Method123

Q: I want to be able to use the MPMM software within my organization. However as we are a French company we need to be able to use it with the French language. We also have a department in Spain who are interested in using it in Spanish. Would you consider translating the software into these languages? A: Yes we currently plan to translate the MPMM project management methodology into both French and Spanish within the next 12 months. As there are more than 1000 content pages, project management templates, forms, business case studies and practical examples to translate – it is a big job. However as our goal is to become the leading project management methodology used within every country in the world, then we need to translate the project management software and methodology into each language. The MPMM Support Team

Managing Your Project Management Life Cycle Every Project Manager has heard of it - but who actually has one? A Project Management Life Cycle that is. Whether you’re a manager, consultant, trainer, team member or student, you will know that you need a sound methodology for implementing projects. But: What is a Project Management Life Cycle? And how does it help you manage projects? Also how do you select and implement one? We’ll answer each of these questions and more, by describing the: 5 steps to Implementing your Project Management Life Cycle A Project Management Life Cycle is defined by MPMM as a “set of processes, tools and systems that a Project Manager uses to deliver projects”. A project Life Cycle: Sets out the entire Work Breakdown Structure for the project. Tells your team which phases, activities and tasks are required to complete the project successfully. Sets out how to complete each project activity by describing who should complete it, how and by when. Inc

Q: These project management tools are very good and helpful. I am in South Africa. Do you have dealers on this side of the world? A: Thank you for your positive feedback about MPMM, it is nice to know that you are getting real value from it. We recently released our Certified Reseller Program online, enabling project management consultants and project management trainers primarily to join up to become a reseller of MPMM to their clients. In becoming a reseller, they can create their own online project management methodologies and distribute them to their clients (for a fee of course). We currently have a dozen resellers in South Africa, although they are typically small consultancies who are focusing on reselling MPMM to their existing clients. You would certainly benefit from joining the reseller program if you have clients that might be interested in improving their project management processes in-house. The MPMM Support Team

Q: I downloaded the MPMM free project management trial software and I might be interested in buying the Professional version but I would like to know if in the real version I can generate the templates I need in a Word document format. Can you please help me? A: Yes after you purchase the MPMM project management software you will be able to export all of the project management templates, forms and checklists into Microsoft Word and Excel for use on your projects. You can also create new project management templates using Microsoft Word and Excel, and import them back into MPMM to create a single store of project management templates for projects. In this way, you can create and use all of your project management templates from a single location. You can also link your templates to the project management methodology processes already included in MPMM, as well as create customized project management methodologies if you wish. The MPMM Support Team

Q: I downloaded MPMM and had 10 days for which to trial the project management software . I now need more time. Is it possible to extend my trial? A: At the moment you have 10 days within which to download, install and use the MPMM project management tools software before the trial period expires. We believe that 10 days is sufficient to be able to gain a preview of the software and identify the benefits that it brings and therefore to be able to make your purchase decision. When we first released the MPMM project management software it had a free trial period of just 5 days, but we have since extended it to 10 days for the Standard edition and 14 days for the project management Professional edition. The MPMM Support Team

Q: I am a lecturer at a major university in the USA and I want to use the MPMM Professional edition for my course, to teach students best practice project management life cycle principles. Can you please tell me if there are currently discounts available for university lecturers when purchasing the MPMM professional project management software edition? A: Currently the only edition that offers project management processes and methodology content specifically for university lecturers and students is the educational edition. The reason for this is that it is difficult to confirm a customer is a valid lecturer, especially in countries such as Europe and Asia as they do not usually have a single recognized certification id or registry. In saying that, we are looking at ways of allowing lecturers in the USA initially, to purchase licenses to the project management professional edition as part of our Education Partner Program which will start later this year. The MPMM Support Team

Q: I would like to be able to go into the MPMM project management software and create layouts for all of the templates in there. For instance, I would like to create a new project template layout including my own font and heading styles as well as my own page titles and company logos. I would then like to be able to apply these styles to any selected templates that I choose. This way, as a project management consultant, I can apply certain template styles to certain clients. I can then spend my time focusing on filling in the project management templates , as opposed to creating them and organizing their layout. Is this possible? A: Until the release of Windows Vista and Office 2007, these types of feature requests were almost impossible. However with the release of these new technologies, it is now possible to do what you have asked for. The only consideration is that most of the MPMM project management users are still using Windows XP and Office 2000 (or prior) so we will ne

