The document discusses selecting and implementing project management software for XX organization. It reviews 15 web-based software options through online demos and Microsoft solutions. The top solutions identified are: 1. ZilicusPM - A web-based option that works well with current internet speeds and has excellent functionality at $15/user/month. 2. MavenLink - Another web-based option for $5-25/user/month that works well currently and has good functionality and support. 3. Project Insight - A Microsoft partner option at $5,500/year for 20 users that has good integration and functionality. The document recommends starting with a simple, web-based solution with mobile

1. Selection and Deployment of
Project Management Software
By
Mohammad Ashraf Khan
On March 2014

2. Objective
To select and implement a software which will help in
automating the work at XX org and result in higher
productivity of the organization

3. The Challenge
• The availability of too many software to choose from
• Lack of local representatives for the software companies
• The time and weekend difference between Afghanistan and
the software provider companies
• Lack of clear requirements on behalf of XX Org
• Unrealistic expectations of the employees from the
software

4. The progress
• Review of templates used by the project management unit
• General understanding of employees’ expectation from the
software, including M&E and, finance, and Communication
departments
• Review and trial use of more than 15 web-based project
management software
• Participating in 5 online demo sessions
• Review of various solutions provided by Microsoft

5. The Solutions available
The solutions available can be broadly grouped into four categories
1. Web-Based Solutions
2. Stand alone or desktop software
3. Intranet based solutions
4. Stand alone + web-based

6. The Solutions available: Web-based
1. Price: Based on functionalities the software can cost from 5 $/user/month to 30
$/user/month
2. Total average price: 12x15x20= 3600 USD per year
3. Common functionalities: Planning, tracking, collaboration, report generation
4. Pros 1: Simple to use and no IT infrastructure to setup
5. Pros 2: No need for heavy initial investment, No maintenance costs
6. Cons 1: Needs dedicated internet

7. The Solutions available:
Stand alone or Desktop
1. Price: Based on functionalities the a software can cost from 400 USD to 1200 USD per
license
2. Common Functionalities: planning, report generation, tracking
3. Total price minimum: 400x15 = 6000 USD one time
4. Pros: One time investment, no need for extra IT equipment or skills
5. Cons: No collaboration or and little ability to track project by higher management
Suggestion: Can be a solution. Can be a good first step. Will greatly help in planning and
reporting, and to some part tracking the project. But no collaboration available without
Sharepoint or Project Server

8. The Solutions available:
Intranet Based Solutions
1. Price: Can cost between 5,000 USD to 30,000 USD for
2. Functionalities: project management functionalities plus collaboration
3. Pros 1: No need for high speed internet
4. Cons 1: Heavy initial investment
5. Cons 2: Need for constant maintenance and IT skills
Suggestions 1: Can be a solution.
Suggestion 2: there is one particular company which is ready to install its software through intranet but
charge base on per user per month. Can be a good start.
Suggestion 3: We may start with stand alone MS project and migrate to Intranet based later on.

9. The Solutions available:
Stand Alone + Web-Based
1. Price: Can cost between 25 USD/User/month to 60/user/month based on functionalities
2. Functionalities: Planning, reporting, tracking, and less or more collaboration
3. Pros 1: No need for high speed internet
4. Pros 2: No heavy initial investment
5. Pros 3: No need for maintenance and IT skills
6. Cons 1: Higher functionalities are expensive
7. Cons 2: Only option is Microsoft
8. Cons 3: The online version must be heavy for our current internet speed
9. Cons 4: Hard to get full information because the solution is currently sold for Afghanistan
Suggestions 1: Can be the ideal solution provided we get full information

10. 1. Potential Software: Open ERP
Software Name: OpenERP
Type: Locally hosted (Intranet based)
Cost: 35,000 to 45,000 USD one time investment
1. Pros 1: local company is ready to install the software
2. Pros 2: locally used
3. Cons 1: Fundamentally not a project management software
4. Cons 2: has less functionalities than other available software
5. Cons 3: heavy investment
Suggestion: Can be an option

