Released

Fixed problem where the best-fit indicator on the pair-wise was positioned incorrectly when only using two objectives (=100% consistency)

fastProjectAI 4.10.0 Released

Fixes problem starting fastProjectAI after recent Microsoft Security Update released on July 14, 2020

fastDecisionAI 4.2 Released

Improved performance in calculation of the objectives and inconsistencies

fastProjectAI 4.9.2 Released

Exporting Touchpoints, Checkpoints and Deliverables now only exports non-completed milestones

fastDecisionAI 4.0 Released

decisionAccelerator is now called fastDecisionAI. The new version number is 4.0.

fastDecisionAI 4.1 Released

Link to latest release notes fixed

fastProjectAI 4.9.1 Released

Filter Task/Filter 2 Tasks fixed

Activating fastDecisionAI

As part of activating fastDecisionAI, you need to request a license key

Activating fastProjectAI

As part of activating fastProjectAI, you need to request a license key. When received, please save this license key, as it can be used again if you change

Activating fastProjectAI

As part of activating fastProjectAI (fastProjectAI & fastDecisionAI), you need to request a license key

fastProjectAI 4.9.0 Released

New licensing scheme introduced based on a License Key. The License Key is valid even if the user replaces their machine, and should therefore be kept in

decisionAccelerator 4.20 Released

Right-mouse click menu added for faster access to dA functionality:

Crystal Ball or Early Warning System?

Have you ever had this happen to your project, where you were on track to finish a major deliverable, then close to the end, the schedule started to slip.

decisionAccelerator 4.19 Released

Calculate manually added back to the Objectives tab. This is a global “do not calculate flag” so changing the objective’s pair-wise or the alternative’s

Daily schedule refresh

Our advice was to refresh (i.e. update, breakdown, pull-in) your schedule once a week.

A target date... Focus on WHAT then WHEN

Often confused, a Target Date for an important milestone is a deadline at which time one expects to achieve a result, however a Target Date may not be

Criteria versus Objective

Decision models have three major components; goal, objectives, and alternatives.

How decision model goals & objectives translate to a schedule

In this example the team needed to determine which market segment to target for a new product.

Keeping schedule refreshes focused

“It occurs to me that we end up going through the refresh, issues come up, and we need to make sure they are being dealt with.

Schedule pull-in makes the Refresh Planning process work

Refresh Planning is made up of the following elements:

Horizontal project scoring

Traditional "project scoring" systems we see look like this... a list of projects in a spreadsheet scored against some sort of measurement criteria.

Objectives Hierarchy

Recently we have been discussing the use of hierarchy in decision-model "objectives." For example, this is an Objective with a series of sub-objectives (e.

Pairwise ranking of objectives versus simple weighting

Traditional "project scoring" systems we see look like this... a list of projects in a spreadsheet scored against some sort of measurement criteria.

Use real values for ranking alternatives

Traditional "project scoring" systems we see look like this... a list of projects in a spreadsheet scored against some sort of measurement criteria.

fastProjectAI Resources

Getting started with decisionAccelerator

If you are new to the concept of decision modeling and/or decisionAccelerator, or just need a refresher, we suggest you watch the following tutorials in

decisionAccelerator 4.18 Released

New streamlined ribbon interface

decisionAccelerator 4.17 Released

Problem fixed where the bars were shown incorrectly when "Low was set to good”

decisionAccelerator 4.16 Released

Improved interface for defining a Values, Values ($) and a Linear scale

decisionAccelerator 4.15 Released

Framework sheet updated (and moved to after CostBenefit chart)

decisionAccelerator 4.14 Released

Redesigned Custom form to make compatible with 64-bit Office

The Ribbon Interface on fastProjectAI Has Disappeared

This can be caused by a rouge title in the custom flag Flag16. The fix is straightforward:

Goals and Objectives Drive Good Decision Models

Seems like a no-brainier, but this obvious statement "Goals and Objectives are key to effective decision models" is not always followed or understood when

fastProjectAI Crashes When I Mouse-over Any of the Buttons in the Ribbon

Occasionally, we’ve seen a situation where, after installing fastProjectAI, it appears to work until the user mouses-over any of the fastProjectAI buttons

Annotated Wigglechart

I liked this WiggleChart and the annotation “resources reallocated.”

Getting the Objectives Right

Getting the ‘Objectives’ right is critical in a decision model. The three core elements of a model are the Goal, the Objectives, and the Alternatives or

Macro Mind-Mapping

In this screencast I’ll discuss Macro Mapping, which is a planning technique we use to organize a top-level macro plan.

Macro-Micro Roll-up

Micro Macro Roll-up is a planning philosophy based on the best practices of fast teams

Cost-of-Delay (1)

This is an example of a cost-of-delay calculation for a development project. They have a 6.3x ROI, if they delay by 3 months they take a 10% sales hit or

Focus on 2nd Critical Path

The critical path is red (example) and the second critical path is blue (i.e. float less than ten days).Sometimes when you focus exclusively on the

Getting Teams Fast - Quickly

We're often challenged to make teams fast, quickly. A client once asked us to get his team up and running and competent in the planning system within two

Tracking the Rate of Completion

How often have you ever wanted to know how fast you are getting through work on a program or project?

