RationalPlan Software

Pros

It is easy to work with. I can import MS Project files easily and work with them. Easy to setup project. It is also easy to integrate and manage multiple projects. Scheduling and tracking of tasks is also a plus with this product.

Cons

The inability to save straight out to MS Project format is an issue. I also have had issues with report and email templates. Updates frequently are not "flushed out" before they are released which sometimes breaks basic features temporarily.

I am using Rational Plan as a MS Project substitute and have greatly benefitted by all its features. It helped me manage the tasks better.

Pros

It is web-based and has better compatibility among different OS, it has similarbut better features than MS Project which include task and Gantt Chart features that the executives work with want to see. It integrates with Outlook, so tasks can be emailed to responsible staff. The export to PDF is great for sharing a snapshot of all the tasks in the entire project along with the Gantt Chart.

Cons

while exporting to Excel,it loses the formatting. There's no way to set up emails on tasks that are late. The main way to track tasks is by manually entering the percentage of work completed.

Pros

This is a great alternative to microsoft project but can still make files that are compatible with microsoft project.

This is a full featured easy to use Project Management software that helps create a WBS and assign/track resources.

Pros

Rational Plan software is Great! It has Portfolio Management, Dashboard, WBS, Gantt View, and much much more. It has a downloadable Desktop view that syncs with the cloud version. It is very easy to set up and get started. The resource section is is very helpful for assigning tasks and managing projects. I also like the budget/cost features. I also love the controlling feature and work tracking features. I think this software is excellent

Cons

One think I would like to see is the option to use a graphic (Mind Map) view of the WBS. The other item I would like to see is a section for Risk Management.

I was able to provide it to many people in the organization for a reasonable price, with the assurance of knowing that it incorporates good, solid project management principles.

Pros

It most closely resembles the functionality in MS Project for a fraction of the price. It was obviously created by someone who understands project management, as evidenced by the list of steps on the left side. It supports dependencies, durations, and resource allocations that work together to come up with a completion date.

Cons

Online help documentation is practically non-existent, and the only apparent support is through email.

Rational Plan is a powerful tool for project management, with many features like Gantt Chart, resources allocation, priorities e risks. Complete!

Pros

Many features

I think this is the best project management software for the Mac at an affordable price. It is easy to use with most of the features found in the Microsoft project management softwareI am still wishing for a PERT Chart

Pros

I use this software to help me develop proposals.

Cons

Only thing I miss is the PERT Chart

Rationalplan I found very useful to track medium sized projects, e.g. when you set up a new production plant and plan for the scheduling of validations and training of people. Easy to align with other project managers and teams e.g. to transfer products from development into production. Interchangeable with other project software you find in different companies. Easy to track different speeds of teamwork. Great software and excellent value for money!

Pros

Graphical overview, easy to learn.

My main use for a project planner is to manage dates, and resources somewhat. RationalPlan allows me to do this, and it also allows me to track changes and decisions over the course of the project. It's easy to use and provides the features I need the most. It's not complete, and there are a few features I would like to have (text import, cell highlighting), but overall it does the job and does it well.

Pros

Easy to use
Provides the features I need
Imports Excel Project files

Cons

Cell background highlighting (instead of font only) would be a nice addition

I use it to setup a first plan for my projects. So I don't use its full potential, but it has all it takes for me.

Pros

works on mac

Cons

I think that MS Project is more powerful

Excellent support to answer questions and guide startup. Would like some better flexabilty/Options for Gantt timescale date format.

RationalPlan is so intuitive that I have never had need for customer support since purchase. More effort needs to be put into advertising this software so that more people become aware that they have an alternative to the more well-known software packages which may be too expensive for an individual user. Functionallity is superb.

Pros

Ability to read some common files generated by other common project planning software

As a sole-trader consultant I have been searching for an app that enables me to plan and manage projects that sometimes involve other consultants but sometimes just involve me and a whole load of people who are research subjects. After being led close to suicide by some other PM software (too complex, too "techie", only suitable for people who have nothing else in their lives!) I tried the add-on version of Rational Plan for Google docs and was impressed. So I bought the standalone Multi-Plan version. It worked very well for those projects where there was a good expectation of the steps laid out at the outset actually being the ones that were followed when the project started! The support from the team was excellent and my overall experience was good and I would recommend it to people who are actually running "manageable" projects. Having used it I realised that much of my work does not really fall into this category and, in much of what I am doing , the steps only emerge from the previous steps. In this case, the program is not very useful but I think that would be the case with any PM software I used. My dream is to have a single screen dashboard for all the components of Outlook so that I can see at a glance for a single project who is involved in it and in what capacity, that tasks that they have to do and the timescale, the e-mails associated with the project and the calendar entries for upcoming actions. It is really a cross between PM and CRM. Rational Plan comes close to the PM side of it.

Rational plan has helped to transform the way that we run our manufacturing operation. Our facility has a real mix of make to order and long term forecast demands being placed on equipment. There are several additional and variable constraints that make capacity planning software consistently fail. To overcome any lack of visibility from failing to plan we have found no greater tool than the simple flexibility, and ease of use that comes with Rational Plan.

Pros

Ease of use

Cons

The ability to lose information when closing down

Advice to Others

The flexibility means that if the solution isn't immediately clear, stick with it. The solution's there.

I moved from Microsoft MS Project to Rational Plan because I migrated to MacBook Pro and it was easy to install under OS. I found the Rational Plan very similar to MS Project and very friendly to sue.

Kind regards

José

We have not gotten to the point yet where we are utilizing the resource management tools, but given that we are typically managing 3 - 4 projects at any given time this is definitely the goal. What would be most beneficial at this time is to have some way of entering and accumulating data. Currently I have to set-up project spreadsheets with all of my cost codes down the left margin and dates across the top so that I can enter time sheets and accumulate hours for each job cost code for all projects. With the accumulated sub-totals I can then update my Gantt charts on Rational plan from time to time. It would be great if I could enter this time sheet data directly into Rational Plan instead of having to create and update these summarizing spread sheets.

Pros

1. Inexpensive
2. Relatively easy to learn
3. Good customer support

Cons

1. cannot enter raw data; has no way of accumulating time in a given cost code
2. some of the options are confusing (e.g. "always keep assignment units as set" and "try to keep the work when changing resources"...what do these mean???

Advice to Others

Would be nice if I could export to a spreadsheet so that I could send to customers for review. Currently all I can send is PDF files and sometimes it is hard for them to read

I have used Rationalplan for a few years now and been extremely happy with it. It covers all my project management needs.

Pros

Ease of use. Quick to figure out.

It was easy to use and provided the best results. Professor did help but everything seemed easy after this software was started to used in the class.

In general it works pretty well.
It would be much better for me if the resource management / leverage would be easier and more graphical and able to be balanced between several projects. For instance, being much simplier, GanttProject has much better landscape view: http://ganttproject.biz/about
For Compatibility with MS project I would really like to have the same estimation variables: work, resource units and duration and with same default approach.

Have used Rational Plan now for 3 years, and found it an invaluable tool to assist the business, both with accounting and invoicing

Pros

Ease of use

Cons

Not built exactly for construction industry