fastProject 4.8.7 Released

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General

  • Warning when deleting a Target manually removed

  • Importing a schedule now

    • Sets the split bar up to the Duration column

    • Fits the schedule to the screen

  • Breakdown

    • Can now add prefix to multiple selected summary tasks

    • Bug fixed where breaking down an in-progress activity with a finish date in the past and tasks are not linked would cause an error

    • Doing an Unbreakdown now displays the task bar in the Gantt chart (since it may have been a Summary with the task bards hidden)

  • Updated training files

  • Link to Blog fixed

Refresh

  • After an Update, the Inspector is now automatically invoked

  • Optimized the Refresh interface so the functionality works left to right

  • Bug fixed when trying to run the Wigglechart when the Wigglechart is open. The Wigglechart can be run when open, but only if opened via fastProject, otherwise the user will get a warning to close the Wigglechart.

Macro-micro Roll-up

  • New “Create Macro from Micro” function added. This will delete all subtasks to a roll-up task while moving external dependencies to the associated roll-up task

  • Added an additional test to check for Touchpoints in the macro - these buts be contained within a summary task

  • Updated Macro-micro Roll-up documentation

  • Added a new function “Find duplicate task names” which finds tasks with the same name that can cause problems with the roll-up

  • Added “Display timing analysis” as an option in the initial dialog box

  • Documentation updated (V2.0)

decisionAccelerator 4.15 Released

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General

  • Framework sheet updated (and moved to after CostBenefit chart)

  • Risks, PPA and Business Cases moved to separate sheets and Grouping removed

  • Dependency constraints removed

  • Excel tabs now visible when on a regular Excel worksheet - also better handling of other Excel files that are open

Objectives

  • Red “best fit” arrow now just a line to avoid display problems with different screen resolutions

Alternatives

  • Bug fixed where the blue bars were not updated when an alternative was excluded

  • % Rating fixed

  • Slow performance fixed when saving a Custom rating

  • Custom form now dynamically changes size based on the length of the custom name

  • Custom name now highlighted on the form

Elements of a Good Decision Model

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Elements of a Good Decision Model

Goal: The final purpose or aim; the end toward which effort is directed. Objectives: Something that ones efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish. Alternatives: Allowing or necessitating a choice between two or more things. A good decision model has a clear goal (i.e. to delimit the problem), measurable objectives, and alternative choices with some way to quantify the "best ones."

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Macro Mind-Mapping

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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. This mind-mapping approach causes a team to look holistically at a program from beginning to end... from a macro perspective. This way of looking at a program from the top-down is a key characteristic of fast teams we’ve worked with over the years.

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Focus on 2nd Critical Path

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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 critical path you can miss the path of activities right behind the critical path. The critical path is the longest contiguous path that drives the end date for the project (i.e. the long pole in the tent).

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