Improving Project Processes using Project Management Templates If you want to deliver a project successfully, then it’s critical that you implement standard processes for managing your staff, customers, suppliers, time, money and resources. But it’s not easy - which is why we’ve described here how you should improve your management processes to increase your chances of achieving project success. So read on, to find out... How to Improve your Project Processes Everybody talks about them, but what are they? A Project Management Process is defined by MPMM as “the methods undertaken to complete a project”. Put simply, they are the set of activities that a project manager completes to initiate, plan, execute and close projects. MPMM also include's Project Management Templates. Of course, most Project Managers use their own processes to manage a project - but these processes need to be continually refined, to ensure that every project is delivered on time and within budget. So to get the

Document management features are the latest project management features to be created within the MPMM project manager software suite. We are looking to create more ways for you to fill in your project management templates within the product set, so that you don’t have to create multiple copies of your project management templates on your PC. We are also looking at ways of enabling you to more easily manage your store of project management templates , so that you have one source of project documentation and that source is MPMM. In this way, you will be able to import your existing project templates, customize them within MPMM, check them in and out, rename and delete them, edit them and change their layout – all within the MPMM project management methodology software suite. The MPMM Support Team

Q: I recently purchased the MPMM Professional edition, I then downloaded it from your website and installed it successfully. I then downloaded it again and installed it at home, but when I went to activate it, I had activation problems. It kept asking me to activate the software or to buy another license. A: When you download the MPMM project management software , you are required to install and activate it to gain continued use. The reason for requiring activation is that our licensing database needs to know when you have installed it so that it can legally manage the number of licenses you have purchased. In this case, you have purchased a single user license for work. You have installed the project management software there successfully. You have then tried to activate a second copy at home. It has disallowed the activation as you are trying to use two licenses for the project management templates when you have only purchased one. In order to activate it successfully at hom

Q: I have had problems downloading your project management software from your website. Can you please tell me how I can download the software more easily? A: There are a number of possible reasons why you may experience problems in downloading the free project management tools trial from our website. The most common reason is that you are downloading it from work and your corporate firewall will not let you download application software to your internal computer network. To get around this problem we have made two versions of the trial software available: an EXE version and a ZIP version. If your firewall prevents you from downloading the EXE version of the project software, then try downloading the ZIP file version which is made available to you on the trial download page. If neither of these options work, then try downloading the free project management software trial from your home PC. This usually works fine. If you have any further problems, then please email us at support

Q: I would like to run MPMM on our corporate server for shared user access. I understand that MPMM is currently a stand-alone product, but we would like to create and use a shared methodology for projects. When is this coming and how can we share project management methodologies currently? A: Yes this project management software is currently deployed to the PC as opposed to the server. If you currently wish to create and share project management methodologies, then it is easily done by creating a new project methodology in any Professional edition and exporting that methodology and emailing it to your peers. They can then import the project management methodology that you have sent them. The methodology exporting and importing process only takes a few minutes and you can share project management methodologies with as many MPMM licensed users as you wish. To help you share project management methodologies from a single license install, we are creating a shared version that can

Q: I understand that Method123 and MPMM are related. Can you please tell me more about the company and how the products were formed, as well as how they relate. A: Method123 Ltd was formed in the year 2000 by Jason Westland, the current CEO. It was the first company to release professional project management templates on the internet. As such, it received enormous growth in its first few years, quickly becoming the primary site on the internet for project management tools and templates. Then in 2006, Method123 released it’s project management methodology product “MPMM”. MPMM stands for the Method123 Project Management Methodology. MPMM includes all of the templates on Method123.com as well as an entire methodology for projects. It was wrapped in project management software to allow project managers to create their own intellectual property and to protect it from proliferation. MPMM is now recognized as the leading project management methodology worldwide, as it is fully ali

