Setting up a project. Defining activities and relationships. Assigning resources. Scheduling Using the bar chart view and PERT view.

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Starting a new project is both exciting and daunting. That's why SureTrak includes the Project KickStart Wizard to let you jump right into a new project, or even your first project, with the confidence of a seasoned project manager.

Project KickStart guides you through defining and organizing your project into phases, creating a strategy for achieving project goals, and assigning people for a successful finish.

With Project KickStart, nothing falls through the cracks as you plan a new project.

At each step of the way, Project KickStart has a library of choices from which you can select, or customize with information unique to your projects.

The result is a task list with a clear overview of the project and the steps necessary to complete it. Here you can enter how long the task will take to complete as well as notes on completing the task efficiently.

Whether you're new to project management, or a veteran of many campaigns, you'll like how Project KickStart helps you plan ahead to overcome obstacles and delegate assignments to accomplish the work.

You can use Project KickStart to brainstorm a new project, or use a project template as the starting point. SureTrak lets you choose the method that works best for you.

SureTrak lets you add activities in a familiar spreadsheet format.

Or, if you prefer, enter activity information on the Activity form. Define such things as the activity duration to indicate how much effort is necessary to complete the activity.

To change an activity's duration, simply drag the end of the activity bar to a new location. The pop-up box helps you drag the bar to a particular date or to the new duration.

To create the workflow of your project, create links, or relationships, among activities.

By putting activities into sequence, you can see how a delay in one part of the project affects subsequent activities.

Create relationships right on the bar chart by simply clicking the mouse at one end of an activity and dragging it to the end of another activity.

Or to link a set of activities as a series, select them all in the activity columns and click on the Link tool.

It's just as simple to link activities on SureTrak's PERT view. The PERT view shows you each activity as a box containing as much or as little information as you need.

You can link activities one at a time…

…or select a series and link them in one step.

By assigning resources--your people, equipment, and materials--you turn a plan into a project. Managing those resources with SureTrak's help is how you turn a project into a success story.

Assign resources to activities on either the bar chart or the PERT chart. Simply select activities and insert a resource assignment. Enter a person's name, or select from your predefined list.

In one step, you can assign a person to all selected activities.

You can even let SureTrak show you how long an activity will take, depending on who you assign and when the person is available.

What's more, SureTrak can revise durations according to how many people you assign to a task. For instance, if you double the resource effort, the time to complete the activity is cut in half.

You'll be able to make informed time and cost tradeoff decisions as you manage the project.

SureTrak uses the activity, relationship, resource, and calendar information to schedule when activities start. The critical path highlights activities that could delay your project.

With the project schedule in hand, you can take control of your project, armed with the knowledge of what it will take to reach your goals and the confidence to manage your project successfully to completion.