Project Genius - Review (Page 2 of 2)

In my article, Overcoming Project Management Challenges in Difficult Economic Times, I stressed the importance of having the right people on the right jobs:

"Resources are also a constant concern for project managers. How can you ensure that the right people are working on the right projects, and that you will have enough resources to handle future projects?"

Project Genius incorporates a centralized resource management function, which provides project managers with the ability to easily perform searches for appropriate resources (people) and assign tasks accordingly. Defining resources in terms of the roles they will play - designer, developer, system architect, etc.- eases the sometimes tedious process of resource allocation that all project managers have to endure from time to time (see screen shot 2 below).

Genius Project is a 100% web-based solution that allows the project team members to have access to all the latest information in real time. Access to the software and your data is conducted remotely via a web browser. Basically organizations can "rent" the software and pay a monthly (or yearly) fee that includes all maintenance and support services. There is no need to worry about hardware, energy costs, space, operating systems or any other aspects of IT infrastructure; just click and go!

Additional features include:

• Genius Planner: A powerful and feature-rich integral visual Gantt Chart provides a comprehensive tool for visually planning, scheduling and modifying projects, assigning and linking tasks, determining timelines and estimating costs.
• Multi-Currency Support: Allows for defining of multi-rates for resources in various currencies.
• Document Management: Provides a centralized document repository for attaching and editing any documents (Word, Excel, Photoshop).
• Budget Management: Allows Project Managers to enter detailed budgets, with a variety of views to track costs and ensure budget adherence.
• Workflow Engine: Allows customized workflow on each document to support and automate business processes.
• Standard PM Methods Templates: Helps organizations implement processes based on standard project management methodologies like Prince2, PMI and Six Sigma across industries, insuring uniform project structure.
• Genius Chart: Allows for extremely user-friendly and visual at-a-glance information; users can define custom visual reports in any view or document, without need for third-party tools or reporting language.

Genius Inside also offers an express version for the unique needs and budgets of smaller organizations. Because of its web-based interface and online registration, users can be up and running with the solution in as little as a few hours.

For a demonstration of Genius Project, or for a free trial, please visit geniusproject.com.

The only possible downside I see to Project Genius is the learning curve users will encounter, because its a function-filled application This leads me to believe that companies will have to invest time and effort into training their users. Despite this drawback, I feel that the rate of return will out-weight the investment in training. Project Genius is a great project management solution for companies looking to deliver projects within budget, on schedule, and without skimping on quality.