Software Publishing Corp, Mountain View, California has announced version II of the Harvard Total Project Manager, which it describes as the first IBM Personal-based project management program to offer an interactive Work Breakdown Structure. This, it claims, for the first time enables users to plan their projects completely on screen. In addition, HTPM II permits users to choose from four formats in which to plan projects: Work Breakdown Structure, PERT chart, Gantt chart or Task List format. Finally, HTPM II is claimed to be significantly more intuitive and easy to use than previous, full-featured project management programs. Users have generally had to plan their projects on paper to start with, and then input their data into the computer, but the HTPM II Work Breakdown Structure is designed to serve as a project outliner that enables users create complex projects entirely on-screen. To speed up project planning, data is translated automatically into a PERT chart. HTPM II also includes automatic resource levelling and resource tracking across multiple projects, replicates complex real-world planning and resource situations through man-hour and overtime calculations, scheduling, and lag relationships. It offers direct data export to Lotus 1-2-3, dBase and ASCII formats, and supports a wide range of dot matrix and laser printers and plotters. The product is a completely redesigned version of the Harvard Total Project Manager program and runs on the IBM XT, AT and compatibles and needs a 512Kb CPU, PC-DOS 2.0 or higher, and a hard disk. It will be available next month for $595 and current owners of HTPM (or the original Harvard Project Manager version) can upgrade for $100 directly from Software Publishing Corp.