Project Management Template for a Project Plan As a Project Manager, you’ll know that the most important item in your tool-box is your Project Plan. It tells you what the current status of your project is, whether you’re on track and what your forecast delivery date is. So to help you to keep your plan up-to-date, we’ve described the steps you need to take to complete this project activity more efficiently. How to keep your Project Plan Up-To-Date... Whether you’re managing small, medium or large scale projects, you need to keep your project management plan up-to-date on a regular basis. Most Project Managers update their Project Plan on a weekly basis using a project management template to ensure that they will produce the required deliverables, within the agreed schedule. However the process of entering all of the required information into the project plan and having it ready for review on a weekly basis, is not an easy one! But if you take these simple steps listed below, then you

Upgrading from the Project Management Process Kit Q: I have already bought the project management process kit from your other website www.method123.com and I would like to upgrade to MPMM. Can you please tell me what the differences are between the Method123 Project Management Process Template kit and the MPMM Project Management Process software? A: The Method123 Project Management Kit includes all of the templates that you need to complete a project from start to finish. The templates are incredibly detailed and they explain how to complete each of the steps required to fill them in. However they don’t tell you when to use the templates, who should complete them and in what order. That is what MPMM does. As a project management process, it tells you what steps you need to take to complete a project, which templates to use and when and who should complete them. It also gives you a complete Project Management Process for completing projects by explaining all of the phas

How to Upgrade to a Multi-User Project Management Methodology License Q: I have a team of ten people and I would like them to be using the MPMM Project Management Methodology software. Can you please tell me how I can upgrade my project management software from a single-user install to a multi-user install so that we can create and share project methodologies within our team? A: You may upgrade from a single-user license to a multi-user license at any time. To upgrade your project management tools , first purchase your multi-user license by emailing us at support@method123.com . We will be in touch to help you process your multi-user license purchase. As part of the process, we will collect your payment details and send you a product license for the number of user installations that you have purchased. You can then download MPMM free project management methodology trial editions from our website to each of your PCs in your project team. Install MPMM on each PC, enter the te

Difference Between Project Management Life Cycle Editions Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between the MPMM project management life cycle Standard and Professional editions? I need to buy a license for my professional consulting organization and I would like to know which project tool is most suitable for my needs. A: If you would like to see the full difference between the Professional and Standard editions, then you can visit this page . To help you out, we have summarized the differences between the two project management life cycle editions here. The code difference between the two project management life cycle products is that the Professional edition comes with the Methodology Manager, whereas the Standard edition does not. The Methodology Manager allows you to create, customize and import your own project management life cycle for your projects. There are other differences between the two editions. For instance, the professional edition comes with th

Other Project Management Methodologies Payment Types Q: I would like to know if it is possible to buy your project management methodologies without having to use my credit card. Although I know that it is probably secure, I would like to make a direct bank transfer if that is possible. A: Yes there are a variety of methods that you can use to buy the MPMM project management methodologies. If you click on the “Buy” button you will be taken to the shopping cart page. On this page you have a number of payment options, including payment by western union and direct debit. The advantage of paying by credit card over other payment methods is that you will be able to download your project management software serial number immediately after purchasing. If you use another payment method, then we will need to wait until we receive confirmed payment from you before sending you the permanent software license keys. Also try these Project Management Tools . The MPMM Support Team

Getting Multi-User Project Management Process License Credits Q: We have purchased one license to use the MPMM project management process product. We are considering buying a multi-user license so that the entire team can use this valuable project management process. However I want to know, if we buy a multi-user license will we get a credit for the license that we have already purchased? A: Yes. If you upgrade from a single license for MPMM to a multi-user license, then we may give you a credit on your first purchase. If you send us a formal request by email, we will review your case and consider giving you a 100% credit on your single user license purchase. Whether we issue the credit or not depends on the number of licenses you have purchased already and the number that you are going to upgrade to. For instance, if you were to upgrade from a single user to a ten user license, then we would consider the request favourable. However if you wanted to upgrade from a three user

Project Closure Report and Project Management Templates It may look easy as a Project Manager, but there’s more to closing a project than meets the eye. There’s a lot to do, and way in which it’s done will influence the outcome of your project. So getting it done right and following the right set of Project Management Templates is critical to success. To ensure that your project is closed effectively, you need to use a Project Closure Report from our set of Project Management Templates . This report enables you to tell your Project Sponsor how and when you want to close your project, allowing them to approve the actions needed to close your project efficiently. To help you do this, we’ve described here: How to create a Project Closure Report The Project Closure Report allows you to document the reasons for closing the project, as well as the steps you intend to take to do it properly. There is a lot of ground to cover—so we’ve set out here each of the sections you need to include wit