Using Agile and fastProjectAI

One of the concepts around Agile is frequent builds and releases to a customer. This way you obtain early feedback, and that feedback can be integrated

Critical Path Method (CPM) Basics

The following is an overview of Critical Path Method (CPM). The critical path is the longest contiguous path to the end of the project.

Prioritizing a Project Portfolio

So you're responsible for 10,000 acres of forest and you've been told to reduce it by 20%. How do you decide what to keep and what to remove?

Refresh Planning

Refresh Planning is a core practice of fast teams. Refresh Planning involves three steps; update, break-down, and pull-in. It’s a weekly team activity.

The Long Pole

The long pole in the tent holds the tent up. It determines the height of the tent. The long pole in a project is the critical path.

Use a Mission Statement and Doneness Criteria to Provide a Check and Balance

The first step in the planning process with a team is to define a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for the project.

Using decisionAccelerator for Zero-based Budgeting

Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) allows top-level strategic goals to be implemented into the budgeting process by tying them to specific functional areas of the

Common CPM Scheduling Mistakes

Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling mistakes we observe in many schedules, those built prior to lateralworks FTTM Scheduling training.

Determine Your Version of Excel

To determine your version of Excel, and whether it's 32-bit or 64-bit:

Determine Your Version of Microsoft Project

In order to determine your version of Microsoft Project, including Service Packs, do the following:

Installing Solver for decisionAccelerator

decisionAccelerator is an add-in to Excel and requires Solver (a Microsoft Excel Add-in).

Killing Excel After a fastProjectAI Error

There are times when fastProjectAI may encounter a fatal error. In some cases (e.g.

Prioritizing Alternatives in AHP

Analytical Hierarchical Process or AHP as it is more commonly known (learn more) is a structured method for organizing and analyzing complex decisions.

The Lookahead Report

The Lookahead Reports (PreFresh and PostFresh) are a critical part of the FTTM refresh process. They serve two primary purposes:

Customize the Lookahead Report

When the PreFresh or PostFresh Lookahead Report (LAR) is generated, a pre-defined set of columns are shown/hidden.

fastProjectAI Crashes After Installing

What do I do if fastProjectAI crashes after installing or crashes randomly?

Import a Lookahead Report

In the latest release of fastProjectAI, it is now possible to import a PreFresh (Lookahead) report.

Options in fastProjectAI

fastProjectAI has a number of options that can be set to customize fastProjectAI. The five different areas are:

Summary Tasks in Microsoft Project

Summary tasks in Microsoft Project can sometimes be confusing and even misleading if one only looks at the duration of the summary task.

Copying Objectives to Other Models

I want to create a top-level model, then copy those objectives to other models (sheets) within the same file.

Exclude or Include Objectives

Include/exclude objectives. Highlight one or more objectives, right mouse click, select exclude objective.

Generating a Cost-Benefit Curve

The constraint change doesn't work when data is filtered. It works though when unfiltered, then select several rows of data, but it is a bit inconvenient

Baselines in fastProjectAI

When I am in the interview panel and I click "snap first baseline for today," does that impact Baseline 0?

Decision Mapping

In this screencast I'll focus on using a mind map to structure a decision. We often use a mind map to structure complex problems and/or decisions with

decisionAccelerator Use Cases

A primary application of the decisionAccelerator methodology is on strategy projects where we define and operationalize business strategy.

Diagonal vs Vertical Y-Axis Wigglecharts

The first example above illustrates the y-axis in the vertical position (Absolute). The second shows the diagional or "relative" variation.

Dynamic Status Changes

A new feature introduced in fastProjectAI 4.7.3 is a dynamic status indicator in the Inspector.

Easily Add Action Items

New feature in fastProjectAI 4.7.3 is the ability to quickly add Action Items into the notes on specific tasks.

Easy Access to Baselines

A new feature introduced in fastProjectAI 4.7.3 are baselines are now easily accessible within the Inspector.

fastProjectAI Process Flow

Introduction to Decision Analysis (1)

Introduction to decision analysis; is a basic discussion of the decision modeling framework we use to engage decision stakeholders and accelerate many

Introduction to Decision Analysis (2)

This screencast provides a basic overview of the decision-modeling framework used by decisionAccelerator.

Modeling using decisionAccelerator

Proper Schedule Update Questions

When updating a schedule; the task owner must respond with answers to the update questions, even if you (Program Manager) know the answer.

Refresh Planning Assessment/Checklist

We have been using this checklist to assess the effectiveness of team Refresh Planning.

Resource Leveling

Once a resource pool has been built and resources assigned to tasks, the next step is to analyze the schedule for overallocation.

Review Update Results

A new feature introduced in fastProjectAI 4.7.3 and above is a simplified window function at the end of the Update to review the changes to each of the

Target, Challenge, and Windows

There are three types of targets; a standard target date, a challenge date, and a target window (a range of dates with an early and late bounding of the

Touchpoints, Checkpoints and Deliverables

We are often asked, what the difference between a Touchpoint, a Checkpoint and a Deliverable.

Using decisionAccelerator Constraints

decisionAccelerator version 4.13.0 Released

Minor formatting changes on the pair-wise window

decisionAccelerator Won't Run - Macro Settings

Very occasionally, we find a situation where the macro settings with Excel are all disabled and cannot be changed by the user, causing decisionAccelerator