What is a Viewer for Microsoft Project?
A Microsoft Project Viewer, as its name implies, views project files. If you receive a project file in your email, and you double-click on the project file, you won't be able to open the file unless you have Microsoft Project ($500 and up) or a Microsoft Project viewer.
Common Features of Project Viewers
When evaluating a project viewer, look for the following core features:
| Accurate Data in Core Views |
The key views that a good project viewer should have are the eight views that are commonly used in Microsoft Project:
- Gantt Chart
- Network Diagram
- Calendar
- Timeline
- Task Usage
- Tracking Gantt
- Resource Usage
- Resource Graph
- Resource Sheet
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| Zooming |
You should be able to zoom in and out of views, and the timescale should change accordingly. |
| Easy Printing and Print Preview |
Common features include print preview, scaling with fit-to-page, headers, page numbers, etc. |
| Export, Copy/Paste |
Project viewers should allow you to export to Excel and HTML, and you should be able to easily copy data directly into the clipboard. |
| Customized Views |
As with Microsoft Project, you should be able to insert and hide columns, set their widths, and set the order in which the columns are displayed. |
| Remember Customizations |
Between sessions, the application should remember the way you like views displayed. The location and size of the application window should also be remembered between sessions. |
| Easy Filtering |
The viewer should make it easy to filter the tasks displayed by common criteria. For example, you should be able to quickly show only tasks owned by a particular resource (person), or only view overdue tasks. |
| Easy Search |
Free text search allows you to search for a word in the project file without having to restrict the search to a particular field. When a search is restricted by fields, you will only find matches if the text appears in one field. |
| Subprojects |
If the project file contains subprojects, and those subprojects are accessible, the viewer should be able to display the entire project. |
| Obey Customizations in Project |
If the project manager changed colors, fonts, etc., the viewer should obey those changes and display them the same way. |
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Project Viewer vs.Project Clone
The best project viewers have the features listed above, but the best software applications are the ones that are easy to use. Project viewer vendors have taken two paths: one group (the clones) attempts to clone the user interface from Microsoft Project. The other group (Steelray, for example) designed a user interface centered around viewing project schedules.
Where the Project Clones Fall Short
The most important thing to remember with software is this: people use software to accomplish tasks. They don't need the software per se; they need to accomplish the task. Stated another way:
The project viewers that are clones of Project copied a user interface that wasn't designed around viewing projects. Microsoft Project was designed to create, modify, and track project schedules. The user who needs to view a project has very different needs, and these needs are poorly met by the Project Viewer clones.
Ask users of Microsoft Project what they think of the application's usability. Try finding someone who thinks that it is an easy-to-use program.
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