Terms associated with project management include:
Gantt chart: The Gantt chart, named for its developer, Henry L. Gatt, displays the status of various tasks, personnel assignments and costs. It is sometimes referred to as the bar chart.
PERT chart: The PERT (for program evaluation and review technique) chart illustrates the relationships between tasks; it tracks the progress of each activity from start to finish. It is also referred to as a network chart.
Resources per project: How many variables (people, equipment and costs, for example) will be considered in the planning of a project?
Tasks per project: Usually, a more complex project will involve more tasks. Likewise, if project-management software is used to plan simpler projects, fewer tasks will probably be required.
Links between multiple projects: If projects are dependent on one another for allocation of resources and people, it is beneficial to create links, allowing the manager to have a more complete picture of the interdependent projects.
Import/Export capabilities: This category indicates whether the package has the ability to import and export data to and from various sources.
Links to mainframe package: Large projects may require downloading information from a mainframe database.
Links to spreadsheet package: Interfacing to a spreadsheet package allows printing of project information in spreadsheet format.
Highlights critical path: The critical path, which outlines the primary tasks involved in a project, allows a manager to control a project by setting up dependencies. If one task deviates from the original plan, the program will alert the manager in advance to the possible resulting problems.
CPM diagram: Also known as a time-phase network-logic diagram, this chart combines both PERT and Gantt chart features. It may be described as a time-scaled PERT chart because it offers a time frame and displays the interdependencies of the activities within the project.
Variable-schedule units: The scheduling units take into account the time that is allotted for each task and resource within a project. Some packages will be based on days, while others are based on hours.
Filtered task report: This feature allows selective reporting on the status of particular tasks as opposed to a general reporting of all the tasks at one time.
Resource-loading report: This feature gives the user the option to generate reports on the allocation of people, equipment, costs and other resources that are available.
Allows calendar modifications: If a program allows for calendar modifications, then it will account for specifications in a standard calendar and adjust the project schedule accordingly.
User interface based on Lotus: A check in this column indicates that the package's user interface is similar to the menu system employed by the popular spreadsheet package 1-2-3, developed by Lotus Development Corp. of Cambridge, Mass.