MacDirectory Magazine

CLOSER LOOK PROJECT MANAGEMENT MADE EASY WITH FASTTRACK SCHEDULE WORDS BY JONE DEVLIN their own ongoing research into how to continuously improve their product. Project management is not an easy job. You have to be able to juggle time, money, skill sets, resources, and deadlines, while at the same time performing the myriad of other tasks being “in charge” entails. Fortunately though, the folks at AEC Software (www.aecsoftware.com) have done what they can to make a manager’s life easier with FastTrack Schedule, a cross platform project management tool designed to work for all types and sizes of business. FastTrack Schedule, which recently saw the tenth generation of its product hit the market, is an amazingly unique program, which balances the needs of a basic organizer while adding the capability (but not the difficulty) of advanced project management software. Version 10 of FastTrack Schedule adds many exciting new features and updates, with the main focus’ being the user interface, calendaring system and resource management capabilities. These additions and improvements are based on the regular dialog with their customers that AEC Software maintains as well as For example, in FastTrack Schedule 10 the user interface has been overhauled so that it is much more intuitive, manageable, and customizable. Ryan Kish, Vice President of Marketing at AEC Software, told MacDirectorythat the new context-sensitive Format Bar was inspired by the simplistic interface of the iWorks suite, which means that users can easily access scheduling tools to enter and outline tasks, link tasks, select bar/milestone styles, etc. Filters may also be used, and time units can be changed. AEC Software has also added a new iMedia browser which makes it easy to find stored logos and pictures; which, as any manager knows, is a huge timesaver. But my personal favorite new feature was the improved resource management area with new Address Book integration. First of all, when a resource is called up a picture of that individual can be attached. This allows customers and others to have a more personalized experience with the individuals assigned to their team. Secondly, time and resource tracking templates can be built from scratch, and there are multiple views available, so that once you have your resources loaded, you can easily see the big picture (whole team) or the small picture (availability of one or two key individuals). The Work Usage Inspector enable managers to make precise assignments and effectively manage resource costs by providing a detailed snapshot of a resource’s bandwidth when they are assigned to a task or program, letting the manager know immediately if their resource is being over tasked or is unavailable due to vacation or travel. Meanwhile, the templates, tips and tricks, and customization features that FastTrack Schedule users have come to depend on is still in place, allowing managers to quickly create professional looking reports and presentations. Best of all, even with all of its unique and complex capabilities, FastTrack Schedule 10 is very easy to use. The changes, though comprehensive, are designed in such a way that experienced users will have no trouble incorporating the new features into their regular usage. New users, meanwhile, will find V10 just as user friendly as the previous nine versions, and should be able to get underway with very little difficulty. And if there is some confusion, no problem, as there are plenty of clear, easy to follow help features and tutorials incorporated into the program. These tutorials, which last no more than 1-2 minutes, are as clear, concise, and helpful as FastTrack Schedule itself. So you if you’re a small business owner looking to increase productivity and better manage your assets, or a major corporation looking for an easy, effective way to organize you projects, step up to FastTrack Schedule 10. FastTrack Schedule 10 can be purchased on AEC Software’s website (www.aecsoftware.com). New U.S. licenses are $349, upgrades are $179. 112 MacDirectory

• Cover