PSNext was recently launched in SA by Management Planning Systems. PSNext is claimed to be the first full-featured, totally Web-based project and portfolio management solution for the enterprise.
According to Francois Retief, MD of Management Planning Systems: "PSNext is the first of a new generation of totally Web-based solutions comprising of a highly interactive rich client interface. The growing concepts of virtual teams and the virtual workplace could not be successful if tools such as PSNext did not keep pace.
"Project management tools are no longer just supporting project managers. Resource managers, financial managers, operations managers, strategic planners, CEOs, CIOs - they are all now served by and participate in this larger world of project management," says Retief.
Project management now includes an entirely new set of practices called Project Portfolio Management (PPM). This grew out of a concern by senior management whether the projects that were being managed were the best projects for the firm to be working on. PPM tools, such as PSNext, allow a structured, proactive prioritisation and selection of projects, as well as improved support for evaluating projects that are already in the pipeline.
However, PSNext also satisfies the requirements of project managers. "For the first time, project managers have the traditional tools of their trade, such as Gantt charts, network diagrams and WBS charts, available in a totally Web-based system. All projects and resources are consolidated in a central database, integrated with project documentation, issues, risks, extensive security and excellent reporting."
The power of PSNext is possible due to the J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition from Sun Microsystems) development environment.
"J2EE provides many benefits, including high performance, automatic deployment and the ability to run on almost any platform, including Windows and open source software," says Retief. "Over the last 15 years, Sciforma Corporation has frequently taken the lead in the development of project management software applications. With PSNext, Sciforma has taken the lead again in the enterprise project management arena."
Project Scheduler 8 (PS8) is the current popular offering by Sciforma used by hundreds of South African companies. "PS8 will continue as Sciforma`s desktop project management solution," says Retief. However, PSNext offers a host of new functions needed for enterprise project and portfolio management. These include:
* Easy implementation due to the simple integrated architecture.
* PSNext is role-based - users only see the functionality their role in the organisation requires.
* Full security, including field level security.
* New features to improve project management in a multi-disciplinary environment.
* Powerful skills management.
* Integrated documentation, issue and risk management with discussion streams.
* Robust reporting - PSNext claims to have the most powerful report writer in the industry today. Graphics and text are combined in multi-level status reports with status robots at each level.
* Unlimited flexibility - PSNext allows unlimited customisation of data.
* Scalable architecture - PSNext has been tested for 10 000 users.
PSNext is distributed and supported in SA by Management Planning Systems. More information is available at www.mpsys.co.za.
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