In LifeHacker’s write-up today, by the How-To Geek, we learned about an awesome Web-based Gantt tool for project management called Gantter.  If you’re used to MS Project, you’re in luck, because the app looks a whole lot like it.   And, if you’re using MS Project for some of it’s more advanced features on your local computer, you can import your MS Project files right into Gantter for sharing with your remote team.

I really see that this is best used when you have a LOT of participants with minor roles and you don’t want to fork out for the CALS for the web project server or you just don’t have the cash for MS products anyway, what with all of your outsourcing to Pakistan and India, right?

It’s straightforward to use the app, so you can bring new people up-to-speed on it in now time.  Just add tasks and resources to your WBS like you do on MS project,   If you need to, you can download the project plan as an XML file for loading into Project at the home base.

Gantter is completely free project management software – yes, FREE, so Gantt away and manage those projects like you’ve never managed before.

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Right click on the column header

1. Select “Insert Column.”
2. Select an unused custom text field name like “Text1″.
3. Change the title to something like “Week #”.Now, you should see a blank column with the header “Week #” on it.
4. Right click that new column header and choose “C ustomize Fields…”
5. Click the “Formu la…” button
6. Type the following formula into the formula dialog:
   • CStr(1+DateDiff(”w”;[Project Start];[Start]))

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As you all know, I abhor MS Project  because of its lack of intuitiveness as well as stove piping a certain way of doing work.  I checked out Merlin 2 to see if there was Gantt Chart software for the Mac that might use instead.

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Here’s how Merlin is Awesome — especially in comparison to MS Project:

• You can zoom in to days and zoom out to weeks/months quite easily. Scaling seems like a really awesome feature that Project is just way behind in presentation-wise.
• Merlin provides a library of frequently used Gantt Chart templates to get you started.  When importing Gantt charts from one project into another projects in MS Project, it just hurts.  Bad, BAD things happen.
• Gantt Chart presentation in Merlin is just splendid.  Simply right off the charts.  Drop-shadows, anti-aliasing, soft edges — it’s just gorgeous.  With this Gantt chart tool for the Mac, my project documentation now has substance and style.
• Merlin’s representation of task completion is incredibly intuitive.  The shading of the entire bar just makes so much more sense than how it’s done in Project.
• Task names are printed on the bars in the Gantt chart.  You can print the Gantt chart without the WBS, and convey nearly the entire project plan in so much less space.
• Merlin has a well thought-out Print dialog with tons of helpful options which allow you to quickly print exactly what you want of the Gantt chart.
• Merlin’s help system is remarkable – it provides a thoughtful and well presented introductory course in Project Management concepts mapped to the part of the software to which that lesson applies.
• Merlin is completely compatible with Microsoft Project – but MS Project is not Project Management software for the Mac – so, no Gantt charts on the Mac from MS Project.
• Merlin is scads cheaper.  In fact, if you want to get the beta of Merlin 2.5, it’s FREE!  Yes, you heard me right, free.  Have at it.

If you’re looking for a Gantt Charting tool for the Mac or for Project Management Software for the Mac — Merlin is a serious contender.  Give ‘er a peek.

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