• Project Managers can use the system to setup the tasks required to be performed and then :

• Assign the required dates;
• Parent and child relationships;
• Set up some limited dependencies (dependencies is an area that will be worked on in the next major release and you may find that in 1.0.2 and 2.0 these are still not exactly what you are expecting);
• Assign human resources to perform the tasks;
• Assign physical resources to tasks;
• Set up project milestones;
• Use status information provided by project members to manage project deliverables and schedules; and
• Record basic project information such as statements of requirements, indicated budgets and so on.

• Project members can then use the system to :

• Update their progress on task and create log entries to advise other project members of the status of tasks;
• Manage their daily workload by using a variety of different views of project and project tasks;
• Access and/or create files and supporting documentation generated against projects and/or tasks;
• Discuss issues with other project members via forums;
• Manage diaries for task and or events.
  

• There are other modules such as Links, Journals, Physical Resource Management and so on as well as a considerable number of already completed translation packages, or you can create your own Translation as outlined in our course Translating dotProject.

dotProject fits any requirement where there is a set of tasks to be performed, on a timed schedule, by a team of anything between one and thousands

Because dotProject is ultimately a project management tool, you can fit it to any scheduled workload for example :

• Use it to set up and then monitor progress on a job that you are doing for a client, for example :
  
  
  • map the garden
  • draw up the plan of tree and garden bed locations
  • get the client to agree to the map
  • layout the proposed bed / plant locations on the ground
  • draw up plan of existing plants to be moved and new locations
    
  • order topsoil and manures to be delivered
  • order new trees and plants
    
  • move plants
    
  • set up new beds
  • complete garden

• Take a more technically based project, such as a website development and you can use the same principle :
  
  
  • Draw up preliminary designs
  • Client review and adjust designs
  • Design signoff
  • Domain registration
  • DNS / SDNS setup
  • Develop home page prototype
  • Prototype review...... and so on
    

The standard dotProject modules are :

• Company / Contacts Modules - maintain a list of companies and contacts with whom you conduct projects.
• Projects / Tasks Modules - establishing projects and the tasks associated with projects.
• Calendar Module - managing events (as opposed to tasks).
• System and User Administration - for setting up the system and your user base.
• Files Module - for managing files associated with projects.
• Forums Module - for generating discussion forums that can be connected to projects.
• Resources Module - for managing non-human resources and attaching them to projects.
• Ticketsmith Module - incoming tickets and help requests.

• Timesheets
• Help Desk
• Links
• Journal
• Translation Packages
• Inventory

• Modules can be provided by Team members and non-Team members;
• Modules can be slightly outside core functionality for dotProject;
• The core development team are not responsible for maintaining the modules