What do you do with users who need to manage projects but don’t require all the bells-and-whistles functionality of complicated project management software? (Or don’t even want it?) Recently, I spoke with AEC Software, a company which believes it has a solution for such users: FastTrack Schedule 9.0.
Because half of FastTrack Schedule’s user base is inexperienced at using project management software, AEC Software developed its solution with usability in mind. And because even occasional or inexperienced project managers need to present projects to management or stakeholders, AEC included a presentation element, as well as the ability to integrate FastTrack Schedule with other apps such as Microsoft Project and Microsoft Excel. It’s cross-platform, so a Windows user can create a file and send it to a Macintosh user. It offers project consolidation, for managing multiple projects from a single file, and its resource layout lets you keep track of project participants’ contributions over time, which includes managing the scheduling of personnel on a project and resolving scheduling conflicts and tracking costs. You can also automatically archive project snapshots and drop said snapshots in a Microsoft PowerPoint file to email to managers who want a quick look at project status.
It runs on Windows Vista/XP/Me/2000/98SE/NT4, and there’s a Mac version as well. For those who are already running FastTrack Schedule 9.0, 9.0.1, or 9.1, AEC Software offers an update, FastTrack Schedule 9.2—what the company calls “a significant maintenance release, focused on making enhancements to existing features, adding new features, addressing some unexpected behavior, and fixing minor bugs.” FastTrack Schedule price per license is $350. To learn more, go to AEC Software.