Expiry of the Project Management Methodology Trial Edition Q: I have downloaded the free project management methodology trial of MPMM and I noticed that I am able to access all of the content within this valuable product. This makes me wonder – will the project management methodology lock after the expiration of the trial period? Otherwise, can I keep using it indefinitely? A: This project management methodology has been provided to you for a free period of 14 days to allow you to review the product and make your purchase decision. After the expiration of the free project management methodology trial period you will no longer be able to access the content included within MPMM. Some users have tried to roll the clock back to continue use but the software cleverly identifies when this occurs and notifies you that you are not able to use it. If we were to provide an indefinite trial period then you would receive the product for free and we would be out of business. So to enable u

Exporting Project Management Life Cycle Q: I am about to move MPMM between PCs. As I am using the project management Professional edition, I have created my own project management life cycle within MPMM. I understand that to move MPMM between PCs I need to un-install it on my current PC and re-install it on my new PC. But how do I move the customized project management life cycle data between PCs? A: Good question. Just before you uninstall MPMM from your current PC, you need to export it so that the customized project management life cycle data you have created is saved separate to your installation. Then after uninstalling MPMM from your current PC and reinstalling it on your new PC, you can simply email the customized project management life cycle data file that you had saved to your new PC. Then jump onto your new PC and import the data file into your professional edition installation. It is that easy. You can also use this same process to send any licensed user your cus

Moving MPMM Project Management Methodologies Between PCs Q: I am about to change roles within my company. I am moving from being a project management life cycle team member to a project manager . As I am currently an MPMM user, how can I move my licensed software from one PC to another? A: If you would like to move MPMM from one PC to another, then simply complete the steps that you would usually take to move other project management methodologies between PCs. Start by uninstalling the software on your current PC. Then download the latest free project management methodologies trial edition from our website and install it on your new PC. As part of the installation process, you will be asked to enter your licensing details. Enter your project management methodologies license that you were emailed when you originally purchased the software. Then proceed with the online activation process. By installing clean versions of the MPMM project management methodologies on your new

How to View Project Management Process in Trial Mode Q: I downloaded your product for a “free trial”.  After opening it, I tried to access the project management process templates included in your product but it appeared that only a few templates could be viewed.  Is that correct?  How can I view all of the project management templates included in order to make my purchasing decision? A: You can view all of the project management process templates within the free trial by selecting the templates tab.  From there you will notice a panel on the left hand side which lists all of the project management process templates included within the MPMM project management software .  You can then export three of the templates into Word and Excel.  If users were able to export all of the templates as part of the free project management trial, then they would not need to purchase the product.  By being able to view all of the project management process templates, and being able to export three of

Project Management Methodology Support for Vista Did you know that we have released a new version of the MPMM project management methodology on 1 March 2007, which was targeted specifically at supporting the Windows Vista platform? Each of the Professional, Standard and Educational editions were updated to be compatible with the Windows Vista platform as well as Office 2007. If you have just upgraded to Windows Vista from Windows XP or you are considering doing so in the near future, then please read our FAQs under the Support button on our website. In this section, you will learn how to upgrade you MPMM to the Vista platform by backing up your customized project management methodology data first, then upgrading to Vista, reinstalling MPMM and importing your customized project management tools back into the project management software tool set. If you have any questions, then please email us at support@mpmm.com. The MPMM Support Team

Creating a Financial Plan with Project Management Tools Within this article, we will help you as a Project Manager to budget for project expenditure by describing: How to create a Project Financial Plan with Project Management Tools Early in the Project Planning phase, you will need to define the overall budget for the project implementation. However setting a budget isn’t an easy task. In fact, many experienced Project Managers would say that its more of an Art rather than a Science! As challenging as it is, there are 4 steps you can take to create an accurate and realistic budget, by documenting a project “Financial Plan”: Step 1: List the Financial Expenses The first step taken when defining a Financial Plan and setting a project budget, is to identify all of the types of expenses that are likely to be incurred throughout the Project Lifecycle. Typically, most projects spend the majority of their budget on purchasing, leasing, renting or contracting the resources to the project (e.