Project 2000 allows users to create a database of easily sortable information about a group undertaking. It's become an invaluable application, and the 2000 edition provides a level of Web interactivity users have been clamoring for. A strong product with a great series of tools, Project 2000 should quickly become a standard product in the business person's library. Technically, there weren't too many surprises. While we did have to restart more than once in order to make it through the full installation, in the end, it wasn't too problematic. (In typical heavy-handed fashion, though, the installation resulted in having Internet Explorer reinstalled as a desktop shortcut.) The interface is the same as any product in the Microsoft Office suite--a boon to new users. As an added plus, the accompanying user's guide is topnotch, presenting beginning- to advanced-level documentation on how to get the most from this product (and in turn, become a truly skilled project manager).
For those unfamiliar with Project, here's the general course of events in using the application: in working with the software, you--as the user--have to thoroughly think through the consequences of your priorities. This can have myriad benefits to the people working under you, as you're asked to quantify resources, deadlines, tasks, and costs. At a critical juncture--if, for example, the project just won't be finished according to schedule--Project 2000 will provide resources and data to decide between tradeoffs: Do you limit the scope? Add more resources? Push the timeline back? Most importantly, you can cut through the veil of darkness surrounding some projects by publicizing your progress on company intranet space. You can even create circles of e-mail correspondence with the help of the brand-new Microsoft Project Central.
More advanced users will appreciate the options that allow you to consolidate multiple projects easily (and link resources or tasks). But Project 2000 can really be used by just about everyone. Styled to be used by professional managers, this tool will make a variety of business people--or even someone managing something like a home renovation!--more efficient. A way to keep track of the big picture by seeing all the details within it, Project 2000 is highly recommended. --Jennifer Buckendorff