11. 2. Possible Software: MS Project
Type: Locally hosted or can be desktop + web-based
Cost web-based: 25 USD/User to 60 USD/user
Cost Locally hosted: 15,000 to 25,000 USD
1. Pros 1: Various versions to choose from
2. Pros 2: Less risk for web based version
3. Pros 3: Can be web-based and desktop based
4. Pros 4: Good functionalities
5. Cons 1: High functionalities can be expensive
6. Cons 2: The collaboration features may need us to be online 100% of time
Suggestion: The Desktop + Web-based version can be the ideal option. But we still do not
exactly know how it works.
Part No Description Unit Price QTY Total Price
H22-
02491
PrjctSvr 2013 OLP NL Gov $
4,391.2
8 1 $ 4,391.28
H21-
03356
PrjctSvrCAL 2013 OLP NL Gov
UsrCAL
$
150.
34 25 $ 3,758.40
76P-
01511
SharePointSvr 2013 OLP NL
Gov
$
5,269.5
4 1 $ 5,269.54
76M-
01538
SharePointStdCAL 2013 OLP
NL Gov UsrCAL
$
83.
95 25 $ 2,098.80
76N-
03627
SharePointEntCAL 2013 OLP
NL Gov UsrCAL
$
73.
87 25 $ 1,846.80
Total $ 17,364.82

12. 3. Potential Software: ComindWork
Type: Locally hosted or Web-based
Cost web-based: 16 USD/User
Cost Locally hosted: 5000 USD
1. Pros 1: light software
2. Pros 2: The In-house version is not that expensive, hence less risk involved
3. Pros 3: Good functionalities
4. Cons 1: Too much collaboration.
Suggestion: The locally hosted version costing only 5000 USD can be a choice.

13. 4. Potential Software: Project Insight
Type: Web-Based
Cost: 5,500/year for 20 users
1. Pros 1: Reliable, as it is Microsoft partner
2. Pros 2: Good integration with MS office
3. Pros 3. Having a special application which enables synchronization between the software
and MS Word, and Excel.
4. Pros 4: Complete functionalities
5. Pros 5: Can be accessed through Smartphones
6. Cons 1: Not the lightest of the software but can easily be operated with current
internet speed
Suggestion: A leading candidate

14. 5. Potential Software: MavenLink
Type: Web-based
Cost web-based: 5$/user/month Or 25$/user/month
1. Pros 1: light software
2. Pros 2: Works perfectly fine with the current internet speed
3. Pros 3: Good functionalities
4. Pros 4: The least risk involved when it comes to deployment, change, and price
5. Pros 5: The second fast of the available software
6. Pros 6: Great Customer support
7. Pros 7: Having Mobile app for iOS and Android
8. Cons 1: No risk and issue tracking features
Suggestion 1: Since it works fine with the current internet speed it can be an option.

15. 6. Potential Software: ZilicusPm
Type: Web-based
Cost web-based: 15/user/month
1. Pros 1: light software
2. Pros 2: Works fine with the current internet speed
3. Pros 3: Excellent functionalities
4. Pros 4: The least risk involved when it comes to deployment, change, and price
5. Pros 5: The fastest of all the software
6. Cons 1: No mobile apps yet. But will be in two months
Suggestion 1: Since it works fine with the current internet speed it can be the best option.

16. Productivity VS Cost
1. OpenERP
• Productivity increase 20%
• Cost 25,000 one time
• Info confidence 70%
7. Microsoft
A. MS project
• Productivity by 15%
• Cost 10,000 one time
• Info confidence 90%
B. Project Server
• Productivity by 30%
• Cost 20,000 one time
• Info confidence 80%
C. Project online + Desktop
• Productivity by 25%
• Cost: 3250/year
• Confidence 70%
6. Mavenlink
• Productivity increase 20%
• Cost 5/user/month
• Info confidence 90%
2. TenRox
• Productivity increase 30%
• Cost 25,000 one time
• Info confidence 75%
4. Project Insight
• Productivity increase 30%
• Cost: 5,500/year
• Info confidence 80%
5. Comindwork
• Productivity increase 25%
• Cost 5000 one time
• Info confidence 80%
3. Zilicuspm
• Productivity increase 30%
• Cost 15/user/month
• Info confidence 90%

17. Notes
1. Coming up with the best solution is almost impossible as there are almost no local users of these
software
2. Making heavy initial investment can be too risky
3. It is very likely that after installing a In-house solution, there will be a need for an extra IT employee.
Therefore, a possibility can be an increase the internet speed and going for online version of the
software
4. Or go ahead with some of the web-based software that are working fine with the current internet
speed and encourage the staff to use Mobile versions of the software when internet is down
5. We may not need most of the functionalities offered by these software, so better to start with
something simple.
6. I recommend ZilicusPM, MavenLink, and ProjecInsight
7. We should not worry much about migrating from one Project Managmeent Software to another. As
moving from one software to another is just like moving from Office 2007 to Office 2013

18. Coming steps
1. After getting feedback from the management I will study two or three
software in details
2. After the software is finalized, the templates and working procedures will be
reviewed
3. Deployment of the software
4. The templates will be tweaked to facilitate better integration with the
software
5. A training will be developed and delivered
6. On job training for at least two weeks