Galorath's SEER-SEM Client Transforms Microsoft Project Into a Dedicated Software Development Planning Tool

Business Wire, Oct 7, 2002

Business Editors

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2002

Galorath Incorporated, the leading provider of advanced modeling tools to plan, estimate and control projects, is introducing a Microsoft Project add-on today that company executives say will dramatically improve the way software development teams plan their projects.

"With its direct integration into Microsoft Project, a manager can use the SEER-SEM Client to quickly generate accurate project plans, no matter how large or small the project," says Dan Galorath, president and founder of Galorath Incorporated. "The SEER-SEM Client completely transforms Microsoft Project into a dedicated software development planning tool. It also provides executives with a more accurate ROI and delivery time to assist in prioritizing critical software development projects."

Software projects are typically planned subjectively, relying on a mix of intuition and experience; thus, the accuracy of a manually derived plan is hard to verify. It is commonly accepted that software project predictions can be wildly out of line, either too optimistic or too pessimistic. The resulting damage is significant. "Projects are abandoned all the time and companies are hurt because of ill-conceived plans," comments Mr. Galorath, who came to believe in project estimation during his earlier career as a project rescue specialist. "The SEER-SEM Client helps people avoid disasters."

The new SEER-SEM Client for Microsoft Project enables software project teams to develop well-structured, realistic plans to achieve schedules and cost goals. The Client is powered by the robust estimating technology of SEER-SEM (Software Estimation Model) to deliver accurate estimates. "It reduces project failures and improves staffing efficiency. It saves development managers time in laying out accurate plans and it lets development shops provide their teams with a common framework for planning," says Lee Fischman, Galorath's director of special projects. Sophisticated software project managers have used SEER-SEM for over 20 years to ensure success. The SEER-SEM Client now embeds this methodology into the world's leading scheduling and project management tool, Microsoft Project.

As an every-day tool, the SEER-SEM Client for Microsoft Project can be used to initiate project plans based on very little initial information, and then to update and fine-tune as more concrete information is gained along the way. When invoked, an intuitive interface guides the user in describing the project and then lays out a plan in Microsoft Project, with tasks and resource assignments crafted to each unique situation; thus, bringing the language of software development into Microsoft Project. New projects are compared to a shared database of completed projects, thereby calibrating the SEER-SEM Client and further refining its accuracy. Many other aspects of the SEER-SEM Client -- resource schematics, lifecycles, key planning factors, etc. -- are shared, allowing teams to utilize a unified project planning toolset. Enterprise integration allows widely dispersed groups to work off a standard methodology while adapting to the specifics of their particular environment, making the SEER-SEM Client a natural choice for process improvements.

About Galorath Incorporated

For more than 20 years, project managers, engineers and costing personnel throughout the world have turned to Galorath Incorporated for the industry's most comprehensive set of decision-support and process management tools. Complemented by extensive consulting and support services, Galorath's SEER estimation and analysis tools define, analyze and manage software development projects, from early concepts through upgrade and maintenance phases.

An innovator in software management parametric analysis, Galorath's SEER tools derive cost, schedule and staffing estimates by assessing the interaction and impact of product, organizational and even operational variables. This parametric methodology, coupled with the industry's most comprehensive knowledge bases, creates a rapid and powerful view of the critical factors driving program decision and determining success. For more information contact Galorath Incorporated at 100 N. Sepulveda Blvd., El Segundo, CA 90245; telephone (310) 414-3222, or outside the U.S. 44 (0) 1252 737684; email info@galorath.com or visit www.galorath.com.