| Financial analysis: |  |
| Environmental impact analysis: | --- |
| Waste management/P2: | |
| Environmental cost listing/database: | --- |
| Cost estimation: | --- |
| Alternative product/process comparison: | --- |
| Financial analysis: | |
| Environmental impact analysis: | --- |
| Waste management/P2: | |
| Environmental cost listing/database: | --- |
| Cost estimation: | --- |
| Alternative product/process comparison: | --- |
| Cost control | |
| Resource control | |
| Estimating control | --- |
| Schedule control | |
| Scope control | --- |
| Risk control | |
The system is offered in two forms: the Windows-based Open Plan Professional and the FoxPro-based Open Plan. Open Plan and Open Plan Pro provide advanced functions for project management, mainly scheduling (many more features than Texim). The two share many features and Open Plan Pro has some added features such as the Project Management Director and additional customization features. Open Plan may also have certain features that are not present in Open Plan Pro such as ADM networking and the ability to support compound activities. Features of Open Plan Pro include the following:
What-if and cross-project analysis allow users to investigate multiple project scenarios. Data organization is made easier through drag and drop features. Open Plan Pro incorporates risk analysis based on Monte Carlo simulation, thus helping users evaluate uncertainties based on cost and schedule. Views and reports include X/Y charts, histograms, bar charts, networks, breakdown structures, and outlines.
| Raw material acquisition | --- |
| Manufacturing stage | |
| Use/reuse/maintenance | --- |
| Recycle/waste management | --- |
Open Plan is not designed to consider more than one life-cycle stage, which is typically the manufacturing stage of the life cycle. Like most scheduling products, the primary area of interest is within the confines of the project start and finish points. However, even this can include the waste management and the use/reuse/maintenance stages, depending upon the time-scale of the project and users' perspective.
| Conventional | |
| Potentially hidden | --- |
| Contingent | --- |
| External | --- |
The system has been designed to consider only conventional costs. However, the flexibility in defining WBS structures and activities allows most users to feed in comprehensive cost data if required. Additional cost categories and other such customization cannot be accomplished through menu commands, but can be incorporated through the database.
The system is not designed for cost estimation. However, cost estimates/forecasts can be created in Open Plan and Open Plan Pro.
| Net present value (NPV) | --- |
| Payback period | --- |
| Internal rate of return (IRR) | --- |
| Benefits cost ratio | --- |
| Other | --- |
The Project Management Director, a module in Open Plan Professional, can perform cost-benefit analyses and provide summary cost estimates. No other financial indicators are generated.
Open Plan Pro has a Windows interface with interactive views and graphical data entry. It features a context-specific help function (customizable in Open Plan). The system can support electronic mail (MS Mail and Lotus cc:Mail),which can assist in data exchange and updating. The products can be used in a multi-user environment with simultaneous updating and file and record-locking capabilities. Open Plan supports multiple projects with up to 20 WBS levels per project. Open Plan Pro and Open Plan (for DOS) can export and import data from Primavera, ASCII text files, and MS Project. Open Plan can also exchange data in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Standard Data Exchange Format. This capability does not currently exist in Open Plan Pro.
Open Plan Pro includes sample projects (e.g., an environmental project) that can guide users and give examples of the types of fields and data to be entered. Open Plan Professional has default templates that detail generally accepted project management practices and help users forecast; track; and control project scope, time, cost, human resources, communications, quality, risk, and contract/procurement management. These templates can be used as is or customized to meet specific project requirements. Open Plan Pro includes features for customizing reports. Both Open Plan Pro and Open Plan can be customized, although in different ways. Users cannot make custom changes through a menu item. They would need to do that through the relational database or through external languages (such as Visual Basic).
Open Plan Pro includes a computer-based training facility that helps reduce training costs for new users. WST offers training, consulting, and technical support to assist users in implementing their projects. They provide demonstration software, press reviews, and references upon request. Maintenance support is provided free of cost for the first year with the option for annual renewal at a cost of 20% of the (current) retail price thereafter. The support includes technical support, enhancements, and updates and access to the bulletin board where users can exchange information. Slide-show demo disks are available for Open Plan Pro.
Open Plan does not provide users with information about including all cost categories. Not unlike other software systems, it is designed to consider only one life-cycle stage. Customization is not as straightforward in Open Plan. However, users can integrate this system with another WST product Cobra(profiled elsewhere in the report), which can afford much greater flexibility in defining costs and cost management.
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