computer assistance for planning work?

I keep setting up excel worksheets to help plan my work - a series of sculptures - and keep running up against problems. Does anyone have experience setting up work plans and schedules and time logs that work well for them? I could use excel97, access97, or turboproject express (which I own but haven't installed.) Or if you recommend something else, I'd consider that.

I can set up a log of what I've done in excel, and record how long various tasks took. And total the hours. And I can set up a separate list of next steps, estimated time required vs. actual time required. What I don't know how to do in Excel is to show the sequences of activities the way a project management program could do - the way one activity has to precede another, but could be done at the same time as another. (It's true that since this is a one-person studio I can only do one thing at once, but it's helpful to know the options.) Turboproject can do this, but the time seems to be projected only in days rather than hours. (But I don't fully understand this program either.)

I've been too cheap to buy a $300 or more project management program, both re $ and hard drive space required. And I'm not sure that's what I need. Overkill?

It would be nice to have one basic program or template that I could use not only for the artmaking, but also for business projects like making my website and making my database. (Maybe the access97 database is what I need?)

You can see how confused I get. So I end up doing it mostly on paper, which means that any revisions require starting over. I love the way my computer helps me do other aspects of my work and am sure I can find an efficient and fun way to turn work planning and records into the same kind of magic. All suggestions welcome!

I've not used any of the SW you mention but I have written my own PERT program in APL so I do understand what you're about. Two suggestions: First, check the manual for Turboproject to see if it will allow fractional days, i.e. .125 day = 3 hours. Second, lie. Pretend you are working in days. Tell it 3 days when you mean 3 hours.

Don't know if any of this will help but I try.

Thanks, Ted, I bet the fraction will work. There has to be some way to do it because the program records the hourly rate of 'resources' (me, any subcontractors or employees, etc.).

I had to think back more years than I care to admit, but I remembered two planning models I used to train in

I have never done this, or even thought about it actually. Can you tell me how involved a project would have to be to need to do this? Do you do it to keep the steps of the project in order? To decide how much to charge? To keep several projects straight or know where to pick up again? None of my projects has been so detailed that I have had to do this, but I may need to in the future. I'd appreciate the information. Probably showing my ignerrance again, but why stop now? <g> And do you need a spreadsheet or would just making notes in a text document or WordPad work?

TIA,

Kim

Well, I couldn't resist experimenting a bit with the program I already owned but hadn't installed - TurboProject Express. As you'd expect from the name it's a 'light' version and perhaps good for learning. IMSI actually makes an even 'lighter' version you can download as a trial version from their site (www.turboproject.com). Can't tell for sure yet whether or not it will save time in the end. What I like about it for planning use is that if I make a longrange plan and my time 'slips' - I get sick, or lazy, or distracted, or just find out I don't know how to do something and it takes time to learn - then the whole plan isn't messed up. The program adjusts all the dates for me. If I have a firm deadline and just moving everything forward isn't acceptable, then I can play around with different options for 'getting that time back' and still finishing on schedule. It may just be me. When I have several projects going on at once, I tend to start dropping the ball on most or all - lose my place, so to speak. Or I keep going but forget all about any possible time constraints and then am shocked at how long something took (or that I forgot about the whole project and now wish it were done!) eg I get into making art and forget about all the business projects, or vice versa. It's easy to make 'to do' lists and prioritize them - but that doesn't tell me at a glance which things need to be done first. And even if I manage to make a 'to do' list that does tell all this - it bears no relationship to calendar time or the time I have available. I tend to take on more than I can do, with only a vague suspicion that this is so. Till later. Or as I say, if my time 'slips' the whole plan is a mess. Anyway - I want both organization and flexibility. This program may give me both. I'll know more soon. Thanks for