User Guide

ValleySpeak Project Server 3.4 - User Guide

Introduction

Project management can be defined as an approach used to manage work with the constraints of time, cost and performance targets. Where as a project manager is a facilitator, working with management to ensure resources and support required as well as dealing with team issues that are negatively impacting a team’s productivity. The actions of a project manager should be almost unnoticeable and when a project is moving along smoothly people are sometimes tempted to question the need for a project manager. The project manager is the one who is responsible for making decisions in such a way that risk is controlled and uncertainty minimized. Every decision made by the project manager should ideally be directly benefit the project.

ValleySpeak Project Server is a web based enterprise project management tool for Small and Medium Businesses which allows them to publish, control and execute projects in real time, while continuing to use Microsoft Project. Project managers access ValleySpeak Project Server using Microsoft Project while team members can use any browser to view and update their project schedule in real time.

The purpose of this document is to help readers easily understand how to use ValleySpeak Project Server. By reading the various chapters where the steps and other details are explained, the reader can get a complete idea of using ValleySpeak Project Server according to their needs.
The scope of this document includes all the categories of users supported by ValleySpeak Project Server which are Administrator, Project Managers, Team Members, Executives and Web Users.

Applications
ValleySpeak Project Server is a suite of applications all designed to create a central Project Management Office (PMO) environment. Designed to be a portfolio management solution.

Dashboard
The Dashboard application is designed to provide a summary view of the users portfolio. It allows him to see at a single glance all the parameters associated with all projects in his portfolio.

Project Management
The Project Management application is used to see details of all projects within a portfolio. The user can drill inside a project and see individual tasks as well as control project settings.

Resource Management
The Resource Management application is designed to provide resource information in a project. The objective of resource management is to create the most efficient schedule possible that minimizes the project duration and maximizes the utilization of limited resources available. The user can come to know about the work load on a resource in a project.

Task Management
The Tasks Management application is designed to provide a simple way for a user to add, assign and keep track of the task progress in a project. It also helps in determining the assignments for a resource in a project. This application helps you to estimate the completion time of a project by analysing the durations of all tasks with in a project.

Calendar Management
The Calendar Management application is used to view the meetings scheduled on a particular day. The user can schedule a normal or a recurrence meeting inviting the users involved in the project. This application also help user to view and update tasks assigned to him.

Timesheet Management
The Timesheet Management application is designed such that the user can create a timesheet for a week which includes the tasks details which the user owns and the reviewer of those tasks. This application provides an easy way for an user to assign reviewers for tasks in a project. An approve and disapprove options are provided for a reviewer to review the work details of tasks included in a timesheet.

Issue Tracking
The Issues Tracking application helps an user to report and track the issues in a project and helps user to identify bottlenecks and evaluate the progress of the project. The user can assign, resolve, close and delete issues in project. The application help user to assign the priority for each reported issue which indicates the importance of handling of that issue.

Risk Management
The Risks application helps user to record identified risks in a project. This application help user to report, assign, resolve, close and delete risks. The application provides an easy way to identify dependencies among issues, risks and tasks. It also help user keep track about the steps taken to resolve the risk.

Discussion Forums
The Forums application helps user to communicate with other members about project related information. The user can establish communication by posting messages. The application provides an approve and disapprove mechanism for the messages posted in a project which helps to keep track of messages which are of interest.

Document Management
The Document Management application helps user to upload documents to document library. The documents uploaded can be related to projects or risks. The application provides different access level for an uploaded document in a project. User can download and modify the document as well as he can upload the modified document to document library.

Project Reporting
The Reports application helps user to keep track of the progress of the project and to raise any items for their attention. The application provides 11 canned reports based on which the user can generate the reports to know the summary about the progress of a project. The user can view reports in HTML format as well as in PDF.

Preferences
The Preferences application helps user to change the settings and the way information is displayed in one other applications. This makes user convenient to use the web user interface according to his/her requirement. The user can control the display of information in each application by making changes in the settings provided for different application. The application also helps user to set the timezone and the zero hour etc.

Server Administration
The Admin application helps user to add and view users, configure server settings. The user can configure the network, Email and License settings. The application provides an easy way to restore the back up taken.

Tabs, Action And Filters
The web user interface of the ValleySpeak Project Server has been provided with a series of tabs, each of which has different functionality and action . Filters have also been provided under all tabs which help user to choose particular row of interest. They are categorized as tabulated below.