The Essential Project

Document Management

Includes features such as check-in/check-out and versioning controls on documents and artifacts.

Repository Management

Includes storage, access control, and locking of files.

Data Visualization GIS

Thematic visualization with the ability to change views, including color, pattern/icon, dot-density, chart, scaled-symbol, and 3D prism themes

Analytics and Reporting

Includes historical & real-time dashboard visualizations, detailed & summary reporting and easy data extraction for data analysis.

Software Distribution

Includes electronic data interchange, document management, and financial reporting and analysis.

Performance Management

Includes all aspects of performance appraisals and review design: rollout, conducting, tracking, measurement, and goal attainment.

Collaboration

Includes ability to view, share and direct work between co-workers in real or near real-time.

Risk and Fraud Assessment

Includes the ability to document, mitigate, and respond to project risk conditions across the portfolio and detect instances of potential fraudulent claims.

Process Architecture

Includes business process, policy, procedure, and project reviews.

Project Management

Includes support for elements of individual project management such as phase, task, resource, duration and budget, with Gantt and WBS views.

Ease of Customization

Don't get bogged down in a difficult customization; use this data to make sure you can easily achieve the functionality you need for your particular situation.

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

Vendors who don't stay on top of emerging needs and trends won't enable you to meet your business goals. Use this data to separate innovators from imposters.

Ease of Implementation

Successfully implementing new software is necessary to realize its full value and promote end user adoption. This data indicates whether or not the product is easy to implement.

Vendor Support

The importance of vendor support will vary for each organization depending on internal capabilities, but there will always be issues that only the vendor can resolve.

Breadth of Features

Users prefer feature rich software that enables them to perform diverse series of tasks. This data expresses user satisfaction with the product's breadth of features.

Business Value Created

Software needs to create value for employees, customers, partners, and, ultimately, shareholders. This data expresses user satisfaction - or lack thereof - with the product's business value.

Quality of Features

Feature quality is just as important as quantity. Use this data to determine if this product will do what you're purchasing it to do, easily, intuitively, reliably, and effectively.

Ease of IT Administration

This data indicates whether IT personnel will be able to resolve issues and perform configurations efficiently and effectively.

Availability and Quality of Training

Effective and readily available training enables users to get the most out of the software you've chosen. Use this section to make sure your vendor's training programs and materials measure up.

Ease of Data Integration

Use this data to determine whether the product will cause headaches or make data integration easy.

Usability and Intuitiveness

End user learning curves cost the organization money. Pay attention to your end users' technical ability to determine how important UX is in your purchase.