"Achievo is a flexible web-based resource management tool for business environments," it reads on the website of Achievo. It is available as open source, that means for free. Just to see if it is something for all you project managers out there I talked to Ivo Jansch of Achievo about the seven goals.

How does Achievo help reaching "the 7 goals"?

1. Improve project reporting and tracking

Achievo offers several ways of planning a project (planning per project, planning per phase of a project, planning per employee). It has a time tracking module for keeping track of time spent on each project. Several reports and statistics are available to compare planning with actual realization.

2. Improve estimating and scheduling

Reports and statistics can be created on any project managed with Achievo. This gives project managers the possibility to compare new projects with similar projects, to see how the planning went there, and how much time was spent on which particular activities. Time spent in meetings for example is often underestimated; Achievo offers statistics that tell you how much time on average your people spend on meetings, design, implementation etc.

3. Reduce cost or speed process up by automating workflows

Achievo offers several ways of work, which can be configured by management. People can register time, and once finished they can lock the week, after which administration can handle billing of the hours. Or, if so configured, management can take care of the locking, by giving people a deadline (if you haven't registered your time in two days, the week is locked, and you won't get paid the extra hours). Employees are notified with email reminders if they are behind in their time registration.

4. Improve resource assignments

The resource planning tool add-on module allows project managers to plan employees down to the week level. By comparing hourly rates of people with the project estimates and project quotations, the manager immediately sees the effect of exchanging 2 employees. (for example, if employee A is half as expensive but needs three times as many hours to complete the job, the manager will see the end result on the costs change as soon as he swaps employee A with B). By also comparing estimated times with actual times, the manager also sees what effect this has on the project deadline.

5. Improve project communication

Achievo does not venture into 'webmail', as this is an area of expertise well worked out by other software. On the other hand, Achievo offers the possibility to place notes in projects to keep all project information together.

6. Improve project team collaboration

Achievo offers a centralized agenda, with the possibility to view the schedules of colleagues (as far as they allow it). There is a todo module for keeping track of todo's, with the possibility to reassign todo's to different people.

7. Improve overall project process

When using Achievo, all of the above 6 points ensure a unified way of work, and the information gathered through planning and tracking, will soon prove valuable in improving project management.

For more information visit their website.