Steven Wood Software, 2 Harksome Hill, West Hunsbury Northampton. NN4 9YF. United Kingdom

Transcription

1 The Time Location Chart originates from a project management system known as Line of Balance or Elemental Trend Analysis, which is used on projects which are repetitive and require strict trade sequencing, i.e. factory production lines, housing estate construction, etc. The chart highlights the importance of activity completion, production rates and relationships between selective activities, and thus, has been developed by the Construction Industry for use on linear projects such as roads, tunnels and pipelines. On these linear projects the location element is usually expressed in terms of chainage or metreage and hence the term Time Chainage or Time Metreage is also applied to these charts. Originally, the only way to produce these charts was by hand, either with pen and paper, or by using a CAD system or in Microsoft Excel. This was a long, laborious, time consuming process and, just as the last line or annotation has been drawn, along comes the Project Manager with new ideas or information which requires changes to the programme. For the past two decades the family of software has provided a no frills add-on utility to your Project Management system to produce quality Time Location charts quickly and easily by using manually entered data or the data from your existing Project Management system. now takes over the baton and brings with it most of the bells and whistles that have been missing in the past, with some more still to come. Available in two versions Standard and Professional, it is now even easier

2 to transfer data from your PM system, add the the one shown above. formatting fields and produce a Time Location chart like Unlike other Time Location software, such as Tilos, has been designed to work with your existing Project Management software and not replace it, thus, retaining all the time, effort and training that has been paid for over the years. This third party add-on approach, designed by Planners for Planners, means that the software is available at a competitive price, is simple to learn and easy to use. The software is primarily designed to operate on a two screen display, with the Data on one screen and the Library windows and Chart on the second screen, however, can be run quite successfully on a single screen. All data, including any graphics, is now held in a single project file making it easier to transfer data between planners and computers. Only special Layout files need to be transferred with the data file. All diagrams, clipart and logos are already included. Apart from general improvements in ease of use and data input, the main changes to be found in each version of the software are as follows:- Standard 1. All the features found in version Colour coded windows for ease of recognition when multiple windows are displayed. 3. Multiple charts per page. 4. Header Lines on charts. 5. Improved input spreadsheets with chart, schedule and task filtering and column selection and user naming. 6. A Personal Bar Library which allow combinations of Bar Types and Colours to be saved for use on every project. 7. A Project Bar Library, which replaces the Key/Legend facility of v4.5, containing all the Bar Type and Colour combinations used in the project. 8. A Standard Bar Types Library, which replaces the v4.5 Toolbars for selecting the bar and hatching combination. 9. A Personal Bar Types Library which allows user defined bars to be saved for use on every project. 10. A Project Bar Types Library, which replaces the v4.5 User Defined Bars. 11. A Personal Colour Library, which allows additional user named colours to be added to the eleven Standard Colours of v4.5 for use on every project. 12. A Project Colour Library, which stores the named colours used on the project. 13. A Filter Library, which stores the Filters to be applied to tasks for both input and output. 14. Improved Print Preview. 15. Improved and extended Chart Options. 16. Improved Layout Designer (v4.5 Page Setup). 17. Title Block Designer. 18. Multi-Page mosaic printing. 19. Extensive Onscreen Help

3 Professional 1. All the features found in Standard. 2. Graphical input window for Tasks, which allows a Time Location chart to be drawn from scratch on the screen without the need for transfer of data, or Task scheduling to be visually amended without the need for rescheduling by the PM system. 3. Graphical input window for Labels. 4. Graphical input window for Text/Notes (v4.5 Milestones/Notes). 5. Ten step Progress Data storage 6. Bar Profiling for non-linear production tasks. 7. A Profile Library, which stores bar profiles to be applied to non-linear production tasks. 8. Histograms 9. Financial Graphs Data Import/Entry Data can be imported into either by means of the clipboard or by using the built-in conversion utilities for interim files such as Microsoft Project Exchange (MPX), Primavera P6 (XER), Microsoft Excel (XLS) or Comma Separated Variable (CSV). Most Windows based project management systems, such as Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Asta PowerProject, CS Project, Project Commander, etc., which display the data in spreadsheet form on the screen, can make effective use of the clipboard to transfer the data into the system. Once transferred the data can easily be edited, added to, formatted, etc on a simple spreadsheet form or graphical interface. Personal Bar Libraries, Bar Types and Colours can be used to quickly format the tasks as they are imported. Location labels, Milestone markers, Text, Notes, Calendars and Graphics can be added to enhance the chart. Alternatively, the data for the entire project may be entered manually, if desired, by the spreadsheet, or, in the Professional version, by drawing it directly onto the screen using a graphical interface. Easy to Use has been designed by for ease of use. All features are accessed using the familiar tabbed toolbar ribbon now common to a lot of the new Windows software. Individual Toolbars and Popup Menus are available to assist with data entry, editing and formatting.

4 Data is entered or edited on a user definable spreadsheet, a format familiar to most computer users. or, in the Professional version, a graphical interface. Bar Combinations, Bar Types and Colour Libraries are available to assist with formatting of the tasks. The chart may be previewed by clicking on a single button on the toolbar ribbon. A fully comprehensive, on-screen help system is included, which may be called up at any time.

5 Design Your Own Page Setup and Title Block Design your own page setup and save your design for future use on other projects. Page layouts can be created for varying sizes of paper, for different types of printer or to suit personal preferences. Load the Layout Designer utility and simply drag and drop containers for logos, notes, key/legend, title block and activity listings anywhere on the page and resize using the mouse or by entering sizes and co-ordinates. Up to 6 charts and 4 Logos may appear on a single page. Design your own Title Block to suit your company requirements.

6 Load the Title Block Designer utility and simply drag and drop containers for the sections anywhere on the title block and resize using the mouse or by entering sizes and co-ordinates in terms of percentages of the size of the box. Format the Charts Use the Chart Options utility to personalise your charts. Select the page layout and which other items are to be shown on the chart. Set the time and location grid spacing and the direction, up or down, left to right or right to left in which they are to run. Filter the activities to be shown using any of the task data fields. And, finally, specify the calendar parameters to produce an individually tailored chart to suit the needs of any particular project. Enhance the Charts Enhance the chart with a choice of over 80 different bar styles ranging from 5 different line styles, through 28 open, hatched and solid bars, boxes and triangles and 40 user definable bar styles. Place an outline diagram, map or drawing of the project at the top of each chart. Add up to four company logos or Insert pictures or clipart anywhere on the charts. Add notes to the Notes column or insert text and milestones, to show final and sectional completion dates, anywhere on the chart. Replace the numeric location labels with meaningful text labels and vary the vertical grid line styles to highlight changes of section or physical features.